The Final Enemy
1586 Words
The morning sun streamed through the windows of George's Chicago apartment.
He sat at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. The headlines were quiet. No more Blackwood scandals. No more threats. No more secrets uncovered.
George allowed himself to relax. Maybe, finally, it was over.
Sam walked into the kitchen. She was dressed for work, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. She looked tired but happy. "You're up early."
"Couldn't sleep."
"Still thinking about everything?"
George shook his head. "No. For the first time in a long time, I'm not thinking about anything."
Sam smiled. "That's good. That's really good."
She kissed him on the forehead and walked to the coffee maker.
George watched her. His wife. The woman who'd stood by him through everything. The woman who'd never given up on him.
"I love you," George said.
Sam turned and smiled. "I love you too."
---
The day was busy.
George went to work. He and Sam had a meeting with a new client. A tech company that needed help with their financials. George was good at his job. He enjoyed it. It kept his mind occupied.
At noon, he got a call from Arthur.
"George. How are you?"
"I'm good. Really good. How about you?"
"I'm great. I wanted to tell you something."
"What?"
"Sarah is pregnant. We're going to have a baby."
George's heart leaped. "That's wonderful, Arthur! I'm so happy for you."
"Thank you. I wanted you to be the godfather."
George smiled. "Of course. I'd be honored."
"Great. The baby is due in six months. We're going to name him Julian."
George was quiet for a moment. "Julian?"
"After Dad. I know he wasn't perfect. But he was still our father. And I want to honor him."
George nodded. "I think that's a good idea."
They talked for a few more minutes. Then George hung up.
He looked at Sam. "Arthur is going to have a baby."
Sam's face lit up. "That's wonderful!"
"I'm going to be the godfather."
"Of course you are. You're his brother."
George smiled. For the first time in a long time, he felt genuinely happy.
---
But the happiness didn't last.
Three days later, George received a package in the mail.
It was small. Plain brown wrapping. No return address. No signature.
George opened it carefully.
Inside was a photograph. A picture of his father. Julian Blackwood. Sitting in a chair, looking old and tired and broken.
But there was something else. A note. Typewritten.
*You think it's over, George. You think you've won. But you haven't. I'm still here. And I'm not done.*
*— Thomas Cade*
George stared at the photograph. His hands were shaking.
Thomas Cade was in prison. He was supposed to be serving a life sentence. How could he have sent this?
George called Arthur.
"Arthur. I just got a package."
"What kind of package?"
"A photograph of Dad. And a note. From Thomas Cade."
Arthur was quiet for a moment. "That's impossible. Cade is in prison."
"I know. But the note is from him. I recognize his writing."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to find out how he sent it."
---
George hired David Chen again.
The PI started investigating. He looked into Cade's prison connections. His visitors. His phone calls. His mail.
It took a week. But Chen found something.
"Mr. Blackwood. I found out how Cade sent the package."
"How?"
"He had help. Someone on the outside. Someone with access to the prison."
"Who?"
"A woman named Margaret Cade. His wife."
George's blood ran cold. "His wife? She's been visiting him?"
"Yes. Regularly. She's been bringing him messages. And she's been carrying messages out."
"So she's the one who sent the package."
"Yes. But there's more."
"What?"
"Margaret Cade has been in contact with someone else. Someone who wants to hurt your family."
"Who?"
Chen was quiet for a moment. "Your cousin. Emily Blackwood-Frost."
---
George stared at Chen.
"Emily? That's not possible. Emily is on our side. She helped us expose the truth about Dad."
"Maybe she did. But she also has a connection to Margaret Cade. They've been talking. Regularly. For months."
"About what?"
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."
George nodded. "Keep investigating."
---
The next few days were tense.
George couldn't stop thinking about Emily. The cousin who'd helped him. The cousin who'd exposed the truth. The cousin who might be working with Margaret Cade.
He called Emily.
"Emily. We need to talk."
"About what?"
"About Margaret Cade."
Emily was quiet for a moment. "What about her?"
"You've been talking to her. You've been working with her."
"George—"
"Don't lie to me, Emily. I know about the phone calls. I know about the meetings. I know everything."
Emily was quiet for a long moment. Then: "I can explain."
"Then explain."
"I've been working with Margaret Cade to take down the Blackwood family. All of it. The company. The money. The legacy."
George's heart sank. "Why?"
"Because I want justice. For my father. For everyone your father hurt. Margaret Cade wants revenge. She wants to destroy everything Julian built."
"And you agreed to help her?"
"Yes. I agreed to help her. Because I thought it was the right thing to do."
George was quiet for a long moment. Then: "You're wrong, Emily. Cade isn't about justice. He's about revenge. He's about hurting innocent people."
"Like your family?"
"Like my family. Like Arthur. Like Sarah. Like their unborn child."
Emily was quiet.
"If you help Cade, innocent people will get hurt," George said. "Is that what you want?"
"No. That's not what I want."
"Then stop. Stop working with Margaret Cade. Stop helping Cade. Help me instead."
"Help you do what?"
"Help me rebuild. Help me make things right. Help me turn the Blackwood name into something good."
Emily was quiet for a long moment. Then: "Okay. I'll help you."
"Thank you, Emily."
---
George called Arthur.
"Arthur. I found out who's been helping Cade."
"Who?"
"Emily. She's been working with Margaret Cade."
Arthur was quiet for a moment. "Emily? That's not possible."
"It's true. She admitted it."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to stop her. I'm going to stop Margaret Cade. I'm going to stop all of them."
"How?"
George thought about it. "I'm going to find Margaret Cade. And I'm going to talk to her."
---
George found Margaret Cade at her house in Boston.
She was an older woman. Gray hair. Sharp eyes. Expensive clothes.
"Mrs. Cade," George said. "I need to talk to you."
Margaret looked at him. "I know who you are, George. I've been waiting for you."
"You have?"
"Yes. I knew you'd come eventually."
"Why?"
"Because you're like your father. You don't give up. You don't let go. You fight until the end."
"I'm not like my father."
"Yes, you are. You're exactly like him. That's why I've been watching you."
George stepped closer. "Margaret. I need you to stop. I need you to stop helping Thomas. I need you to stop trying to destroy my family."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because your husband is a criminal. Because he deserves to be in prison. Because you're only hurting yourself by helping him."
Margaret stared at him. Her eyes were cold.
"You don't know anything," Margaret said. "You don't know what it's like to lose everything. You don't know what it's like to watch your husband go to prison."
"I know what it's like to watch your family fall apart," George said. "I know what it's like to lose everything. And I know that revenge doesn't make it better."
Margaret was quiet.
"Help me," George said. "Help me stop this. Help me make things right."
Margaret was quiet for a long moment. Then: "Okay. I'll help you."
---
Margaret Cade turned herself in.
She confessed to helping her husband send threatening letters. She confessed to working with Emily. She confessed to everything.
She was sentenced to three years in prison.
Emily was not charged. George convinced the authorities that she'd been manipulated. That she was a victim, not a criminal.
Emily was grateful. She came to George's apartment one evening.
"Thank you," Emily said. "For not giving up on me."
"You're family, Emily. I could never give up on you."
Emily hugged him. "I love you, George."
"I love you too."
---
The months that followed were peaceful.
Arthur's wedding was beautiful. Sarah was radiant. The mansion was filled with laughter and love.
George gave a toast. He talked about family. About forgiveness. About the future.
Arthur and Sarah had their baby. A boy. They named him Julian. George held his nephew and smiled.
The Blackwood name was still damaged. But it was healing. One day at a time.
---
The phone rang at 2:17 AM.
George reached for it automatically. His heart was pounding. But when he looked at the screen, he relaxed.
It was Arthur.
"Hey," Arthur said. "I know it's late. But I wanted to say something."
"What?"
"Thank you. For everything. For never giving up. For always fighting for us."
George smiled. "You're welcome, Arthur."
"I love you, George."
"I love you too, Arthur."
"Goodnight, George."
"Goodnight, Arthur."
George hung up.
He lay in the dark, listening to the quiet breathing of his wife beside him. His children were asleep in the next room.
His family was broken. But it was his. And he wouldn't trade it for anything.
- Writer
