Chapter 15 - The Fire at Headquarters
Flames poured from the upper floors of Collins Trust Headquarters before dawn.
Firefighters fought desperately to contain the blaze.
Television helicopters circled overhead.
The story dominated every news channel.
Michael arrived with Rebecca less than twenty minutes later.
The fire chief met them outside.
"The sprinkler system never activated."
Rebecca frowned.
"It was inspected last month."
The chief nodded.
"It had been deliberately disabled."
Michael immediately contacted Victor Hayes.
"Where were the archive servers?"
Victor pointed toward the underground data center.
"If the fire reaches below..."
He never finished.
A violent explosion shook the building.
Glass shattered across the street.
Everyone instinctively ducked.
Smoke filled the sky.
Meanwhile...
inside the Collins residence, Margaret watched the live broadcast.
Her heart sank.
Richard had built that headquarters himself.
Every brick represented decades of work.
Detective Nolan entered carrying another envelope.
"It arrived by courier."
There was no sender.
Only Margaret's name.
Inside rested a single photograph.
Richard stood beside Thomas Keene.
Behind them...
a young boy smiled at the camera.
Margaret stared.
She recognized neither child nor location.
Written on the back were only six handwritten words.
"He was never your only son."
The room became completely silent.
Daniel slowly looked toward Margaret.
"What does that mean?"
Margaret's hands trembled.
"It can't."
Edward carefully examined the photograph.
The ink appeared recent.
Not decades old.
Someone had written that message only days earlier.
Michael received another call.
His face hardened.
"The headquarters fire wasn't the primary target."
Rebecca looked at him.
"What was?"
"The digital backup vault."
She frowned.
"Was it destroyed?"
Michael slowly smiled for the first time that day.
"No."
Rebecca looked confused.
"Then why smile?"
Michael held up his phone.
"Because whoever started this fire..."
"...just activated another one of Richard Collins' traps."
May you like
Far beneath the burning building...
a hidden steel chamber silently unlocked for the first time in twenty-five years.
