Chapter 5 - THE BULLETS IN THE CHURCH“Down!”
Roman grabbed Rachel and pulled her behind a stone pillar as bullets tore through the chapel floor above them.
Dust and fragments of old wood rained from the ceiling.
Martin drew his weapon.
Daniel shouted orders.
Two Calder guards moved toward the stairs.
Roman caught one by the shoulder.
“No. They want us coming up that staircase.”
Another burst of gunfire erupted.
The chapel bells began ringing.
Not from anyone pulling the rope.
Bullets had struck the mechanism.
The bells thundered through the storm.
Rachel crouched with both hands over her ears.
Roman knelt beside her.
“Are you hit?”
She shook her head.
“Martin?”
“I’m fine.”
Daniel pointed toward the rear wall.
“There used to be a burial tunnel.”
Martin looked at him.
“How do you know that?”
“Old estate blueprints.”
Roman almost smiled.
That was why Daniel Pike was alive after nineteen years in Roman’s world.
He prepared for buildings other people forgot existed.
Daniel pressed against a carved stone panel near the back of the crypt.
Nothing moved.
“Help me.”
Roman joined him.
Together they shoved.
The stone shifted.
Behind it was a narrow passage.
Martin stared.
“My father never told me about this.”
Roman looked at him.
“Your father apparently didn’t tell you a lot of things.”
Another explosion of gunfire hit the stairs.
One of the guards cursed.
“They’re coming down.”
Roman pushed Rachel toward the tunnel.
“Go.”
She clutched the metal box.
“I’m not leaving you.”
“That’s admirable. Go anyway.”
Rachel ran into the passage.
Martin followed.
Roman stayed with Daniel and two guards.
Footsteps descended.
Roman aimed.
A shadow appeared.
Roman fired once.
The man fell backward.
The remaining attackers stopped.
Daniel fired two shots toward the stone arch.
Roman shouted, “Now!”
They retreated into the tunnel.
Daniel pulled the stone panel shut.
Darkness closed around them.
Rachel switched on her phone flashlight.
The passage smelled like dirt and cold stone.
“Where does this lead?” she whispered.
Martin answered.
“The old cemetery.”
“How far?”
“Maybe three hundred yards.”
They moved quickly.
Roman stayed behind Rachel.
The metal box was heavy.
“Give me that.”
“I can carry it.”
“That wasn’t the concern.”
She looked at him.
“They were shooting at us because of this.”
“Yes.”
“Then if we separate—”
“We’re not separating.”
Something in his voice stopped the argument.
They reached an iron ladder.
Daniel climbed first.
A rusted hatch opened beneath a stone angel monument in the cemetery.
Rain poured down.
They emerged one by one.
Roman’s phone immediately buzzed.
No signal inside the crypt.
Now there were eleven missed calls.
Six from Sophia.
Roman’s heart stopped.
He called her.
She answered immediately.
“Roman?”
“Is Lily safe?”
“Yes.”
He exhaled.
Sophia continued.
“But someone tried the north gate twenty minutes ago.”
Roman’s expression changed.
“Who?”
“Two men in a utility van. Security stopped them. They claimed they were from the electric company.”
“Where are they?”
“They drove off.”
Roman looked at Martin.
Someone knew about Lily.
“Lock the house down,” Roman ordered. “Nobody enters. Not police. Not utility workers. Nobody unless Daniel personally clears them.”
Sophia understood instantly.
“Roman, what happened?”
“I’ll explain later.”
He ended the call.
Rachel stared at him.
“What?”
He hated telling her.
“There was an attempt to access Sophia’s property.”
Rachel nearly dropped the box.
“Lily?”
“She’s safe.”
“You promised—”
“She is safe.”
“I need to go to her.”
Roman took her shoulders.
“Listen to me.”
Rachel’s breathing became shallow.
“The men attacking us want you panicked. They want you running without protection.”
“My daughter—”
“Is behind twelve-foot walls with six armed guards and my sister, who shoots better than most of my men.”
Martin looked almost amused despite the situation.
“That part is true.”
Rachel glared at him.
Roman released her.
“We finish this correctly.”
Daniel joined them.
“We have a problem.”
Roman looked toward the road.
Two of their three vehicles were burning.
The third was gone.
“Someone inside our security detail?” Roman asked.
Daniel’s expression was grim.
“Looks that way.”
Martin cursed.
They crossed the cemetery on foot.
Roman called for a secure pickup using a secondary phone.
While they waited in an abandoned groundskeeper’s shed, Rachel opened her father’s letter again.
“Read the rest,” Roman said.
She hesitated.
Then did.
Andrew Hart had discovered that George Hart and Dominic Calder were secretly profiting from the conflict between the two families.
Every time Hart and Calder businesses fought over contracts, shipments disappeared.
Every retaliation generated new weapons purchases, new shell companies and new payoffs.
Peace was bad for certain men.
War made them rich.
Roman understood immediately.
“Our fathers weren’t fighting each other.”
Martin stared at him.
“They were being manipulated.”
“Sometimes.”
Roman reread the documents.
“Dominic handled my father’s security for years.”
Martin’s face darkened.
“And my father controlled the Hart crews.”
Rachel looked between them.
“So the two men who supposedly hated each other had people around them making sure the hatred continued.”
“Yes.”
Roman continued reading the letter.
Andrew had planned to expose the operation.
George discovered him.
Dominic helped arrange the fire.
But there was more.
Andrew believed George Hart intended to eventually kill Roman’s father too.
Roman stopped.
His father had died eight years earlier from what everyone believed was a heart attack.
Roman remembered Dominic being the one who found him.
His hands tightened around the paper.
Daniel saw it.
“What?”
Roman handed him the page.
Daniel read.
His face went pale.
Martin watched them.
“Say it.”
Roman looked at him.
“My father may have been murdered.”
The storm seemed suddenly colder.
Rachel sat on an overturned wooden crate.
“Then why is Evelyn involved now?”
Martin answered slowly.
“Because George died.”
“And Dominic?”
Roman’s eyes hardened.
“Still alive.”
Daniel swore.
Roman called Dominic.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
He called the Calder headquarters.
A lieutenant answered.
“Where’s Dominic?”
A pause.
“He left about an hour ago.”
“For where?”
“He said he was heading to your estate.”
Roman went completely still.
Rachel saw it.
“No.”
Roman dialed estate security.
No answer.
Daniel tried another line.
Nothing.
Roman called Sophia.
She answered.
“What?”
“Has Dominic contacted you?”
“No.”
“Do not let him in.”
“Roman—”
“Do not let Uncle Dominic anywhere near Lily.”
A long silence.
Then Sophia whispered.
“He’s already here.”
Roman’s blood turned to ice.
“When?”
“Five minutes ago.”
“Where is he now?”
Another silence.
Sophia’s voice changed.
“Roman…”
He heard shouting in the background.
May you like
Then a gunshot.
The line went dead.
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