Chapter 4
The fire alarm screamed above us.
Teachers pushed open the emergency doors while children covered their ears.
Smoke spread across the ceiling from the records room.
Dad lifted me into his arms, even though I told him I could run.
“Stay with your mother.”
He handed me to Mom near the exit.
“Where are you going?” she demanded.
“The server room is beside the records room.”
“Daniel, no.”
“If the video is there, someone may be destroying it.”
“It’s not worth your life.”
Dad looked at me.
“It’s not only Lily’s video. It may contain proof of what happened to other kids.”
Before Mom could stop him, he ran back inside.
“Dad!”
A security guard blocked the doorway.
“You can’t enter.”
“My husband is in there!”
Mom tried to push past him, but he held out his arm.
Two fire engines arrived less than three minutes later.
Firefighters hurried through the entrance.
I searched every face coming out.
Dad wasn’t among them.
Emma held my hand.
“He’ll be okay,” she whispered.
I wanted to believe her.
Then we saw Principal Halpern standing near the parking lot.
He was arguing with Greg Dawson, the head of security.
Greg held a black computer drive beneath his jacket.
Mom saw it too.
She released my hand.
“Stay with Emma’s mother.”
She crossed the parking lot quickly.
“Mr. Dawson!”
Greg turned.
The drive disappeared under his coat.
“What are you carrying?” Mom asked.
“Emergency equipment.”
“Show me.”
“You have no authority.”
Principal Halpern moved between them.
“Mrs. Carter, return to the evacuation area.”
“That looks like a computer drive.”
“It contains private school information.”
“So you removed it before the fire?”
Greg’s eyes narrowed.
“I followed emergency procedure.”
“Then why are you hiding it?”
A police officer approached.
“Is there a problem?”
Mom pointed at the drive.
“That man removed evidence from the room where the fire started.”
Greg laughed.
“This woman is upset because her daughter was suspended.”
The officer looked from him to Mom.
“Sir, may I see what you’re carrying?”
Principal Halpern immediately intervened.
“Officer, I can confirm Mr. Dawson is authorized to secure school property.”
The officer hesitated.
Greg began walking away.
Aunt Rebecca suddenly appeared beside his car.
She had not left after all.
“Greg,” she called.
He stopped.
Rebecca stepped directly into his path.
“Victor told you to erase the recording, didn’t he?”
Tyler stood several feet behind her.
His face went white.
Greg looked at Principal Halpern.
No one answered.
Rebecca held out her hand.
“Give it to the police.”
“Move.”
“I spent too many years moving whenever Victor told me to.”
Greg tried to walk around her.
Rebecca grabbed the edge of his coat.
The drive fell to the pavement.
The officer picked it up.
Greg’s face twisted.
“You have no idea what you’re doing.”
“Yes,” Rebecca said. “For the first time, I do.”
Two firefighters emerged from the building.
Dad was between them, coughing but walking.
I pulled free from Emma’s mother and ran to him.
“Dad!”
He dropped to one knee and wrapped his arms around me.
“I’m okay.”
Mom reached us seconds later.
She slapped his shoulder, then hugged him.
“Never do that again.”
“I found the server cabinet open.”
The firefighter beside him nodded.
“The fire was small. It started inside a trash bin, but the sprinkler system contained it.”
“Was it deliberate?” the police officer asked.
“We found a cleaning rag soaked in something flammable.”
Greg backed toward his car.
The officer noticed.
“Sir, stay where you are.”
“I need to contact the school’s insurance company.”
“You can do that after we talk.”
Greg looked toward the street.
Then he ran.
He made it only six steps.
Dad moved without thinking.
He caught Greg’s arm, turned with his momentum, and guided him onto the grass.
It was the same kind of movement I had used on Tyler.
Controlled.
Fast.
No unnecessary harm.
Greg struggled, but Dad kept him still until the officer placed him in handcuffs.
“You Carter people think you’re heroes,” Greg spat.
Dad stood.
“No. We just don’t let bullies decide the rules.”
Principal Halpern tried to slip into the crowd.
A second officer stopped him.
“You need to remain available for questions.”
Parents began recording from the sidewalk.
The story was no longer something the school could quietly bury.
But Victor had disappeared.
Aunt Rebecca walked toward Dad.
For one hopeful second, I thought they might hug.
Instead, Dad stepped in front of me.
“Why are you still here?”
“Because Victor told Greg to destroy the video.”
“How do you know?”
“I heard the call in the parking lot.”
“Will you tell the police?”
Rebecca looked at Tyler.
He stared at the ground.
“If I do, Victor will know I betrayed him.”
“He already treats you like an enemy.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand better than anyone.”
Rebecca’s eyes filled.
“No, you don’t. When you walked away from the academy, you were free. I had to go home with him.”
Dad’s expression softened.
“You asked me to walk away.”
“Because he said he would take Tyler.”
Tyler looked up sharply.
“What?”
Rebecca covered her mouth.
Victor’s black SUV entered the parking lot.
It stopped beside us.
Victor climbed out and surveyed the fire engines, police cars, and gathered parents.
His eyes landed on the drive in the officer’s hand.
Then he saw Greg in handcuffs.
Finally, he looked at Rebecca.
“What did you do?”
She trembled but didn’t move.
“I told the truth.”
Victor approached slowly.
“No. You panicked and made yourself look foolish.”
“You ordered Greg to erase the recording.”
“You have no idea what I ordered.”
“I heard you.”
Victor looked at Tyler.
“Get in the car.”
Tyler obeyed immediately.
Rebecca stayed where she was.
Victor’s voice became colder.
“Rebecca.”
Dad stepped beside her.
“She isn’t leaving with you.”
“You don’t control my wife.”
“Neither do you.”
Victor smiled at the police officer.
“This is a private family disagreement.”
Rebecca whispered, “I’m not going home.”
Tyler heard her from inside the SUV.
He opened the door.
“Mom?”
She looked at her son, and all her courage seemed to disappear.
Victor knew it.
“If you don’t come home, Tyler comes with me.”
Rebecca took one step toward the car.
Dad caught her hand.
“He can’t keep your son from you.”
“He can,” she said. “He has judges, lawyers, school officials—everyone.”
Victor’s smile widened.
Mom moved beside Rebecca.
“Then we make sure everyone sees what he is.”
Rebecca looked at her.
“You don’t know what he has on your family.”
Mom’s face tightened.
“What does he have?”
Victor opened the driver’s door.
Rebecca lowered her voice.
“The original recording from the night Daniel lost Carter Academy.”
Dad froze.
“You told me it was destroyed.”
“Victor lied.”
“What recording?” I asked.
Nobody looked at me.
Victor called from the SUV.
“Last chance, Rebecca.”
She wiped her tears.
Then she walked to the vehicle.
Dad didn’t stop her this time.
Tyler stared at me through the open window.
He didn’t look angry anymore.
He looked trapped.
Before Rebecca got inside, she turned toward Dad.
“Find Owen Mercer.”
Dad’s face changed.
“Rebecca—”
“He knows who really hurt him.”
Victor seized her arm and pulled her into the SUV.
The vehicle sped away.
Mom looked at Dad.
“Who is Owen Mercer?”
May you like
Dad watched the black SUV vanish.
“The student Victor accused me of nearly killing.”
