Chapter 6 - Tomas
Ruby pulled Caleb behind a cabinet.
Mateo held Grace.
Elias rolled toward a wall panel and hit the emergency release.
A steel fire door crashed between them and the intruders.
"Move!"
They escaped through a loading tunnel into an unmarked van.
Frank drove.
Elias entered Elena's address into the map.
An abandoned church outside Bellweather.
Two hours.
Ruby shook her head.
"It's a trap."
"Maybe."
"You're going anyway?"
"My daughter wrote it."
"Your daughter also spent years hiding from you."
The truth landed.
Elias looked at her.
"Did she hate me?"
Ruby's anger slipped.
"No."
"Then why didn't she come home?"
"She said you loved the company more than you loved being right."
At the church, dusk pressed blue against the windows.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, candles had burned recently.
Mateo whispered, "Someone lives here."
A man stepped from behind the altar.
Thin.
Gray-haired.
Holding a shotgun.
"Leave."
Elias raised both hands.
"My name is Elias Vance."
The man lowered the shotgun slightly.
"I know."
"Elena sent us."
His face changed.
"You have the baby?"
Mateo stepped back.
"No."
The man looked at him.
"Mateo?"
Mateo froze.
"How do you know me?"
The man set the shotgun down.
"My name is Dr. Samuel Kerr."
Ruby whispered, "Mom talked about you."
Samuel nodded.
"She trusted me."
Elias moved closer.
"Where is Tomas?"
Samuel looked toward a door behind the altar.
"Alive."
Mateo ran.
The door opened.
A boy of fourteen stood there.
Pale.
Taller than Mateo remembered.
A scar crossed his chest.
Mateo stopped like he had hit glass.
"Tomas?"
The older boy's mouth trembled.
"Hey, idiot."
Mateo broke.
He crashed into him, sobbing.
Ruby followed.
Caleb screamed his brother's name.
Then Tomas looked at Grace.
His smile vanished.
"Why did you bring her here?"
Elias frowned.
"Because Haven is hunting her."
Tomas shook his head.
"No."
"What?"
"They're not hunting her."
He looked at Elias.
"They're hunting what happens when she heals someone."
Elias's right leg jerked.
Tomas saw it.
His face went white.
"You let her touch you?"
"Yes."
Tomas backed away.
"Then they aren't just coming for Grace anymore."
May you like
He pointed at Elias.
"They're coming for you too."
