CHAPTER 3 — The Brother Who Was Never Dead
The prison yard was so quiet that even the wind seemed afraid to move.
Brutus Kane remained on his knees, staring at the folded prison record in Emily's trembling hand.
"No..." he whispered.
"My name isn't Daniel anymore."
Emily's eyes filled with tears.
"They stole your name... but they couldn't erase your blood."
The guards looked at one another in confusion.
The inmates had never seen Brutus cry.
Not once.
The giant slowly reached into the pocket of his worn prison jacket.
His massive hands trembled as he pulled out a faded silver necklace.
Half of a broken coin hung from it.
Emily gasped.
Without saying a word, she reached beneath her own shirt and revealed another necklace.
The other half.
The two pieces fit together perfectly.
A loud gasp swept through the prison yard.
"They're really brother and sister..."
Brutus closed his eyes.
"I searched for you."
Emily froze.
"What?"
"For twelve years."
His voice cracked.
"I escaped that fire carrying you in my arms."
The crowd stared in disbelief.
"But the bridge collapsed."
"I fell into the river."
"When I woke up... you were gone."
Emily's heart pounded.
"No..."
Brutus nodded slowly.
"They told me you died."
"They told me I failed to save you."
Emily shook her head.
"They told me you started the fire."
Brutus looked toward the prison administration building.
"No."
"I tried to stop it."
The prison warden standing on the balcony suddenly became pale.
Brutus slowly pointed at him.
"He knows."
Every eye turned toward the warden.
The old man immediately shouted,
"Lock the yard down!"
Emergency sirens exploded across the prison.
Steel gates slammed shut.
Armed guards rushed into position.
The inmates instantly realized something was terribly wrong.
Emily looked back at Brutus.
"What aren't you telling me?"
Before Brutus could answer...
BANG!
A gunshot echoed across the yard.
A bullet struck the concrete inches from Emily's feet.
Chaos erupted.
Inmates scattered in every direction.
Brutus didn't hesitate.
He threw his enormous body in front of Emily, shielding her from the next shot.
BANG!
The second bullet hit Brutus in the shoulder.
Blood splattered across the prison yard.
Emily screamed.
"Daniel!"
Brutus grabbed her wrist with surprising strength.
His voice was barely a whisper.
"They know you're here..."
"They'll never let either of us leave alive."
Then he slipped a small rusted key into her hand.
"Cell Block C."
"Locker 17."
"The truth about the fire... is waiting there."
Emily looked down at the key.
It wasn't a prison key.
It had a strange symbol engraved on it—
the exact same symbol stamped on the prison warden's gold ring.
Emily slowly looked up.
The warden wasn't looking at Brutus anymore.
He was staring directly at the key...
May you like
With pure fear.
To Be Continued...
