The morning sun filtered through the curtains of Evelyn's bedroom, casting a soft, golden light across the room. She stirred, blinking sleep from her eyes as the events of the previous night came rushing back. Victor's words echoed in her mind: *"I think I'm onto something big."* She sat up, running a hand through her tangled hair, and glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was just past seven.
Downstairs, the house was quiet. Her parents were early risers, but there was no sound of movement from their room. Evelyn slipped out of bed, pulling on a robe over her pajamas, and padded down the stairs. The scent of coffee wafted from the kitchen, and she found her mother at the stove, flipping pancakes with practiced ease.
"Morning, love," Margaret said, her voice warm but tinged with exhaustion. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and Evelyn wondered if her mother had slept at all.
"Morning, Mum," Evelyn replied, pouring herself a cup of coffee. She leaned against the counter, watching as her mother worked. "Where's Dad?"
"He had an early meeting at the university," Margaret said, flipping a pancake onto a plate. "And Victor… well, you know how he is. He was up and out before dawn."
Evelyn frowned, her grip tightening on her mug. "Did he say where he was going?"
Margaret shook her head, her expression troubled. "No. He just said he had some leads to follow up on. You know how he gets when he's onto a story."
Evelyn's unease deepened. Victor's determination was one of his greatest strengths, but it was also his greatest weakness. He had a tendency to throw himself headfirst into danger, convinced that his cause was just. And now, with the Kane syndicate involved, the stakes were higher than ever.
She set her mug down, her appetite gone. "I'm going to check on him," she said, already heading for the door.
"Evelyn, wait—" Margaret called after her, but Evelyn was already pulling on her boots and grabbing her coat.
The morning air was crisp, the kind of cold that bit at your cheeks and made your breath visible. Evelyn hurried down the cobblestone path that led to the town square, her mind racing. Seabrook was a small town, and Victor didn't have many places to go. If he wasn't at the library or the café, he was likely at the old docks, where he often met with his sources.
The town square was quiet, the shops just beginning to open their doors. Evelyn passed the bakery, where the scent of fresh bread made her stomach growl, but she didn't stop. Her eyes scanned the square, searching for any sign of her brother. She was about to head toward the library when her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She pulled it out, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Victor's name on the screen. The message was short and cryptic: *"They know. Don't trust anyone."*
Evelyn stared at the words, her blood running cold. She typed out a reply, her fingers trembling: *"Victor, where are you? Are you okay?"*
There was no response. She tried calling him, but the phone went straight to voicemail. Panic surged through her, and she broke into a run, her boots pounding against the cobblestones. She didn't know where she was going, only that she had to find him.
The docks were her best guess. Victor had mentioned meeting a source there before, someone who claimed to have information about the Kane syndicate. As she approached the waterfront, the smell of salt and fish grew stronger, mingling with the faint tang of oil and rust. The docks were mostly deserted at this hour, save for a few fishermen preparing their boats for the day.
Evelyn's eyes darted around, searching for any sign of Victor. She spotted a figure standing near one of the warehouses, their back to her. Her heart leapt, and she called out, "Victor!"
The figure turned, and her relief turned to confusion. It wasn't Victor. It was a man she didn't recognize, tall and broad-shouldered, with a face that was all sharp angles and cold eyes. He stared at her for a moment, then turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the warehouse.
Evelyn hesitated, her instincts screaming at her to turn back. But she couldn't. Not when Victor might be in trouble. She approached the warehouse, her footsteps echoing in the empty space. The door was slightly ajar, and she pushed it open, stepping inside.
The interior was dimly lit, the air thick with the smell of damp wood and something metallic. Evelyn's eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she saw movement in the corner of the room. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized Victor's jacket, crumpled on the floor.
"Victor?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
There was no answer. She moved closer, her heart pounding in her chest. As she reached the corner, she saw it—a pool of blood, dark and glistening in the faint light. Her stomach churned, and she pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle a scream.
"Victor!" she cried, dropping to her knees beside the jacket. There was no sign of him, only the blood and a single, crumpled piece of paper. She picked it up, her hands shaking as she unfolded it.
The message was scrawled in hurried handwriting: *"If you want to see your brother again, stop asking questions."*
Evelyn's vision blurred as tears filled her eyes. She clutched the note to her chest, her mind racing. The Kane syndicate. They had taken him. They had taken her brother.
A sound behind her made her freeze. She turned, her heart pounding, and saw the man from earlier standing in the doorway. His cold eyes locked onto hers, and he took a step forward.
Evelyn scrambled to her feet, backing away. "Stay away from me," she said, her voice shaking but firm.
The man didn't respond. He simply watched her, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he turned and walked away, leaving her alone in the warehouse.
Evelyn sank to the floor, her legs giving out beneath her. She clutched the note in her hand, her mind racing. They had taken Victor. They had taken her brother, and they would stop at nothing to silence him.
But they had underestimated her. They had underestimated the lengths she would go to protect her family.
Evelyn wiped the tears from her face, her jaw tightening with resolve. She would find Victor. She would bring him home. And she would make the Kane syndicate pay for what they had done.