Chapter 10 - The Night of the Fire

Mercer told them everything.

Twenty-five years earlier, Thomas and Mateo had planned to expose the land scheme.

They trusted Mercer to obtain official seals proving the documents were genuine.

But the plan was discovered.

Men came for them.

Mateo was captured.

Thomas escaped.

The official story claimed Mateo had disappeared after an Apache raid.

It was false.

"He was taken," Mercer said.

"Where?"

"An abandoned mining camp."

Nia's hands trembled.

"How do you know?"

"I followed them."

"Why didn't you save him?"

Mercer looked devastated.

"I was afraid."

Nia stared at him.

"You left him."

"Yes."

The word hung heavily between them.

Mercer continued.

"I returned the next morning."

"What did you find?"

"Blood. Burned papers. No body."

Nia closed her eyes.

"He survived."

"Apparently."

Elias asked:

"What happened to my father?"

"He came home and told everyone Mateo was dead."

"Why?"

"Because he believed anyone searching for him would be killed."

Elias thought about the warning.

DO NOT DIG.

His father hadn't been protecting treasure.

He had been protecting a secret.

"Why didn't he tell me?"

"Because he thought you would go looking."

Elias laughed bitterly.

"And now I am."

Mercer looked toward the ranch.

"There's more."

"What?"

"Your father suspected someone in the family had been compromised."

Elias stiffened.

"My family?"

Mercer nodded.

"Your uncle."

Elias stared.

"My father had no brother."

"Not a blood brother."

Mercer lowered his voice.

"Your mother's brother."

Elias felt the room grow colder.

"Henry?"

Mercer nodded.

"He worked for the land office."

Nia whispered:

"Then he knew about the chamber."

Mercer said:

"He knew enough to sell information."

Elias remembered Henry visiting the ranch every summer.

His father's sudden anger.

The arguments.

The doors slamming.

He had always assumed it was family disagreement.

Now it sounded different.

"Where is Henry?"

Mercer looked at him.

"Dead."

"When?"

"Three months ago."

Elias's eyes narrowed.

"How?"

Mercer didn't answer.

Instead, he handed Elias another document.

A death certificate.

The cause of death had been listed as pneumonia.

But beneath the official stamp was a handwritten note.

Poison.

Nia stared.

"Someone is cleaning up the old witnesses."

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Mercer nodded.

"And you're next."