The cold bite of Ashwood's winter air crept into Lucas's office as he sat at his desk, staring at the scattered evidence. The photographs Cole had given him the night before lay before himâimages of the Brotherhood, but not just the seven boys. Men in suits loomed in the background, their faces half-hidden, watching over them like silent overseers. The deeper Lucas dug, the clearer it becameâthis wasn't just a childhood pact gone wrong. It was something much darker.
The Brotherhood wasn't just a group of boys. It was a legacy. And someone was making sure no one lived to expose its secrets.
He leaned back, rubbing his tired eyes. The names of the dead echoed in his mind.
John Carver. Samuel Harper. Aaron Moore. Tom Marsh. Michael Ward. Jacob Ward.
Six menâfive from the original photograph, one who had joined later. That left only two survivors from the picture: Ryan Fischer and Matthew Hayes.
Matthew had disappeared after his sister's death. If Lucas found him, maybe he'd finally get the answers he needed. But first, there was Ryan.
And Ryan was hiding something.
Lucas found Ryan at the hardware store again, stocking shelves with a mechanical motion. The moment Ryan saw him walk in, his shoulders stiffened.
"Detective," he greeted, forcing a casual tone. "What brings you back?"
Lucas leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "I have a question for you, Ryan."
Ryan sighed, setting down a box of nails. "I told you everything I know."
"No, you didn't." Lucas pulled out one of the photographsâthe one with the men in suits standing behind the Brotherhood. He slid it across the counter. "Recognize anyone?"
Ryan's face paled. His fingers twitched as he stared at the photo. "Where did you get this?"
"That doesn't matter," Lucas said. "Who are these men?"
Ryan hesitated. "They were... friends of our fathers."
Lucas studied him. "Friends?"
Ryan swallowed hard. "Look, I don't know much. We were kids. We just knew our fathers were part of something. But when Emily died, everything changed. Matthew left, and after that... we never talked about it again."
Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Did your father ever mention Sheriff Ben?"
Ryan's breath hitched slightly. "Why are you asking about him?"
"Because I think he's connected to this."
Ryan exhaled, glancing around as if afraid someone might be listening. "You don't get it. Ben's been part of this town forever. He knows everyone. Heâ"
Before he could finish, the front door burst open.
A masked figure stormed in, gun raised.
Lucas barely had time to react before the first shot rang out. Glass shattered as a bullet whizzed past him, embedding into the shelves behind.
"Get down!" Lucas shouted, pulling Ryan to the ground.
The masked gunman advanced, firing again. Lucas reached for his gun, rolling behind the counter for cover. Ryan was gasping beside him, clutching his shoulderâhe'd been grazed.
The attacker moved closer.
Lucas popped up, firing twice. One shot hit the man's shoulder. He stumbled back, gripping the wound, before turning and bolting out the door.
Lucas didn't hesitate. He chased after him, sprinting down the street. The man was fast, weaving through alleys and backstreets. Lucas pushed harder, his breath fogging in the cold air.
The figure ducked into an abandoned building.
Lucas followed, gun drawn. Inside, the air was thick with dust. Footsteps echoed aboveâLucas moved cautiously, climbing the rickety staircase.
Suddenly, the floor creaked.
Lucas turned just as a heavy object swung toward him. He barely dodged, rolling aside as the attacker lunged. A brutal fistfight eruptedâpunches thrown, bodies colliding against the walls.
Lucas managed to pin the man down, yanking off the maskâ
And froze.
It wasn't a stranger.
It was Deputy Mark Sanders.
Blood trickled from the corner of Mark's mouth as he stared up at Lucas.
"You don't understand," Mark coughed. "You're too late."
Lucas pressed his knee harder against Mark's chest. "Too late for what?"
Mark just smirked, a knowing glint in his eye.
Lucas hauled him up and dragged him back to the station. Sheriff Ben was already there when they arrived.
When Ben saw Mark, his expression didn't even shift.
"I suppose this was bound to happen," Ben murmured.
Lucas threw Mark into a chair, slamming his hands onto the desk. "You knew."
Ben let out a long sigh. "Detective, you don't understand what you've stepped into."
Lucas clenched his fists. "Try me."
Ben leaned back. "Ashwood is built on secrets. The Brotherhood was never just a bunch of boys playing a game. Their fathers were part of something much bigger. And when the time came, the boys were supposed to inherit the mantle."
Lucas's stomach turned. "A cult?"
Ben chuckled darkly. "A legacy."
Lucas looked at Mark. "You were cleaning up loose ends, weren't you? Killing them one by one."
Mark stared at the floor. "I didn't want to. I didn't have a choice."
Lucas turned back to Ben. "And you? You were involved all along."
Ben smiled. "I did what was necessary."
Lucas's blood ran cold.
Sheriff Ben had been the one orchestrating everything from the start.
The pieces were finally falling into place. Sheriff Ben wasn't just involvedâhe was at the center of it all.
Lucas took a deep breath. "You knew Jacob Ward will kill himself, didn't you?"
Ben's expression didn't waver. "Jacob was weak. He couldn't handle what was coming."
Lucas's mind raced. "And Matthew Hayes?"
Ben smirked. "That's the last mystery, isn't it?"
Lucas grabbed him by the collar. "Where is he?"
Ben leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper. "You'll find out soon enough."
Before Lucas could react, Ben moved.
In one swift motion, he pulled something from his sleeveâ
A syringe.
Lucas barely had time to react before the needle jabbed into his arm.
The world blurred. His vision swam, his limbs felt heavy.
The last thing he saw before darkness swallowed him was Ben's cold, triumphant smile.
And thenâ
Everything went black.