Retelling all the stories that connected to her life made her feel melancholy. She thought Alexis’ response was a direct result of her being too protected. This innocence made her incapable of grasping the enormity of what she had been told. This made her question whether Alexis was truly ready for the truth about who their family was and what her destiny held. She decided to not make any decisions just yet but allow it to marinate. Eventually she wanted to disclose it all, but then again, maybe it wasn’t necessary.
Like Alexis, she glanced at the photographs. All of them had been taken many years after the events. She only had a few possessions from that time; the phone was one. The second was hidden away in a special place. In fact, she hadn’t thought about it until she’d told the story today. Curious to see it again, she walked outside and towards the far end of the property; there she came up on a wrought-iron fence enclosure. Inside were several thick granite gravestones, all in a line, standing three feet in height. She unlocked the gate and stepped inside. Her eyes began to read the stones from left to right: Nicholas McNeil was inscribed on the first, Rebecca McNeil on the center stone, and Samuel Becker on the last. She stared at Samuel’s for a bit and whispered, “I miss you.”
She stepped in front of Nicholas’ stone and knelt. In front of it, a small urn stood on a granite pedestal. She grabbed the cold brass urn and turned it counterclockwise until it unscrewed from its base. Setting it aside, she looked at the keyhole that was hidden beneath it. Reaching in her pocket, she removed a long slender gold key and inserted it into the keyhole and turned left until she heard a noticeable click. She pulled up and removed the cap. Her heart was racing, it had been years since she had seen it, and it was the very thing that set her family up for the most epic journey she could ever imagine. With her right hand, she reached inside and pulled out a gold cylinder. On the side an inscription was etched above a seven-digit combination lock that read ‘Desired by all. Destined for one’. She carefully turned each number to the desired code and opened it long ways. When her eyes feasted upon what was inside, she said, “How can something so beautiful be so deadly?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John W. Vance is the author of THE DEATH TRILOGY and THE DEFIANT series. He is a former Marine and retired Intelligence Analyst with the CIA. When not writing he spends as much time as he can either in the water or with his family.
He lives in complete bliss somewhere where the waves meet the shore.
He can be reached at www.jwvance.com
Additional books by John W. Vance
THE DEATH TRILOGY
THE DEATH: QUARANTINE
THE DEATH: ERADICATE
THE DEATH: EXTINCTION
The Defiant: An Unbeaten Path Page 18
