Chapter 12 - The Floodgate
"He's opening the floodgate," Ethan shouted.
The old turbine station shook under them.
Mercer had reached the control room above.
Water thundered somewhere behind the concrete walls.
Claire helped Vanessa sit against the railing.
"Can you move?"
"I can hate you and still move."
"Good. Hate me outside."
Emma clung to Ethan's jacket.
"There's a tunnel behind the yellow door. Ruth showed me."
Ethan looked at the door across the chamber.
A sheet of water exploded from a cracked pipe between them and the exit.
"Too late," Claire said.
Vanessa pointed toward a ladder.
"Upper catwalk. It connects to the spillway platform."
They climbed.
Emma went first, then Claire, then Vanessa with Ethan supporting her one-handed.
Below them, water burst across the floor.
The station lights flickered.
Halfway across the catwalk, Mercer appeared above them.
He had no gun now.
He had the original letter.
Claire realized he'd taken it from Ethan during the fight.
"This ends here," Mercer shouted.
He flicked a lighter.
Ethan stopped.
"Burn it. We made copies."
Mercer smiled.
"Not this page."
He unfolded a second sheet Claire had never seen.
Ethan frowned.
Mercer read one line aloud.
"Richard Bennett is not Emma's only problem."
Vanessa went pale.
"Don't," she said.
Mercer looked at her.
"Still protecting him?"
"Protecting who?" Claire demanded.
Mercer held the paper over the flame.
Vanessa screamed, "Ethan has a brother."
The lighter slipped from Mercer's hand.
Ethan stared at her.
"What?"
A blast of water struck the lower supports.
The catwalk lurched.
Mercer lost his balance and crashed against the rail.
The letter flew loose.
Emma reached for it.
Claire grabbed Emma's waist just before the child pitched over the edge.
Ethan caught the paper with one hand.
Mercer went over the other side.
He disappeared into the rising water below.
No one saw him surface.
Minutes later, rescue teams reached them from the spillway platform.
Vanessa was loaded onto a stretcher.
Ethan held the soaked second page of Mara's letter.
Most of the ink had run.
Only one sentence remained readable.
If anything happens to me, find Daniel.
Ethan looked at Vanessa.
"Who's Daniel?"
Vanessa closed her eyes.
May you like
"Your older brother."
