The Wrong Package — Part 3: The Missing Key
Daniel slowly put his phone on the desk.
Marcus noticed.
“What is it?”
Daniel hesitated before showing him the message.
Marcus read it.
You shouldn't have brought Marcus.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Marcus smiled.
“Well, that's convenient.”
“What do you mean?”
“Whoever is behind this wants you to suspect me.”
Daniel folded his arms.
“Do you have a better explanation?”
“Yes.”
Marcus pointed at the computer.
“The video knew your name. The person sending the messages knows where you are. That means they're watching you.”
Daniel looked around the office.
The lights were on. The door was locked.
Nobody was there.
Then they heard a noise.
Click.
Both men turned toward the hallway.
“Did you hear that?” Daniel whispered.
Marcus nodded.
They walked toward the sound.
At the end of the hallway was the office storage room.
Daniel opened the door.
Nothing.
Boxes. Old chairs. Broken equipment.
Then Marcus noticed something.
“Daniel…”
On the floor was another golden key.
Daniel picked it up.
“That's number three.”
Marcus looked confused.
“Wait. The video said there were five keys.”
“Yes.”
“And it said the first four would lead somewhere.”
Daniel nodded.
“Then why did we just find the third one here?”
Before Daniel could answer, his phone buzzed again.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
You're looking in the wrong place.
Daniel stared at the message.
Then another one arrived.
The third key was never meant for you.
Suddenly, the office lights went out.
“Daniel?”
“I'm here.”
A loud crash came from the main office.
They rushed back.
The computer was gone.
Not switched off.
Gone.
The desk was empty.
The USB drive was missing too.
Daniel's heart raced.
“How did someone get in here?”
Marcus walked toward the window.
It was still locked.
Then he noticed something on the desk.
A small piece of paper.
He picked it up.
There were only three words:
“Find the first.”
Daniel frowned.
“The first what?”
Marcus looked at him.
“The first key.”
“But we already found it.”
“No,” Marcus said quietly.
“We found a key.”
Daniel stared at him.
Marcus continued.
“What if that wasn't the first key?”
Before Daniel could respond, someone knocked on the office door.
Three slow knocks.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Daniel and Marcus looked at each other.
Nobody should have been there.
Marcus whispered, “Don't open it.”
The knocking came again.
Then a woman's voice spoke from the other side.
“Daniel, I know who sent you the package.”
Daniel froze.
“How do you know my name?”
The woman answered:
“Because I sent the first one.”
Daniel reached for the door handle.
Marcus grabbed his arm.
“Don't.”
The woman spoke again.
“And if you want to know what this is really about…”
She paused.
“…you need to find the man who disappeared ten years ago.”
Silence.
Then she added one final sentence:
“His name was Daniel Carter.”
Daniel's face went pale.
Because that was his father's name.
And according to everything Daniel had ever been told…
His father had never disappeared.
He had died.
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