— Drew asked, breaking the silence.
Arthur started, then turned around.
— I don’t know yet, — he replied with a shrug. — Maybe Florida, maybe out West. We’ll see.
— Are you really leaving the company for good? — Drew leaned in.
— It’s not mine anymore, Drew. — Arthur turned back to the window. — Mike took it.
— That’s a shame. — Drew bit his lip. — All those people working there, my mom…
— Under Mike, the plant won’t shut down. — Arthur snapped his head back. — Don’t worry about it.
Drew went quiet. Arthur went back to staring out the window. They didn’t speak again.
The city greeted them with twilight. Streetlamps flickered on, and the streets filled with traffic. The taxi wound through side streets and ended up on the outskirts: a wealthy neighborhood with houses hidden behind tall fences. They stopped about two hundred yards from a high gate with iron bars.
— See that gate? — Arthur nodded ahead.
Drew looked. He saw it.
— To the left of the gate is a mailbox. Behind it, in a small gap, there’s a key, — Arthur said quickly and quietly. — Take it, open the side gate, and go into the yard.
— What if someone’s there? — Drew swallowed hard.
— Just say you’re lost, looking for an address. Then leave immediately. — Arthur squeezed his shoulder. — I’ll be waiting right here.
— And then what? — Drew asked.
— In the garage, behind the tool rack, there’s a safe. Built into the wall. — Arthur spoke clearly, like he was giving a briefing. — Move the boxes, open it, the code is 8374. Put the cash and the documents in the bag and get back to me. Fast.
— Got it. — Drew nodded.
Arthur handed him a black nylon sports bag.
— You’re a good kid, — he said, squeezing his shoulder harder. — Brave. You can do this.
Drew got out of the car. His heart was pounding in his throat. His palms were sweaty despite the cold. He walked toward the gate, trying to breathe steadily. He found the mailbox, green and peeling. He reached behind it and felt the gap. The key. Cold, metallic. He went to the gate. The side entrance was on the right. He slid the key in and turned. The lock clicked. The gate creaked open. Drew stepped into the yard.
Two men stepped out from around the corner of the house, fast and aggressive. They grabbed his arms. Drew tried to jerk away, but it was too late.
— Hold it! — barked the first one, a big guy with a buzz cut. — Who are you?
— I… I’m lost. — Drew tried to pull free. — I was looking for an address.
— Yeah, right… — The second man, younger, snatched the key from his hand. — Where’d you get the key?
Drew stayed silent. His throat felt tight.
— Where’s Arthur? — The first man shook him. — Did he send you?
— I don’t know any Arthur! — Drew yelled.
The second man pulled out a phone and dialed a number.
— Hello, Mike? — he said, keeping his eyes on Drew. — There’s a kid at the house. No sign of Arthur. Get over here.
Drew looked back toward the road. The taxi was making a U-turn. It was driving away.
— No… — He left me. He just left me.
The world seemed to tilt. Drew felt sick.
The men dragged him to a car, a black SUV parked by the fence. They put him in the back seat and sat on either side of him. Drew sat motionless. His thoughts were a mess. Arthur had left. He’d abandoned him. He’d used him. Twenty minutes felt like an eternity. Then another black car pulled up. A man in his mid-forties, gray-haired and wearing an expensive wool coat, got out. He walked to the SUV and sat next to Drew.
— Hello, son, — he said calmly, offering a hand. — My name is Mike Vance. And you are?
Drew stayed silent, staring at the floor.
— I get it, you’re scared. — Mike nodded. — Don’t be. I’m not a criminal. I’m a businessman. And I need some information. How much did Arthur pay you?
Drew didn’t answer. Mike sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
— Look, kid, you’ve gotten mixed up in something bad, — he said quietly. — But I don’t want to hurt you. Believe me. Just tell me where Arthur is and what he told you. Then you can go home.
Drew snapped. He looked Mike in the eye.
— You’re a thug! — he shouted. — You tried to kill him. You left him to freeze in the woods. I know everything.
Mike froze. He looked genuinely surprised.
— What?
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