”He had to run. They were going to kill him."
The Truth in the Wood
Sarah sobbed as she confessed the truth that had tortured her for half a decade. Leo hadn't died in that crash. He had been targeted by a ruthless local syndicate after refusing to transport illegal cargo. To save Sarah and Toby—and to keep Marcus from getting dragged into the crossfire—Leo had staged the accident with the help of a sympathetic local deputy. He had vanished into the deep woods, living in a secluded cabin just three miles away, sending carved wooden toys through an intermediary to be sold so his family could survive.
"He wanted to keep you safe, Marcus," Sarah wept. "If the syndicate knew he was alive, they would have come after you to find him. But the money stopped coming last week. I didn't know what to do."
Marcus's anger melted into a profound, aching sorrow. His best friend had spent five years in isolation, living like a ghost just to keep them safe. "Where is he, Sarah?" Marcus asked, his jaw set with determination. "The syndicate collapsed two years ago. The leader is behind bars. It's safe. Why didn't he come back?"
"He was afraid," a quiet voice spoke from the hallway.
Marcus spun around. Standing in the shadows of the hallway was a man leaning heavily on a cane, his face scarred but his eyes unmistakably Leo's. He had slipped into the house through the front door, having followed Toby from a distance to ensure the boy's safety.