Chapter 65 – The Call From the Dead
Sharon receives a direct call: "You were never meant to survive."
Sharon was reviewing files from Georgia's island drive in the safe house when her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She hesitated. Every instinct screamed danger, but curiosity-and necessity-forced her hand.
"Hello?" she said.
A pause. Then a voice, distorted yet chillingly familiar:
"You were never meant to survive, Sharon."
Her stomach dropped. The words were calm, deliberate... almost casual.
"Who is this?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Someone who watches," the voice replied, then the line went dead.
Sharon dropped the phone onto the table. Her hands shook.
Eleanor, standing behind her, asked softly, "What was that?"
Sharon shook her head. "Not someone. Something. Or someone... someone dead."
The files on the table suddenly seemed more dangerous than ever. Phase Three wasn't just a corporate scheme-it was a death sentence.
Minutes later, a second call came. Same number.
This time, the caller left a voice message:
"The body was a warning. You're walking on the strings of the unseen. If you continue, there will be no rescue. Not from him... not from anyone. Phase Three is counting down."
Sharon froze.
She looked at Eleanor. "This isn't just about exposure anymore. It's personal. They know we're alive, and they want us gone."
Eleanor's voice trembled. "Then... what do we do?"
Sharon's mind raced. The files from Georgia's island, the encrypted drives, the ledger of offshore accounts-all were explosive. But now, survival was the priority.
Sharon realized something horrifying. The mastermind-the one above James, above Rhett-had been planning for this moment. The call wasn't a threat. It was a declaration: you are inside the lion's den, and you've been spotted.
Sharon's eyes scanned the safe house. Every shadow felt alive. Every creak of the floorboards triggered adrenaline.
Her phone vibrated again. Text this time:
"48 hours. Or everyone you care about dies. – G"
Sharon swallowed hard. Georgia. Alive. Watching. Guiding.
Suddenly, outside, a car engine roared. Sharon peered through the blinds. A black SUV was parked across the street. Engine running. Windows tinted. No one visible.
Eleanor grabbed her arm. "They found us."
Sharon nodded grimly. "They always find you when you've been digging too deep."
Lightning split the sky. The shadows outside seemed to shift, stretching closer to the safe house.
Her hands tightened around the encrypted drive. If she didn't act, Phase Three would succeed, and everyone she'd fought to protect would be erased.
The line between survival and exposure had never been thinner.
Because the call from the dead wasn't just a warning-it was the start of a countdown. And the shadows were moving in faster than Sharon had ever anticipated.
