Page 42 of Major

“I told you I don’t know. They sent the letter. I agreed, and when it was done, I had a certified cashier’s check in my mailbox.”

“And what if they hadn’t paid you, fuckhead?” said Brix. He opened his mouth to speak and then just shook his head.

“Why were you digging on the opposite side of my father’s grave? Answer me now, or so help me God, I will shoot you right here and now.”

“I wasn’t digging!” he yelled. They all looked at him, waiting for an explanation. “I wasn’t digging. I opened the dig under my name because the person who was digging couldn’t.”

“You opened a dig site for a nonprofessional? Who? Who did you do this for?” she asked.

“Elena don’t ask me this,” he pleaded.

“Don’t ask? I deserve to know. I’m so sick of lies and secrets, secrets and lies. My parents, then just my mother, the dig teams, you! Who!” she screamed at him. Major placed a hand on her shoulder, calming her shaking body.

“Your father.”

“I can’t believe it,” she said for the tenth time. “I just can’t believe it. He faked his death. He let me suffer, grieve all because of a dig!”

“Honey, we’ll figure this out. If he’s still out there, we’ll find him,” said Major.

“He’s out there. He’s out there and has been screwing with my life for the last five years. He let me believe that he’d died in that dig. He killed his team.”

“Look, I know it seems overwhelming right now, but give us some time to get through all of this. Maybe your father has a good reason,” said Forrest. She stared at him, rolling her eyes. Then she started to cry.

“What good reason, Forrest? What good reason would you have to fake your death with your family, your friends, your colleagues? What was in that tunnel that was so important he had to leave us, leave me?”

Forrest gripped her hand, Major holding the other.

“I don’t know, Elena. I wish I knew the answer to that. But if your father is still alive, we’re going to find him and figure out what the fuck he took out of that tunnel.”

“It obviously meant more to him than me and my mother,” she sniffed. “Whatever it was, I want him to answer for killing those people. Roderick said that Goldmeir was part of it and two of the original dig personnel. If they’re alive, I want all of them to pay for it.”

“I think what we need to know is how does he think he’s going to publicize these discoveries when everyone around the world believes he’s dead, they’re dead. I mean, unless they’ve all had plastic surgery, are they going to tell people they’ve been living in that damn tunnel for twenty years?” Elena shook her head, unsure of what to say.

“I don’t know. But I know that he’s going to look me in the eyes and give me an explanation, or I’m going to give all of you permission to kick his ass.”

“I’d volunteer for that job,” smirked Brix. “I hate to ask this, honey, but what about your mother? I mean, she sent that journal, so she knew some of this. Do you think she knew that your father was still alive?”

“Now, that’s a great question,” she said, taking out her phone. She dialed the number, not caring what time it was on the other side of the world. “Mother.”

“Elena. I assume you got the journal.”

“Did you know?”

“Know what, Elena?”

“Don’t play stupid with me, Mother. I’m sick of this. Did you know that Father was alive?”

There was utter silence on the other end of the line, and Major held up a finger, telling her to be patient and wait it out.

“I knew. We agreed it was best. He would allow me to move on with my life. I could collect what little life insurance was available and start new, fresh. He hated leaving you.”

“But he did. He didn’t hate it so much that he didn’t actually fucking leave me!” she screamed.

“Don’t speak to me that way! I’m your mother, and I deserve some respect. Do you know how many times I wanted to tell you about your precious father, your idol? Do you? Do you understand what it was like to watch you worship everything about him, knowing what kind of man he really was?”

“You didn’t seem to mind at all, Mother,” she said calmly. “You were more than happy to move on with your life, send me to boarding schools, ignore that I grew up without a father.”

“This is a waste of conversation. I don’t know how you found out but just leave it alone, Elena. He’ll bury himself once again.”

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