Chapter 4 - Shadows in Hendersonville
Before either of them could speak another word, I pulled out my military satellite phone and dialed a direct number.
"Ethan, who are you calling?!" Margaret demanded, her voice rising in high-pitched panic as she reached out to grab my arm.
I shoved her hand away with a cold, firm flick of my wrist. "Sergeant Major Vance. This is Captain Carter."
"Captain!" the steady voice of my trusted military colleague echoed over the speaker. "I thought you were on leave in Asheville, sir."
"I need a full tactical favor, Vance," I said, my voice steady and commanding. "I need you to pull up the local business registry for Hendersonville and track a private lending network operating near the county line. Look for high-interest short-term loan entities operating outside standard banking regulations."
Brittany gasped, her face draining of all color. "Ethan, stop! You can't do this! If the military or the police get involved, I’ll lose my business license! I could go to jail!"
"You should have thought about that before you put your hands on my wife," I said into the phone. "Vance, also run a background search on an electrician operating out of Hendersonville who has been making frequent stops in our neighborhood."
On the other side of the line, Sergeant Major Vance didn't ask unnecessary questions. He knew the tone of my voice—it was the tone I used when a mission was compromised and decisive action was required.
"Give me ten minutes, Captain," Vance replied professionally. "I'll run the local property records and cross-reference phone pings near your residence. Stand by."
I hung up the phone and looked back at Margaret and Brittany. Both of them were staring at me as if I were a stranger. They had been used to the gentle, obedient son who quietly sent money home and deferred to his mother’s wishes. They had forgotten that behind the dutiful son was a seasoned military officer trained to dismantle enemy operations.
"Pack your bags," I told them flatly.
Margaret blinked, stunned. "What did you say?"
"This house is registered under my name," I said, pointing toward the front door. "I bought this property five years ago. I allowed you to live here rent-free out of respect. That respect ended ten minutes ago. You have thirty minutes to take your personal belongings and get off my property."
"Ethan!" Margaret shrieked, tears of rage springing to her eyes. "I am your mother! You cannot throw your own mother out into the street for some low-class girl you married!"
"Twenty-nine minutes," I replied, pulling out my wrist watch and starting a timer.
"You monster!" Brittany screamed, grabbing a glass vase from the side table and hurling it against the wall, where it shattered into a hundred jagged pieces. "You're ruining our lives over a pathetic, ugly maid who can't even stand up for herself!"
I didn't answer. I simply walked past them, stepped back into the bedroom, and locked the door behind me.
Claire was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a warm damp towel against her scalp wounds. She looked up at me with wide, anxious eyes.
"Ethan... I heard shouting," she whispered softly. "Are you alright?"
I walked over, sat down beside her, and gently took the towel from her hand, taking over the tender care of her injuries.
"They have twenty-eight minutes to leave this house," I said softly, looking deep into her eyes. "And then, Claire, you and I are going to Hendersonville to find the men who hurt you."
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Claire shivered slightly, but when she looked into my eyes, she didn't see hesitation or fear. She saw an unwavering wall of protection. For the first time in eleven terrifying months, she felt safe.
"I'll go with you," Claire said, her voice growing stronger. "I'm not afraid anymore."
