He stopped ten feet beyond the bars.
“Sarah.”
“What are you doing?”
“Open the gate.”
“No.”
Daniel finally looked toward Cole.
His face changed.
“You.”
Cole crossed his arms.
“Me.”
Daniel’s eyes shifted toward the bell.
Then the key.
His face drained.
“Give me that.”
Cole laughed once.
“No.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“You have no idea what you’re doing.”
Sarah walked toward the gate.
“What happened to Michael?”
Daniel looked at her.
“I told you.”
“You told me he died.”
“He did.”
“Cole says there was no body.”
Daniel’s eyes flickered.
“That isn’t true.”
“Did you see him?”
Silence.
Sarah repeated.
“Did you see Michael’s body?”
Daniel looked toward Noah.
Sarah moved between them.
“Look at me.”
Daniel finally did.
“No.”
The word nearly folded Sarah in half.
“You told me you identified him.”
“I identified the belongings.”
“You told me you identified him.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
Sarah laughed in disbelief.
“My husband disappeared and you gave me a death certificate.”
“You let me bury a coffin.”
“You let his son grow up believing his father died.”
“Tell me what I wouldn’t understand.”
Daniel looked toward the two men behind him.
Cole noticed.
“Who are they?”
Daniel ignored him.
Cole called toward several bikers inside.
“Front.”
Three men moved closer.
The two strangers outside shifted their weight.
Daniel raised both hands.
“Nobody needs this.”
Cole held up the key.
“Apparently somebody does.”
Daniel’s eyes locked onto it.
“No.”
Cole smiled without humor.
“Scared of a storage locker?”
Daniel looked at Sarah.
“Please.”
It was the first time he sounded afraid.
Sarah whispered:
“What’s inside?”
Daniel shook his head.
“Nothing you want to see.”
Cole turned toward the back corridor.
Daniel shouted.
“DON’T OPEN THAT LOCKER.”
Then came the sound.
Three knocks.
Slow.
Metallic.
From behind door 214.
Noah’s hand tightened around Sarah’s.
Everyone in the garage went still.
Cole stared toward the door.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The bald biker whispered:
“What the hell?”
Sarah looked at Cole.
“You said nobody’s opened it.”
“Nobody has.”
“Then who’s inside?”
Daniel outside the gate suddenly became frantic.
“Cole.”
Cole did not turn.
“Cole, don’t.”
Sarah stared at Daniel.
“Who’s inside?”
Daniel said nothing.
Noah whispered:
“Mom.”
Sarah looked down.
His eyes were fixed on the door.
“Dad said the bell kept bad things away.”
Her throat closed.
Cole started walking toward locker 214.
Sarah followed.
“Noah stays here.”
“No.”
Sarah turned.
“Noah.”