The Return

Jake's POV

The phone call came at three in the morning.

Jake Morrison jerked awake in his empty Atlanta apartment, his heart racing. The caller ID showed a number he hadn't seen in two years. His hands shook as he answered.

"Jake?" His father's voice was weak and scratchy. "Son, I need you to come home."

"Dad? What's wrong?"

"The cancer's back. It's bad this time. Really bad."

Jake sat up straight, fully awake now. "How bad?"

"The doctors say... maybe three months. I'm sorry to call so late, but I couldn't sleep. I keep thinking about all the things I never said to you."

The words hit Jake like a punch to the gut. His father was dying, and Jake had spent two whole years being angry about stupid family fights.

"I'm coming home, Dad. Tonight."

"You don't have to—"

"Yes, I do."

Jake hung up and started throwing clothes into a bag. He'd left Millbrook fifteen years ago, saying he'd never go back to that boring small town. Now he was rushing back because the most important person in his life was slipping away.

The drive from Atlanta to Millbrook took six hours. Jake drove through the night, drinking coffee and trying not to think about the last time he'd seen his father. They'd fought about Jake's job, about his fancy city life, about how he never called home anymore.

Now none of that mattered.

The sun was coming up when Jake finally saw the sign: "Welcome to Millbrook - Population 8,247." The same worn sign that had been there when he was a kid. Nothing ever changed in this town.

But as Jake drove down Main Street, something felt different. Wrong, somehow. The streets were too quiet for a Tuesday morning. Most of the shops were closed, and the few people he saw looked worried and scared.

Jake parked outside Millbrook General Hospital and ran inside. His father looked smaller than Jake remembered, lying in the white hospital bed with tubes and lines everywhere.

"Hey, Dad."

"Jake." His father's eyes filled with tears. "You came."

"Of course I came. I'm sorry it took me so long."

They talked for an hour about everything and nothing. His father told him about the cancer, about the medicines that weren't working anymore. Jake told him about his job, carefully leaving out the part about getting fired three weeks ago.

"I want you to take over the law practice," his father said suddenly.

"Dad, I can't. My life is in Atlanta."

"What life? You never talk about friends or lovers. You work eighteen-hour days at a job that doesn't care about you. That's not living, son."

Jake wanted to argue, but his father was right. His life in Atlanta was a mess. He'd lost his last big case because he'd trusted proof that turned out to be fake. An innocent man named Marcus Williams was now sitting in jail because of Jake's mistake.

The guilt was eating him alive.

"Think about it," his father whispered. "The town needs a good lawyer. And maybe you need a fresh start."

Jake was about to answer when his phone buzzed. A text message from an unknown number: "Come to your grandfather's old law office. NOW. Your father's life depends on it."

Jake's blood turned cold. "Dad, I'll be right back. I need to make a phone call."

"Sure, son. I'm not going anywhere."

Jake walked outside and stared at the message. Who knew he was in town? He'd only been here for two hours, and he hadn't told anyone except his father.

Another text arrived: "You have ten minutes. Come alone. Tell no one."

Jake's hands were shaking. Someone was threatening his sick father. But why? His dad was just a small-town lawyer who handled divorces and traffic tickets.

Jake ran to his car and drove across town to his grandfather's old law building. The building looked abandoned, with dusty windows and a "For Rent" sign out front. But the front door was open.

Jake pushed it open and stepped inside. The office smelled like old books and lost dreams. His grandfather's desk was still there, covered in dust and spider webs.

"Hello?" Jake called out. "I'm here. What do you want?"

Silence.

Jake walked deeper into the office, his heart racing. The floors creaked under his feet. Everything looked normal, but something felt very wrong.

Then he saw it.

On his grandfather's desk was a manila package with his name written in red ink. Jake opened it with shaky fingers.

Inside were photos. Dozens of them.

The first photo showed his father shaking hands with a man Jake didn't know. They were standing outside a warehouse at night, both looking worried.

The second picture showed his father accepting a briefcase full of money from the same man.

The third photo showed his father burning papers in a trash can behind the law building.

Jake's world started spinning. His father - his honest, hardworking father - was involved in something illegal. But what?

The last thing in the envelope was a note written in the same red ink: "Your father has been our business partner for twenty years. He's made a lot of money keeping our secrets safe. But now he's sick and talking too much. The doctors at the hospital aren't the only ones who think he should die quietly."

"Take over his law business. Keep his lies. Do exactly what we tell you to do. Or we'll make sure his cancer kills him much faster than nature meant."

"Oh, and Jake? We know about Marcus Williams. We know what really happened in Atlanta. We know you sent an innocent man to jail. Do you want the whole world to know about your biggest failure?"

"We'll be in touch soon."

Jake dropped the photos, his hands shaking violently. Someone had been watching his father for years. Someone knew about Jake's ruined job and his terrible mistake.

Someone wanted to control him.

But who? And why?

Jake grabbed the photos and ran back to his car. He had to get back to the hospital. He had to protect his father.

But as he started the engine, Jake understood the horrible truth: he was already too late. His phone was buzzing with a call from the hospital.

"Mr. Morrison? You need to come back right away. Your father has taken a turn for the worse. The doctors don't understand what happened. He was fine an hour ago, but now..."

The nurse's voice faded as Jake's worst fears came true.

Someone was already trying to kill his father.

And Jake was next.