The Blackmailer

Mark Scalibur was a boy as many others. He was a bit shy, but not much. Sometimes he behaved as a stubborn and bigheaded boy. Actually, he was as narrow-minded as his other brother Julian, who was three years older.
One day, both of them were playing outside when they suddenly heard a scream, almost as similar as their mother’s, so they ran to the place where the scream came from in order to see what had happened. Their mother’s face was far paler than usual. She gazed at them, gasped and told them that their father had been mugged and kidnapped. She added that the kidnapper was asking for money in exchange for their father. Also, if they didn’t give him the money, their father’s secrets would be revealed.
After a few seconds Julian shouted “It is blackmailing”. Mark, instead of regretting what had just occurred, was thinking of a way of getting the vital money. He first thought of robbing a bank, but the idea wasn’t on his mind for too long due to the fact that he was just a boy. Secondly, he came up with the idea of getting a bank loan to rescue their father although they knew they would have to pay it later. Julian supported this plan and both, together with their mother, Lucy, managed to get the money.
Some hours later, they received a called. It was the blackmailer, who told Julian where he wanted the money to be left. After having left the money where required, Lucy received a second call from the blackmailer. He told her that she had to make a vital decision. She had to choose between having her husband released and their secrets revealed, or not having anything. She had made hard decisions in her life, but they were nowhere near as difficult to take as this one. After wondering what would happen if she chose each option, she finally chose the second one.
Some days later, a body was found in the river. It was identified as Louis, Lucy’s husband. She never forgave herself for what she had done, although she sometimes thanked God for the fact that the secrets were safe. Julian and Mark still asked what the secrets were about, and the mother answered “I would give my life to protect the secrets. Our life depends on those secrets”.
Many months later, the mother was found dead and Julian stabbed. Mark immediately suspected the blackmailer, but he couldn’t find him really. When he thought it was all lost, he received a mysterious envelope. He opened it and found a letter that began: “Lucy’s connection with bank scams”. He had finally found the secrets his mother had talked about.


Pen name: Sirdacasi
Category B