Mal doesn’t waste time. “Listen, I’m just a small-town cop now. We had to bring in an expert who said the explosion wasn’t meant to kill you. It’s probably a message. A warning.”
Gale stiffens beside me, and I reach out, resting a hand on her knee.
“A warning from who and to who?” I ask, though I already feel like I’m bracing for impact.
“They mentioned the Hollow Syndicate,” Mal replies, his tone grim and final.
I glance at Gale, who looks just as confused as I feel. “The who now?” I ask, my voice edged with frustration.
Mal exhales, and I can almost see him running a hand over his jaw on the other end of the line. “From what I’ve learned, it’s a criminal organization,” he begins, his tone low and deliberate, like he’s preparing to drop a bomb. “They’re not your run-of-the-mill group of thugs. These guys are calculated, connected, and relentless. They specialize in taking over small towns and rural areas—places people don’t usually associate with organized crime. Drugs, trafficking, money laundering . . . you name it.”
Gale shifts in her seat, her face pale but intent. “Taking over how?” she asks.
“They start with businesses,” Mal continues. “They look for properties, companies, or assets they can exploit—laundering money, smuggling goods. Birchwood Springs is prime real estate for them. Close to major ports, right along the northern border for access to Canada—it’s the perfect location for their operations.”
I grit my teeth, the puzzle pieces starting to fall into place. “And Maple Haven is part of their plan?”
“Exactly,” Mal says. “Maple Haven and Old Birchwood Timber. They aren’t just companies. They’re institutions in Birchwood Springs. Owning them would give them control over a significant piece of the town’s history and influence, not to mention the land itself. They’ve been trying to acquire it legally for a while, but when the marriage transferred the assets to Gale, they lost their easy way in.”
“And now they’re trying to scare her into giving it up,” I say, anger boiling in my chest.
“Right,” Mal confirms. “The explosion was their opening move. It wasn’t meant to kill anyone—it was a message. They’re telling you this isn’t safe, give us the company. They’ll probably offer her money next so she can leave as soon as possible. If intimidation doesn’t work, they’ll escalate.”
Gale’s voice shakes as she asks, “And what happens if I sell. If they get what they want?”
“They settle in,” Mal says darkly. “Once they have a foothold, they expand. They take over more businesses, bleed the town dry, and use it as a hub for their illegal operations. And the worst part? They do it quietly. By the time people realize what’s happening, it’s too late. The town’s already theirs.”
I grip the edge of the counter, my knuckles turning white. “So what do we do?”
Mal’s voice hardens. “We don’t let them win. We make sure Gale keeps Maple Haven. We show them they picked the wrong people to mess with. But we have to be smart about this. The Hollow Syndicate isn’t just dangerous—they’re patient. They’ll keep pushing until they think they’ve broken her.”
The room feels colder, every word Mal speaks is like a ghost curling through the air, chilling everything it touches. I glance at Gale, her spine straight despite the fear flickering in her eyes. There’s strength in her, even now, but I can see the cracks forming, and it lights something savage in me.
They won’t break us. Not as long as I’m alive to stop them.
“Why now? Why would they escalate? How can I show them they can’t take away what’s mine?”
Mal doesn’t miss a beat. “Once the old man died, they lost their leverage. They tried to take it the easy way—legally. We believe Erick Stinson was their man on the inside, working to secure Maple Haven for them. When that didn’t work, they decided to scare you into selling.” He pauses, his voice turning grim. “They’re betting you’ll cave.”
Gale’s jaw tightens, her resolve clear even through her fear. “Can you ask Stinson about it? Maybe?—”
“I wish I could,” Mal interrupts, his tone sharp with finality. “But we found him dead two days ago.”
The words land like a sledgehammer, stealing the air from the room. Gale sucks in a breath, her hand flying to her mouth.
“Dead?” I ask, my voice low and hard, though it feels like it’s coming from someone else.
“Dead,” Mal confirms. “Shot execution-style. It wasn’t subtle, Ledger.”
The silence that follows is suffocating, pressing down like a weight I can’t shake. I glance at Gale, her hand trembling slightly as it drops from her face, but her eyes burn with a mix of fear and defiance.
“They’re not just coming for the company, are they?” Gale’s voice is quiet, almost too soft to hear, but there’s an edge to it—a steel beneath the fear.
“No,” Mal replies over the phone, his tone grim. “They’re probably coming for everything. Once they secure Maple Haven, it’s Old Birchwood Timber next. This isn’t just about property, it’s about control. And if they’ve got someone on the inside to take over the timber company—someone like Stinson—they won’t hesitate to take them out if they fail.”
The enormity of it all crashes down on me, settling like lead in my gut. This isn’t just some land grab. It’s a war. A calculated, methodical destruction. It sounds like the Hollow Syndicate doesn’t leave loose ends—they burn everything in their path and rebuild on the ashes.
And if they have someone like Stinson in their pocket now . . .
