Dark Boundaries

Chapter One

Sitting alone in the darkness wasn't unusual for Erik Montgomery. In fact, he considered it his most trusted ally, especially during important times like these.

At thirty-four years of age, he felt he had spent enough time living under the thumb of his family. No longer would he live on the small allowance he had been given. Even though his grandfather believed differently, everything rightfully belonged to him, especially the house and the secret it hid from the rest of the world.

A smile played across his face. Oh, how he had fooled his family over the years. His grandfather, Professor Ben Montgomery, a well-known and respected archaeologist had been delighted when his grandson had taken an interest in his overseas expeditions. The elder Montgomery had built up a small, wealthy clientele, using those elite people to gain rare and priceless antiques to display on his federally funded tours across the country.

For seven long years, Erik followed along with his grandfather on those boring tours, giving the elder Montgomery the impression that he wanted to follow in his footsteps. Little did Ben know those pieces of ugly pottery, tacky jewelry, and strange sculptures weren't locked away in some stale museum, but had been sold on the black market in order to fill Erik's multinational bank accounts.

It always amused him the ludicrous amount of money certain individuals were willing to pay to own a relic from a long forgotten empire.

Now that he was financial future secure, Erik was able to turn his attention to the only thing he desired most: learning the identity of his biological father.

Erik had always suspected his father was just a brief acquaintance in his mother's very public life that wasn't worth mentioning, not when it came to the accomplishments of the multi-award-winning author. If anything, Patrice Montgomery thrived on the attention, delighting in the scandalous headlines and goofy tabloids that linked her to famous movie stars and members of several royal families.

Ben had quickly grown tired of the public embarrassment and had threatened numerous lawsuits against the tabloids if another false story was published. He also vowed to disown Patrice if she continued to feed the rumor mill.

Threatened with legal action, the tabloids immediately ceased publishing the stories and interest in the subject quickly died. Ben, unfortunately, had underestimated Patrice's enormous ego. Had it not been for a scrapbook discovered in his mother's study, Erik never would have known the scandal had existed. The scrapbook contained every headline printed covering Patrice's pregnancy and the long list of possible fathers. When he confronted his mother with the information, she had broken down and confessed, claiming she had been only briefly involved with his father, and that he had been killed in Vietnam

He suspected it was a lie, but at the time, Erik had other important matters that needed his attention, and gaining his grandfather's complete trust had been his first priority. Once he had accomplished that goal, the rest had been easy.

Years of careful planning had finally paid off, and he was about to reap the rewards of his labors. He had sent his grandfather off on a wild goose chase, searching for a non-existent trinket in Egypt, so he could deal with his loony mother.

He walked through the darkened hallway to the living room and flipped on the table lamp. He picked up the telephone, dialed a number, and waited until the familiar voice answered.

"Mom, it's me. I need to see you."

"Erik, it's late. Why are you coming over at this hour?"

"It's important," he declared, fighting to control his anger. He had tolerated her whining for too long, and he was simply sick of hearing it. He couldn't wait to rid himself of her existence. "I wouldn't be wasting my time with you if it weren't. I'll be there in thirty minutes. Bye."

Patrice Montgomery put the phone down and tried to remain calm. That was difficult considering how much her son had changed over the past two years. Where Erik had once been reserved and intelligent, he now was angry, brutal, and devious. What lingered most in the back of Patrice's mind was the thought that Erik had played them all like fools for years and was now showing his true nature. Before she could contemplate on the subject any further, the phone rang again. She took a deep breath and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Patrice, you sound upset."

"Dad," she sighed, thankful to hear her father's voice on the other end. "I thought you were in Egypt."

"Erik lied to me," her father answered. "I've found out that everything I've heard about him is true."

"I hate to say this Dad, but I'm afraid of my own son," she admitted. "He's on his way over here."

"Keep the door locked until I get there," her father ordered before the line went dead.

Erik chuckled as he climbed the few steps to his mother's front door. He knocked on the door and yelled, "Open the door, Mother. Gramps isn't going to help you this time."

Silence answered him.

He glanced in both directions, making sure nobody was in sight, and then kicked in the front door.

The loud crash announced his arrival. "Mother, I'm here."

Patrice trembled, praying her son wouldn't find her hiding place, but it was in vain. The false door behind the dresser was opened, and she was savagely yanked out and thrown onto the bed before she could utter a scream.

Erik raised his hand, bringing it down full force on his mother's face. "I want the key to the safe deposit box," he demanded. "Now! I'm sick of this God-forsaken city."

Patrice screamed as she was struck a second time.

"I don't have time for this, old lady," Erik shouted, yanking his mother to her feet. "Look at me!"

"No," Patrice wept, averting her eyes from her son's.

"Look at me," Erik repeated, wrapping his hand around her throat. "Do it now before I squeeze out what little life you have left."

She reluctantly obeyed, trembling as she faced him.

"Now for the last time," he continued, gritting his teeth with each spoken word. "Where's the key to the safe deposit box?"

"Taped under the stereo," Patrice answered. "Erik, please, why are you doing this? If it's money that…"

"Money? I have enough money to last four lifetimes, Mother," Erik laughed, grinning at her perplexed expression. "You look as confused as I did the day I discovered my father was still alive. Yes, Mother, I found that letter you wrote to your friend."

"I never wanted to hurt you, Erik," Patrice answered truthfully. "I felt if you believed your father was dead, you would never learn the truth."

"Why?"

"Because I wasn't in love with him," she admitted, fearful of what her confession would do to him. "Your father loved me unconditionally, but the relationship was doomed from the beginning. I wanted a career more than anything, including him. I couldn't risk my career for a marriage that might not have worked."

"You bitch! Did my father know about me?"

"No, Erik," Patrice confessed. "I never told him. The day I ended our relationship was the last day I saw Kwai Chang Caine."