Chapter 13: The Last Demand
The third message arrived before anyone could speak.
TWENTY MINUTES.
Then a photograph.
Linda sat on the concrete floor of the hangar, wrists tied behind her back.
Thomas stood behind her.
In his hand was a gun.
Emily whispered, “He wants me.””
“No,” I said.
“He wants control.””
She looked at the flash drive.
“And that.””
Officer Ramirez was already coordinating units.
“Can you identify the hangar?””
Emily studied the photograph.
“I’ve been there.””
Everyone turned.
“Where?””
“Westfield Municipal Airport. Thomas keeps a private plane there.””
Ramirez radioed the location.
I looked at Sophie.
There was no chance she was coming anywhere near that airport.
“Claire.””
“I know.””
“Take Sophie somewhere secure.””
Sophie tightened her arms around my neck.
“No!””
I carried her inside.
“Sweetheart, listen to me.””
“You’re leaving again.””
“I have to help Grandma Linda.””
“She helped Vanessa.””
“Yes.””
Sophie’s face crumpled.
“Then why help her?””
Because six-year-olds understood betrayal more simply than adults.
I brushed her hair back.
“Because somebody doing something wrong doesn’t mean we let something terrible happen to them.””
She thought about that.
“Is Vanessa bad?””
Vanessa stood several feet away.
Her eyes dropped.
I chose my words carefully.
“Vanessa did bad things that hurt you.””
“Does she go to jail?””
“That’s for other people to decide.””
Sophie looked at Vanessa.
“You said Daddy would choose you.””
Vanessa started crying.
Sophie continued.
“You said after the wedding, he wouldn’t believe me anymore.””
I felt sick.
Vanessa whispered, “I’m sorry.””
“You hurt my hair.””
“I know.””
“You slapped me.””
“I know.””
Sophie pressed her cheek against my chest.
“I don’t forgive you.””
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“Okay.””
It was the first appropriate thing she had said all day.
I carried Sophie to Claire’s car.
Two officers would escort them to a protected location.
Before I closed the door, Sophie grabbed my hand.
“Daddy?””
“Yes?””
“Come back.””
“I will.””
“Promise?””
I remembered all the promises Rachel and I had once made about forever.
Some promises were bigger than our control.
So I gave Sophie one I could fight to keep.
“I’m going to do everything I can.””
She nodded.
Then she handed me Bunny.
“For luck.””
I almost refused.
Instead, I took it.
“I’ll bring Bunny home.””
Claire drove away.
When I returned, Ramirez was furious.
“You are not participating in a hostage exchange.””
“He asked for the drive.””
“We can duplicate it.””
Martin already had.
The original remained secured.
Police prepared a decoy drive.
Emily folded her arms.
“I’m going.””
“No,” I said.
“It’s my mother.””
“Linda didn’t raise you.””
“She’s still my mother.””
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Thomas will know if Emily isn’t there.””
Ramirez looked at her.
“You’re not going either.””
“I know Thomas.””
“So does Emily.””
“Not like I do.””
I stared at Vanessa.
“You’ve done enough.””
She accepted that without arguing.
Then her phone rang.
Thomas.
Ramirez signaled everyone to stay quiet.
Vanessa answered.
“Hello?””
“Put Daniel on.””
She handed me the phone.
“Thomas.””
His voice was calm.
“You’ve caused a remarkable amount of trouble today.””
“You threatened my daughter.””
“You stole what belongs to my family.””
“It belongs to Sophie.””
“A six-year-old cannot own an empire.””
“She can own every inch of it if Rachel left it to her.””
His voice hardened.
“Rachel was sentimental.””
“She was smarter than you.””
Silence.
Then Linda screamed in the background.
Thomas said, “Fifteen minutes.””
“If you hurt her, you get nothing.””
“I already have something.””
“What?””
“A confession.””
My stomach tightened.
“From whom?””
“Your almost-wife.””
I looked at Vanessa.
Thomas chuckled.
“She signed a statement admitting she forged everything. When this ends, Vanessa takes the blame.””
Vanessa whispered, “He forced me.””
Thomas heard her.
“Still making excuses, Vanessa?””
Her face twisted.
“You used me.””
“I paid your family’s debts.””
“You threatened Sophie.””
“She was always part of the equation.””
I clenched my jaw.
“You’re finished.””
Thomas laughed.
“Bring Emily.””
The call ended.
Ramirez checked his watch.
“We move now.””
At the airport, police stayed out of sight.
I wore a wire.
Emily walked beside me.
The fake drive was in my pocket.
Bunny was tucked beneath my arm because I had promised Sophie I would bring it home.
The hangar door was partly open.
“Daniel,” Ramirez whispered through my earpiece, “we have eyes on you.””
Emily looked terrified.
“You can still stay back.””
“No.””
We entered.
Thomas stood beside the plane.
Linda was tied to a chair.
Her mouth was taped.
Thomas held a gun.
“Stop there.””
We did.
His eyes moved to Emily.
For the first time, his expression changed.
Almost tenderness.
“My daughter.””
Emily’s voice was ice.
“Don’t call me that.””
Thomas smiled.
“You sound like Rachel.””
“You told my mother I died.””
“I gave you a better life.””
“You stole me.””
“I protected you.””
Emily laughed bitterly.
“Everyone in this family uses that word after doing something horrible.””
Thomas held out his hand.
“The drive.””
I lifted it.
“Linda first.””
“No.””
“Then no drive.””
Thomas aimed the gun at Linda’s leg.
I threw the drive onto the floor.
“There.””
He smiled.
“Good.””
He moved toward it.
Then Bunny slipped from beneath my arm.
It hit the concrete.
The torn ear opened.
Something else fell out.
Not the brass key.
A folded piece of paper.
Thomas saw it.
His entire expression changed.
“What is that?””
I stared.
“I don’t know.””
Thomas forgot the drive.
He rushed toward Bunny.
Emily kicked the fake drive beneath the plane.
Thomas swung the gun toward her.
Police shouted from outside.
“DROP THE WEAPON!””
Chaos exploded.
Linda screamed through the tape.
Thomas grabbed Emily and pressed the gun against her neck.
“BACK OFF!””
Officers surrounded the hangar.
I stared at the folded paper beside Bunny.
Thomas stared too.
Whatever Rachel had hidden there frightened him more than the police.
Then Emily whispered, “You want to know what Rachel left me?””
Thomas tightened his grip.
“What?””
Emily smiled through her fear.
“Nothing.””
His face changed.
“She left everything to Sophie.””
“You’re lying.””
“No.””
Thomas looked toward me.
That half-second was enough.
Emily drove her heel into his foot and dropped.
A gunshot cracked.
I hit the floor.
Officers fired.
Thomas collapsed.
The gun skidded across the concrete.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Linda screamed.
“Emily!””
Emily lifted her head.
“I’m okay.””
Police rushed Thomas.
He was alive.
Wounded.
Handcuffed.
Finished.
I crawled toward Bunny.
My hands shook as I unfolded Rachel’s final hidden note.
There was only one sentence.
Daniel, if Thomas ever comes back, ask Vanessa what happened the night she met Sophie for the first time.
I slowly looked toward the hangar entrance.
May you like
Vanessa was standing there between two officers.
And when she saw the note in my hand, her face went white.
