Chapter 9
Dr. Hale had been part of my family’s life for years.
He had been at Rachel’s funeral.
He had hugged me.
He had sent Lily birthday cards.
He had recommended specialists after Lily lost her leg following the accident that nearly killed her when she was five.
Now he had my daughter.
Ruiz recognized my expression.
“You know him.”
“He was Rachel’s doctor.”
The words sounded impossible.
“Why would he help Christopher?”
I didn’t know.
The video continued.
Hale adjusted the camera.
Lily was beside him in the back seat.
Someone else was driving.
“You’re wondering why.”
His voice was calm.
“Rachel wondered too.”
My hands shook.
“Hale was the person close to us.”
Ruiz was already sending his photograph everywhere.
In the video, Hale continued.
“Christopher has always been emotional.”
He smiled slightly.
“Unstable men are useful.”
That sentence changed everything.
He wasn’t working for Christopher.
Christopher might have been working for him.
“Rachel found things she was never supposed to find.”
Hale looked at Lily.
“Your mother was very curious.”
I wanted to kill him.
But rage wouldn’t save Lily.
I forced myself to listen.
“She believed Christopher was the center of everything.”
Hale chuckled.
“He wasn’t.”
The video ended.
A message followed.
BRING THE FLASH DRIVE TO ST. MATTHEW’S OLD RESEARCH BUILDING.
NO POLICE.
I looked at Ruiz.
“They want the evidence.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Whatever’s on that drive threatens more people than Christopher.”
I thought of Rachel.
Her cancer.
Her diagnosis.
A terrible possibility formed.
“Was Rachel really sick?”
Ruiz looked at me.
“We need to verify everything.”
My stomach turned.
“You think Hale did something to her.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You thought it.”
Ruiz said nothing.
The forensic team dug into Rachel’s old medical records.
Within an hour, they found inconsistencies.
Lab reports missing.
Imaging files altered.
Medication records that didn’t match hospital pharmacy logs.
I sat in silence.
Then the analyst said, “There’s evidence Rachel’s treatment may have been manipulated.”
My chest hurt.
“Manipulated how?”
“We need specialists to say.”
“Was she poisoned?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Did Hale kill my wife?”
“We don’t know.”
I punched the wall.
Ruiz grabbed me.
“Michael!”
I pulled away.
“My daughter is with the man who may have killed her mother!”
“I know.”
“Then do something!”
“We are.”
It wasn’t enough.
Nothing was enough while Lily was missing.
My phone rang.
Christopher.
Ruiz signaled to trace it.
I answered.
“Where is Lily?”
“I don’t have her.”
“Then help me.”
Silence.
“You finally believe me?”
“I believe Hale has her.”
Christopher cursed.
“You idiot.”
“What?”
“You were supposed to keep her safe.”
Rage exploded.
“You threatened her!”
“I was trying to get her away from Vanessa.”
“You fired bolts through a hotel window!”
“I needed you scared enough to move.”
“That makes no sense.”
“I didn’t fire anything at your hotel.”
I stopped.
“What?”
“That wasn’t me.”
I looked at Ruiz.
Christopher continued.
“Hale has been pretending to be me.”
“Why?”
“To keep you looking in the wrong direction.”
“Did you break Vanessa out?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“She knew where Rachel’s evidence was.”
“You nearly killed her.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then who did?”
“Hale.”
My pulse raced.
“What is on the drive?”
“Proof of a network.”
“What kind?”
Christopher’s voice changed.
“Children.”
My stomach twisted.
He continued.
“Hale used private clinics and family charities to identify vulnerable families.”
“For what?”
“I never knew everything.”
“You were involved.”
“I gave him money.”
“Why?”
“Because he had evidence against me.”
“Of what you did to Emma?”
Silence.
That silence answered me.
“I hurt her.”
His voice broke.
“I was drunk. Angry. I found out she wasn’t mine.”
I closed my eyes.
“Don’t ask me to feel sorry for you.”
“I’m not.”
“What did Hale have?”
“A recording.”
“So you helped him?”
“Yes.”
“For years?”
“Yes.”
I hated him.
But I needed him.
“Where will Hale take Lily?”
“The research building first.”
“Then?”
“If he gets the drive, he’ll leave the country.”
“How?”
“Private airstrip south of Waco.”
Ruiz wrote everything down.
“Why tell me?”
Christopher’s voice cracked.
“Because she is my daughter.”
“No.”
I spoke quietly.
“She is not yours.”
Silence.
“She’s my blood.”
“She is not property.”
Another silence.
Then Christopher whispered, “Rachel used to say that.”
My heart twisted.
“Then listen to her now.”
He exhaled.
“I can get you inside.”
Ruiz shook his head.
I ignored him.
“How?”
“There’s a service tunnel under St. Matthew’s old building.”
“Why do you know that?”
“Hale used it.”
Ruiz took the phone.
“Christopher, this is Detective Ruiz. Give me the location.”
Christopher laughed.
“You think I trust police?”
“You trusted Kane.”
“Kane is dead because he wanted out.”
“Did you kill him?”
“No.”
“Hale?”
“Yes.”
Another crime.
Another body.
Everything led back to Hale.
Christopher gave directions.
Then said, “I’m coming.”
Ruiz refused.
Christopher hung up.
We moved.
The old research building had been abandoned for four years.
Power still ran to part of it.
Federal teams surrounded the area from a distance.
I was supposed to stay in a command vehicle.
I didn’t.
Ruiz looked at me.
“If you compromise this operation—”
“That’s my child.”
He stared for a moment.
Then handed me a protective vest.
“Stay behind me.”
We entered through the tunnel.
Dark concrete.
Old pipes.
The air smelled damp.
At the end, we reached a basement corridor.
Voices.
Hale.
And Lily.
“Daddy will come.”
Lily sounded scared.
Hale answered.
“Of course he will.”
I clenched my fists.
Ruiz signaled.
Two agents moved left.
Two right.
Then another voice appeared.
Christopher.
“I’m here.”
Ruiz’s eyes widened.
He hadn’t entered with us.
Christopher had found another way.
Hale laughed.
“You always were predictable.”
“Let the girl go.”
“Your sudden fatherly instincts are touching.”
“She has nothing to do with this.”
“Oh, she has everything to do with it.”
I heard Lily crying.
Then Hale said something that stopped me.
“Rachel should have let Michael believe his little family was ordinary.”
Christopher answered.
“You killed her.”
Hale laughed.
“She was already sick.”
“You made her sick.”
My blood froze.
Ruiz’s face hardened.
Hale continued.
“She found the records.”
“What records?”
“Children transferred through St. Matthew’s.”
My stomach turned.
Christopher said, “Emma found them first.”
“Yes.”
“And Rachel copied them.”
“Yes.”
“So you used me.”
“I used everyone.”
I stepped forward.
Ruiz stopped me.
Then Lily screamed.
“Daddy!”
I couldn’t wait.
I entered the room.
Hale spun.
A gun appeared in his hand.
Ruiz and the agents followed.
“Drop it!”
Hale grabbed Lily.
The muzzle pressed against her side.
Every gun lowered slightly.
“Michael.”
Hale smiled.
“You came.”
“Let her go.”
“Where’s the drive?”
“Safe.”
“You brought it?”
“No.”
His smile disappeared.
“That was stupid.”
“Kill us and you never get it.”
Lily was crying.
I looked directly at her.
“Baby, look at me.”
She did.
“You’re okay.”
Hale pushed the gun harder.
“Stop talking.”
Christopher stood near the far wall.
He had a gun too.
But it was pointed at Hale.
“Let her go.”
Hale laughed.
“You won’t shoot.”
“Try me.”
“You’ll hit her.”
Christopher’s hand trembled.
I saw it.
Hale saw it too.
Then a door opened behind us.
Vanessa entered.
Everyone froze.
She was supposed to be under guard at the hospital.
She held no weapon.
She looked at Hale.
“I know where Emma is.”
Hale went completely still.
So did Christopher.
“What?”
Vanessa stepped closer.
“I found her.”
Christopher’s face broke.
“Where?”
Vanessa ignored him.
She looked only at Hale.
“You let Lily go, and I tell you.”
Hale smiled.
“You’re lying.”
Vanessa pulled out a photograph.
A teenage girl.
Brown hair.
Blue eyes.
Emma.
Alive.
Christopher took one step forward.
Hale’s attention shifted.
Only for half a second.
Lily bit his hand.
Hale screamed.
I lunged.
Gunfire exploded.
I hit the floor with Lily beneath me.
Someone shouted.
Someone fell.
Then silence.
My ears rang.
I looked at Lily.
“Are you hit?”
She cried.
“No.”
I held her against me.
Across the room, Hale was on the floor.
Blood spreading beneath his shoulder.
Agents surrounded him.
Christopher was also down.
Vanessa stood frozen.
“Christopher?”
She moved toward him.
Ruiz stopped her.
Christopher had been shot in the chest.
He was conscious.
Barely.
His eyes found Lily.
Then me.
He whispered, “Keep her safe.”
I didn’t answer.
He coughed.
Then looked at Vanessa.
“Emma?”
Vanessa knelt several feet away.
“She’s alive.”
“Where?”
Vanessa’s eyes filled.
“Safe.”
Christopher began crying.
“I’m sorry.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“You should be.”
Paramedics rushed in.
Christopher was carried out.
Hale survived.
So did Lily.
I thought the worst was over.
I was wrong.
Because when federal agents examined Hale’s computer, they found a file created only twelve hours earlier.
A scheduled payment.
Two million dollars.
Recipient:
Maria Santos.
I stared at the name.
Our housekeeper.
The woman currently waiting at the federal facility.
The woman I had trusted with Lily.
Ruiz looked at me.
“Michael.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“There could be an explanation.”
Then the analyst opened the transfer memo.
Payment for successful delivery of child.
My blood went cold.
Maria hadn’t simply been protecting Lily.
May you like
Someone had paid her.
And according to the timestamp, the payment was approved fifteen minutes before Lily was kidnapped.
