Chapter 11 - THE WRONG BADGE
Hale's voice exploded through Ethan's earpiece.
“Vivian, identify the officer.”
Daniel's speaker instantly went silent.
Vivian stared at Ethan.
“You're wired.”
“Yeah.”
She almost laughed.
“Of course you are.”
Hale spoke again.
“Get Mrs. Bell out. Team moving.”
Vivian rushed to the chair.
“This key releases the floor lock.”
Ethan grabbed her arm.
“How did you get here?”
“The officer let me out behind the courthouse.”
“Why?”
“He told me Daniel wanted me to finish tonight.”
“Finish what?”
“Emmie.”
Ethan's grip tightened.
Vivian flinched.
“I didn't!”
“You put drugs in her body.”
“I know.”
“You chained her.”
“I know!”
Her voice broke.
“I thought I was controlling the dose. Daniel said it was just enough to keep her confused until he could move her.”
“Move her where?”
“To another state.”
Ethan stared at her.
“You were helping abduct my daughter.”
Vivian looked ashamed.
“I told myself it was temporary.”
“That is the lie you chose?”
She lowered her eyes.
“Yes.”
Outside, tires screeched.
Hale's team entered the facility.
Vivian unlocked the chair mechanism.
Mrs. Bell stood shakily.
“Who is the officer?” Hale demanded.
Vivian whispered, “Officer Dean Riker.”
Hale's expression changed.
“You know him?” Ethan asked.
“He was first on scene at Laura's crash.”
Everything stopped.
Ethan stared.
“What?”
Hale looked sick.
“Riker documented the vehicle.”
“Riker told me the brakes failed.”
“Yes.”
“Riker closed the road.”
“Yes.”
“Riker stood in my kitchen and told my eight-year-old daughter she imagined the red car.”
Hale didn't respond.
Ethan finally understood why Daniel had survived so long.
He wasn't avoiding law enforcement.
He had someone inside it.
A tactical officer opened the last box.
“Detective.”
Inside were police reports.
Copies of sealed records.
Photographs of crime scenes.
Hale flipped through them.
“Riker's been feeding him information for years.”
Ethan's phone rang.
Unknown caller.
Hale nodded.
“Answer.”
Ethan did.
Daniel sounded calm.
“You shouldn't trust Vivian.”
“I don't.”
“Good.”
“Where's Riker?”
Daniel laughed softly.
“Right now?”
Pause.
“I believe he's visiting your daughter.”
Ethan went completely still.
Hale grabbed his radio.
“Hospital team, confirm Emmie's room.”
Static.
Then a frantic voice.
“Detective, we have an officer down on the sixth floor.”
Ethan ran.
Hale shouted after him.
“Ethan!”
But Ethan was already in his truck.
Because the hospital was twelve minutes away.
And Emmie had nobody in the room except a female detective who had never met Dean Riker.
Ethan's phone buzzed.
A photograph.
Emmie asleep in her hospital bed.
May you like
Taken from inside the room.
---
