Chapter 13 - Rachel
Lucas laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because his mind refused to accept the sentence.
“No.”
Rebecca stared at him.
“I know what I'm saying.”
Lucas shook his head.
“I buried her.”
“You buried a sealed casket.”
His face changed.
Rebecca continued.
“You never saw the body.”
Lucas remembered.
The crash had caused severe burns.
That was what he had been told.
Authorities advised against viewing.
Daniel had handled the funeral arrangements because Lucas could barely function.
Lucas whispered:
“DNA.”
“There was a report.”
“Forged.”
“Dental records.”
“Forged.”
“Death certificate.”
“Signed by a physician later convicted of falsifying medical records.”
Lucas felt his legs weaken.
Caroline grabbed his arm.
He pulled away.
Not angrily.
He just needed space.
“Where is she?”
Rebecca looked toward the briefcase.
“I don't know.”
Lucas stared.
“You came here to tell me my wife is alive and you don't know where she is?”
“I've been looking for four years.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I didn't know who I could trust.”
“You could trust me!”
Rebecca's expression hardened.
“Could I?”
Lucas stopped.
She continued.
“Your brother was involved.”
“Your father built Horizon.”
“Your mother helped conceal Sophie's identity.”
“Your fiancée was planted in your life.”
“Your company funded the network.”
“Your security was compromised.”
“Your police department was compromised.”
Rebecca stepped closer.
“You were surrounded.”
Lucas couldn't argue.
Rebecca softened.
“Rachel knew that.”
“What happened to her?”
“Arthur removed her from the crash site.”
“Why keep her alive?”
“Information.”
Lucas's stomach turned.
“She knew where the evidence was.”
Rebecca nodded.
“And she refused to tell him.”
“For four years?”
“We don't know how long they held her.”
Lucas stared.
“Then what do you know?”
Rebecca removed a photograph.
Timestamp.
Eight months earlier.
A woman walking through an airport in Prague.
Brown hair.
Thin.
Older.
But Lucas recognized her posture.
Rachel.
His hand shook.
“That could be anyone.”
Rebecca gave him another photograph.
The woman turned slightly.
Lucas saw her face.
His knees nearly failed.
Rachel.
A scar ran along her jaw.
But it was Rachel.
Alive.
Eight months ago.
Lucas touched the photograph.
“Where did she go?”
“We lost her.”
“How?”
“She boarded a train under another identity.”
“What identity?”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Emma Reeves.”
Michael.
Lucas looked up.
“Reeves?”
Rebecca nodded.
“Michael helped her disappear.”
Lucas grabbed his phone.
He called Michael.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Lucas looked at Hale.
“Hospital.”
Hale called immediately.
His face changed.
“What?”
Lucas asked.
Hale lowered the phone.
“Michael is gone.”
Lucas stared.
“He left twenty minutes ago.”
Rebecca closed her eyes.
“Damn it.”
Lucas felt betrayed again.
“Michael knew.”
Rebecca nodded.
“At least part of it.”
Lucas's phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
One photograph.
Michael Reeves standing beside a black car.
And next to him—
Rachel.
Current timestamp.
Lucas stopped breathing.
A message appeared.
COME ALONE.
Then an address.
A small house outside Lake Forest.
Lucas stared.
Hale shook his head.
“No.”
Lucas looked at him.
“No chance.”
“She's my wife.”
“Could be manipulated.”
Lucas held up the photograph.
“That's Rachel.”
“It could be old.”
“Timestamp.”
“Can be altered.”
Rebecca stepped closer.
“Hale is right.”
Lucas turned on her.
“You've known she might be alive for four years.”
“Do not tell me to wait.”
Rebecca stared.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
Lucas walked toward the exit.
Caroline followed.
“Alone means alone.”
Lucas stopped.
Caroline stared at him.
“Rachel saved me.”
Lucas softened.
“I know.”
“Then bring her home.”
He nodded.
Lucas drove alone.
No police.
No tactical team.
At least that was what whoever watched him needed to believe.
Hale secretly placed a tracker in Lucas's shoe.
Lucas knew.
He didn't remove it.
The house sat at the end of a quiet road.
No lights.
Lucas parked.
His hands trembled on the steering wheel.
He stepped out.
Walked to the front door.
It opened before he knocked.
Michael stood there.
Lucas punched him.
Michael fell against the wall.
“I deserved that.”
Lucas grabbed his jacket.
“Where is she?”
Michael pointed toward the living room.
Lucas turned.
A woman stood beside the window.
Brown hair.
Thin.
Scar along her jaw.
Lucas stopped.
The world disappeared.
Rachel looked at him.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Hi.”
Lucas couldn't move.
Four years.
Four years of grief.
Four birthdays Sophie celebrated without her.
Four anniversaries Lucas spent alone.
Four years talking to a grave.
Rachel took one step.
Lucas whispered:
“No.”
She stopped.
His voice broke.
“Tell me something.”
“What?”
“Something only Rachel knows.”
Tears rolled down her face.
She smiled.
“Our first date wasn't dinner.”
Lucas stared.
“You told everyone it was.”
“But you spilled coffee on my yellow coat outside the courthouse.”
Lucas's mouth trembled.
Rachel continued.
“You offered to buy me a new one.”
“I said I hated the coat anyway.”
“You asked me to dinner.”
“I said no.”
“You asked me three more times.”
Lucas laughed through tears.
“Four.”
Rachel smiled.
“You count the voicemail.”
“I do.”
She whispered:
“Moonlight.”
Lucas stopped breathing.
Rachel touched her heart.
“That's where we became a family.”
Lucas crossed the room.
He pulled her into his arms.
Rachel collapsed against him.
Neither spoke.
They just held each other.
Four years disappeared.
Then came back all at once.
Lucas pulled away.
His hands held her face.
“Why?”
Rachel cried.
“I couldn't come back.”
“Why?”
“They watched you.”
“They watched Sophie.”
“Arthur told me if I contacted you, she died.”
Lucas closed his eyes.
Rachel continued.
“I escaped after eleven months.”
“I found Michael.”
“We tried to build enough evidence.”
“Every time I got close, someone disappeared.”
Lucas stared at Michael.
“You knew.”
He nodded.
“I promised her.”
Lucas turned back to Rachel.
“You let me think you were dead.”
“I kept Sophie alive.”
“You don't know that.”
“No.”
Rachel's voice broke.
“I don't.”
“But I believed it.”
Lucas stepped away.
Love.
Anger.
Relief.
Betrayal.
Everything existed at once.
Rachel whispered:
“Where is Sophie?”
Lucas looked at her.
“Safe.”
Rachel covered her mouth.
“Can I see her?”
Lucas couldn't answer immediately.
Then:
“Yes.”
Rachel began sobbing.
Lucas pulled out his phone.
Before he could call Hale, Michael suddenly moved toward the window.
“Lucas.”
“What?”
“Car.”
Headlights appeared outside.
Michael's face changed.
“They found us.”
Lucas looked at Rachel.
“Back door.”
Michael shook his head.
“Covered.”
Three vehicles stopped.
Doors opened.
Arthur Wynn stepped out.
And beside him stood Ethan.
Rachel stared through the window.
Her face became cold.
“No more running.”
Lucas looked at her.
Rachel walked toward a cabinet.
She opened it.
Inside were files.
Hard drives.
Documents.
Four years of evidence.
Rachel lifted one small recorder.
“Everything they want is here.”
Lucas stared.
“Then we give it to the FBI.”
Rachel looked at him.
“No.”
May you like
She smiled faintly.
“We make them confess first.”
