Chapter 15 - Daddy, Don’t Let Him Take Me
Lucas drove faster than he ever had in his life.
Rachel sat beside him.
Michael followed in another car.
Federal agents were behind them.
But Ethan had a head start.
Three minutes.
Three minutes could destroy a life.
Lucas called Margaret.
No answer.
He called the federal protection officer.
Nothing.
Then Sophie.
Her small emergency watch rang.
Once.
Twice.
“Daddy?”
Lucas nearly cried.
“Sophie.”
Rachel covered her mouth at the sound of her daughter's voice.
“Where are you?”
“In the house.”
“Is Grandma there?”
“Yes.”
“Are the police there?”
Sophie paused.
“Daddy?”
“What?”
“Someone knocked.”
Lucas's blood froze.
“Do not open the door.”
“Grandma is talking to them.”
“Tell Grandma not to open it.”
Lucas heard Sophie running.
“Grandma!”
Then Margaret's voice in the background.
“What?”
“Daddy says don't open it.”
Lucas heard knocking.
Then a man's voice.
“Federal protection.”
Margaret replied:
“Show identification.”
Lucas whispered:
“Good.”
Rachel looked at him.
“Tell them to go upstairs.”
Lucas spoke into the watch.
“Sophie.”
“Yes?”
“Take Grandma upstairs.”
“Why?”
“Game.”
Lucas forced calm into his voice.
“Remember hide-and-seek?”
“Yes.”
“You and Grandma hide.”
“Don't come out until I find you.”
Sophie giggled nervously.
“Okay.”
Rachel started crying silently.
Lucas continued.
“Take Grandma.”
“Go.”
Footsteps.
Then Margaret's voice.
“Lucas?”
She had taken Sophie's watch.
“Mom.”
“What's happening?”
“Ethan found you.”
Margaret inhaled sharply.
“Lock yourselves upstairs.”
“There are federal agents outside.”
“No.”
Lucas looked at Rachel.
“Assume everyone is compromised.”
Margaret understood.
“Okay.”
Lucas heard a lock.
Then furniture moving.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“Do not let Sophie out of your sight.”
“I won't.”
The call disconnected.
Lucas pressed harder on the accelerator.
Two minutes.
At the safe house, Margaret pushed a dresser against the bedroom door.
Sophie stared at her.
“Grandma?”
“Yes?”
“Why are you crying?”
Margaret wiped her face.
“I'm not.”
“You are.”
Margaret smiled.
“You're very observant.”
“Daddy says that.”
“I know.”
Sophie held her hand.
“Is the bad man coming?”
Margaret couldn't lie.
“Yes.”
Sophie looked frightened.
“Why does he want me?”
Margaret crouched.
“Because some adults are stupid enough to think money is more important than people.”
Sophie frowned.
“That's dumb.”
Margaret laughed through tears.
“Yes.”
“Very dumb.”
A crash came from downstairs.
Margaret froze.
Sophie grabbed her.
“Grandma.”
“Closet.”
They moved.
Margaret opened the walk-in closet.
Behind coats was a small emergency panel.
Federal safe houses had reinforced refuge spaces.
Margaret entered the code.
Red light.
Wrong.
She tried again.
Wrong.
Her hands were shaking.
“Come on.”
Footsteps downstairs.
Slow.
Margaret tried a third time.
Green.
The hidden door opened.
“Inside.”
Sophie climbed in.
Margaret followed.
The door closed.
Darkness.
Sophie whispered:
“Grandma?”
“Yes?”
“Can Daddy find this?”
Margaret held her.
“Your daddy will find you anywhere.”
Downstairs, Ethan walked through the house.
He had no weapon visible.
He didn't need one.
Two private contractors followed him.
One checked the kitchen.
“Clear.”
Another pointed upstairs.
Ethan smiled.
“She's hiding.”
He climbed.
At the same moment, Lucas's car turned onto the street.
He saw the black vehicle.
“There.”
Rachel stared.
“That's Ethan's.”
Lucas stopped two houses away.
Federal agents surrounded the block.
Special Agent Torres approached.
“We have thermal.”
“How many?”
“Three downstairs or moving upstairs.”
“Two heat signatures hidden in the northwest bedroom wall.”
Lucas exhaled.
“Sophie.”
Torres nodded.
“We go tactical.”
Lucas started forward.
Torres grabbed him.
“No.”
“My daughter is in there.”
“And running through the front door helps nobody.”
Lucas stared.
Rachel touched his arm.
“Listen to her.”
He looked at Rachel.
She understood him better than anyone.
“Lucas.”
“Give them thirty seconds.”
He hated it.
But nodded.
Inside, Ethan entered the bedroom.
Empty.
Bed.
Dresser.
Closet.
He smiled.
“Margaret.”
No answer.
“You know how this ends.”
Inside the hidden room, Sophie pressed both hands over her mouth.
Margaret held her.
Ethan walked toward the closet.
He noticed scratches beside the wall panel.
His smile widened.
“Found you.”
Margaret closed her eyes.
Outside, Torres raised three fingers.
Two.
One.
Federal agents breached.
The front door exploded inward.
Ethan turned.
“Go!”
His contractors ran toward the staircase.
Agents shouted.
“Federal agents!”
“Down!”
One contractor surrendered immediately.
The other tried the rear stairs.
He was intercepted.
Ethan stared toward the hidden panel.
He had seconds.
He entered a code.
Wrong.
Again.
Wrong.
Inside, Margaret whispered:
“Stay behind me.”
Sophie cried silently.
Ethan entered another code.
Green.
The panel opened.
Margaret stood in front of Sophie.
Ethan stared at her.
“Move.”
“No.”
“Margaret.”
“You've destroyed enough of this family.”
Ethan laughed.
“This family destroyed me first.”
Margaret stared at him.
“You had choices.”
“So did Edward.”
“You're not Edward.”
Ethan's expression changed.
Margaret continued.
“You spent your whole life trying to become a man who never even admitted you were his son.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“Move.”
“No.”
He grabbed Margaret's arm.
Sophie screamed.
“Don't touch Grandma!”
Ethan looked at her.
For one moment, something strange crossed his face.
Sophie looked like Caroline.
Her biological mother.
Same eyes.
Same stubborn chin.
Ethan stared.
Then reached toward her.
“Come with me.”
Sophie backed away.
“No.”
“I'm your uncle.”
“You're the bad man.”
Ethan's jaw tightened.
“Your father lied to you.”
“No.”
“He isn't even your real—”
A voice came from behind him.
“Finish that sentence.”
Ethan froze.
Lucas stood in the bedroom doorway.
Rachel beside him.
Ethan slowly turned.
Lucas stared at him.
“Step away from my daughter.”
Sophie cried:
“Daddy!”
Ethan grabbed her wrist.
Lucas stopped.
Every instinct screamed.
But he forced himself still.
“Let her go.”
Ethan pulled Sophie closer.
She struggled.
Rachel stepped forward.
“Ethan.”
He looked at her.
Rachel's voice remained calm.
“You lost.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Horizon is exposed.”
“Arthur confessed.”
“Caroline is alive.”
“Rebecca is alive.”
“The FBI has the recordings.”
“Daniel is cooperating.”
Ethan's face changed at that.
Lucas noticed.
“Daniel?”
Rachel nodded.
“He gave them the offshore accounts.”
Ethan laughed.
“He doesn't know all of them.”
“I do.”
Ethan stared.
Rachel continued.
“Edward kept backups.”
“I found them.”
“You have nothing.”
Ethan's grip on Sophie loosened slightly.
Rachel saw it.
“You don't need her anymore.”
“She's my family.”
Lucas said:
“No.”
Ethan looked at him.
Lucas continued.
“Family isn't blood.”
“It isn't paperwork.”
“It isn't inheritance.”
“It's who stays when staying costs something.”
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“Beautiful speech.”
Lucas stared.
“Let Sophie go.”
Ethan looked down at her.
Sophie was crying.
Then she whispered:
“My daddy came.”
Ethan's face twitched.
Sophie looked at Lucas.
“He always comes.”
Lucas felt tears rise.
Ethan looked between them.
Something broke behind his eyes.
Not goodness.
Not regret.
Defeat.
He released Sophie's wrist.
She ran.
Lucas dropped to his knees.
Sophie crashed into him.
He wrapped both arms around her.
“I've got you.”
“Daddy!”
“I've got you.”
Rachel stood frozen.
Sophie looked over Lucas's shoulder.
She stared at Rachel.
Confusion.
Recognition without memory.
Rachel couldn't speak.
Lucas slowly stood.
Sophie remained in his arms.
“Sophie.”
She looked at him.
“There is someone you need to meet.”
Rachel began crying.
Sophie stared.
Lucas whispered:
“This is Rachel.”
Sophie knew the name.
She had seen photographs.
She had heard stories.
Her eyes widened.
“Mommy?”
Rachel covered her mouth.
“Yes.”
Sophie looked at Lucas.
“You said Mommy was in heaven.”
Lucas cried.
“I thought she was.”
Sophie looked back at Rachel.
Rachel crouched.
She didn't reach for her.
She waited.
“Hi, Sophie.”
Sophie stared at the scar on her face.
Then at her eyes.
“Do you know my bunny's name?”
Rachel laughed through tears.
“Mr. Pickles.”
Sophie gasped.
Only Rachel had called the stuffed rabbit that.
Lucas had always called it Pickles.
Rachel whispered:
“And you used to chew his left ear when you were sleepy.”
Sophie looked at Lucas.
Then Rachel.
Slowly, she reached out.
Rachel took her tiny hand.
Sophie whispered:
“Are you really Mommy?”
Rachel nodded.
“I am.”
Sophie moved from Lucas's arms.
Into Rachel's.
Rachel collapsed onto the floor holding her.
Four years.
Four impossible years.
Lucas knelt beside them.
Sophie wrapped one arm around each parent.
For one moment, the world became quiet.
Then federal agents entered.
Ethan raised his hands.
Special Agent Torres handcuffed him.
He looked at Lucas.
“This isn't over.”
Lucas stared.
“Yes.”
“It is.”
Ethan smiled faintly.
“You still don't know what's on the last recording.”
Rachel's face changed.
Lucas noticed.
“What recording?”
Ethan laughed.
“The one Rachel never showed you.”
Lucas looked at her.
She went pale.
“Rachel?”
She didn't answer.
Ethan was led away.
Lucas stared at his wife.
“What is he talking about?”
Rachel held Sophie tighter.
“Not here.”
Lucas almost laughed at the familiar words.
“No.”
Rachel closed her eyes.
“Lucas.”
“No more secrets.”
Rachel looked at Sophie.
Then back at him.
“There is one.”
Lucas felt dread return.
“What?”
Rachel whispered:
“The night Sophie was born, Edward didn't choose her randomly.”
Lucas stared.
“What does that mean?”
Rachel began crying.
“He already knew Caroline's baby belonged to someone in the Bennett family.”
Lucas froze.
“What?”
Rachel looked directly into his eyes.
“Caroline wasn't telling the truth about Sophie's biological father.”
The room became silent.
Lucas looked at Sophie.
Then Rachel.
“Who is her father?”
Rachel opened her mouth.
Before she could answer, Caroline appeared in the doorway.
Her face was white.
She had heard everything.
She looked at Lucas.
Then at Sophie.
May you like
And whispered:
“You are.”
