Chapter 13 - MARA
Daniel reached the forty-second floor through smoke and sprinklers.
Mara stood beside an open records cabinet, holding a metal cash box.
For a second, eleven years disappeared.
"Mara."
She turned.
She was thinner, bruised, and wearing a stolen catering jacket over hospital pants.
But alive.
Daniel stopped three feet away.
"I thought you were dead."
Mara laughed through tears. "I thought you abandoned us."
Ryan came running behind Claire.
"Mom!"
Mara dropped the box.
She fell to her knees and caught him so hard they nearly tipped over.
Ryan sobbed into her neck.
"I found him."
"I know."
"He hit me."
Daniel closed his eyes.
Mara looked at him.
Claire said quietly, "He knows."
Mara's expression sharpened. "Knows what?"
"Noah."
Mara froze.
Then Noah stepped out of the stairwell.
She stared at him.
"Oh my God."
Ryan pulled back.
"Mom, is he my dad?"
Mara's face crumpled.
"I didn't know, baby. I swear."
Noah nodded. "Neither did I."
The alarm stopped.
Too suddenly.
The elevator doors opened.
Miles Voss walked out with two armed men.
Ortiz raised her weapon.
Miles held up a phone.
On the screen was a live video of Lily sitting in a black car downstairs.
Claire made a choking sound.
Again.
They had taken her again in the confusion.
Miles smiled.
"Conrad is in custody. That means the old rules are over."
Daniel stepped forward.
"What do you want?"
"The cash box."
Mara looked down at it.
Miles said, "It contains the ledger that puts half the Bennett board in prison."
Ortiz's voice was steady. "You're surrounded."
"No. You are."
The two men behind Miles raised their guns.
Ryan moved closer to Mara.
Then Mara whispered to Daniel, "The box is empty."
He looked at her.
She had already hidden the ledger.
Miles saw the look between them.
His smile vanished.
"Where is it?"
Mara looked toward Ryan.
Miles followed her eyes.
May you like
And Daniel realized exactly what she had done.
The real ledger was inside Ryan's backpack.
