Chapter 9 - LILY
Claire made a sound Daniel would remember for the rest of his life.
Not a scream.
Something lower.
Animal.
"My baby."
Ortiz mobilized every unit she had.
Security footage showed a man in scrubs pushing Lily through a service elevator during the false alarm.
His face was hidden by a mask.
Ryan stood beside Claire, white with guilt.
"It's because of me."
Claire turned on him so fast he flinched.
"No."
"But they said trade-"
"No." She grabbed his shoulders. "Listen to me. Adults did this. Not you."
Daniel heard the words too.
Adults did this.
He looked at the faint mark he had left on Ryan's cheek and hated himself again.
The kidnappers called at 4:12 a.m.
A distorted voice gave them an address.
Bring Ryan to Bennett House at noon.
No police.
Ryan said, "I'll go."
Daniel answered, "Absolutely not."
"She's five."
"You're ten."
"So?"
"So neither of you is currency."
Ryan looked at Claire.
"What if they hurt her?"
Claire's eyes filled, but her voice stayed steady. "Then we find another way."
Ortiz traced the call to a burner near the Bennett family estate.
Conrad's home.
Daniel laughed once, bitterly.
"He isn't even hiding anymore."
At 10:30, Graham arrived with a keycard.
"There's an old storm tunnel under Bennett House. Dad had it renovated after a kidnapping threat when we were kids."
Ortiz studied him. "Why help us now?"
Graham looked sick.
"Because I spent eleven years helping him call evil 'family business.' I'm done."
Daniel didn't trust him.
But they needed the tunnel.
At 11:57, Daniel, Ortiz, and two tactical officers entered beneath the estate.
Ryan stayed with Claire in an armored vehicle despite fighting every second of it.
The tunnel opened behind the wine cellar.
They heard Lily crying upstairs.
Daniel ran.
He found her in the library, tied to a chair.
"Daddy!"
He reached her-
and the library doors locked behind him.
Conrad stepped from behind a bookshelf with a pistol.
"You always were sentimental," his father said.
Daniel shielded Lily with his body.
May you like
Conrad smiled.
"That's why you were never supposed to run this family."
