Chapter 11 - Ethan
My knees nearly gave out.
“He was with your men.”
“One of them was hit from behind in the parking garage. The other followed the wrong vehicle.”
I grabbed Vincent’s jacket.
“Find him.”
“I will.”
Alexander took my hands.
“Rachel. Look at me.”
I couldn’t breathe.
“This is because of me.”
“No. This is because of them.”
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
Ethan’s voice came through first.
“Rachel?”
“Ethan!”
“I’m okay.”
Then a woman took the phone.
Her voice was calm. Educated. Older.
“You protected Noah. Admirable.”
“Rebecca?”
A soft laugh.
“Alexander told you quickly.”
“Let my brother go.”
“Bring me Claire’s flash drive.”
I looked at Alexander.
Rebecca continued. “The drive Jenna stole. Alone. No police.”
“You’ll kill him.”
“If I wanted him dead, you wouldn’t hear his voice.”
The call ended.
Vincent immediately began tracing it.
Alexander said, “You’re not going.”
“Yes, I am.”
“No.”
“That’s my brother.”
“And you’re Noah’s only witness.”
I stared at him.
“That baby is alive because I didn’t walk away when it was dangerous. I’m not walking away from Ethan either.”
Alexander looked furious.
Then he nodded once.
“We do it smart.”
The trace led to an abandoned equestrian property north of Denton.
Vincent prepared a hidden transmitter.
Jenna copied the flash drive.
At dusk, I drove through the gate alone.
Ethan sat tied to a chair inside the barn.
Beside him stood a silver-haired woman with Alexander’s eyes.
Rebecca Whitmore smiled at me.
“You look exactly like Claire described you.”
I stopped.
“You knew Claire?”
May you like
Rebecca’s smile faded.
“She worked for me first.”
