Chapter 16 - SILENT COUNTDOWN

Every instinct in my body screamed to run at him.

Sophia told me not to.

Trust me.

Three years old.

Deaf.

Tiny enough that Graham could carry her with one arm.

And still, somehow, calmer than the adults around her.

I bent slowly and reached under the Range Rover.

My fingers found the flash drive.

Graham smiled. "Good mother."

Sophia watched his face.

Not his gun.

His face.

I realized what she was doing.

Lip-reading.

Graham spoke into the radio clipped to his collar.

"North gate. Thirty seconds."

Sophia saw it.

She held up three fingers behind his back.

Then two.

Then one.

A silent countdown.

Nathan understood too.

At zero, the garage lights went black.

Mark had restored part of the house system.

Sophia dropped her full weight and twisted.

Graham's grip slipped.

I ran.

Nathan fired once-not at Graham, but at the SUV's front tire.

The tire burst.

Graham stumbled.

Sophia crawled beneath the vehicle.

I reached her on the other side and crushed her against my chest.

Graham fired blindly.

Cross appeared in the doorway and slammed into him.

The two men went down.

Vanessa ran again.

Nathan shouted, "Let her go!"

"Why?"

"Because the sheriff is here."

This time, real blue lights flashed through the rain.

Real sirens approached.

Cross pinned Graham and held up both hands.

"I'll testify," he shouted. "I'll give you everything."

Graham laughed from the floor. "You think you're walking away from this?"

Cross looked at him.

"No. I think I'm choosing how I go down."

Deputies flooded the garage.

I thought it was over.

Then Nathan checked the flash drive.

It was gone.

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A single wet footprint led toward the chapel path.

Vanessa had taken it.