Chapter 13 - The Exchange
Grace nearly dropped the phone.
“My mother.”
Nathan reached for her, then stopped before touching her.
“What does Charles want?”
A second message arrived.
THE FLASH DRIVE. MIDNIGHT. OLD COLE MARINA. NO POLICE.
Rebecca said, “We are absolutely involving police.”
Grace shook her head. “If he sees them—”
“He already committed kidnapping,” Rebecca said. “We do not let him set the rules.”
Nathan agreed.
For once, he did not try to control the operation himself.
Federal agents built the plan.
Daniel coordinated security.
Nathan stayed with Lily until Grace’s mother was located through a traffic-camera hit.
The car was parked near an abandoned marina warehouse.
At 11:58 p.m., Grace arrived with an agent posing as Nathan’s driver. A duplicate flash drive sat in her bag.
Nathan watched the live feed from a command van two blocks away.
Charles stepped from the warehouse alone.
He looked almost bored.
“Where is my daughter?”
Grace’s voice shook. “Where is my mother?”
Charles smiled.
“Still thinking like a poor girl. Always asking for the person instead of the leverage.”
Grace stared at him.
“You stole four years from us.”
“No. Nathan’s family gave me permission to move you. I simply did it efficiently.”
Nathan’s hands curled into fists.
Grace held up the flash drive.
“My mother.”
Charles nodded toward the warehouse.
A side door opened.
Grace’s mother appeared, wrists bound, escorted by Owen Reese’s brother, Caleb.
Agents moved.
Everything happened in seconds.
Caleb ran.
Charles shouted.
Grace’s mother dropped to the floor.
Then a gunshot cracked across the marina.
Nathan’s heart stopped.
May you like
The camera image spun.
Grace disappeared from view.
