Chapter 10 - The Clock Was Running Out
For three seconds, I forgot how to breathe.
I stared at the picture of Noah on my phone.
My son.
My ten-year-old boy.
The child who always tried to protect his little sister.
The child who stood between Lily and Diane when everyone else stayed silent.
Now he was scared.
And I wasn’t there.
“Give me the phone.”
Mark’s voice pulled me back.
I handed it to him.
His face changed immediately.
“Daniel…”
“I know.”
My voice was shaking.
“But I know who did this.”
Alex looked at me from across the room.
“You don’t.”
I turned toward him.
“You said they wanted the USB.”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
“They took my son because they think I have it.”
Alex looked at the drive in my hand.
“No.”
His answer surprised me.
“They took your son because they know you’ll do anything to get him back.”
I stepped toward him.
“Then help me.”
For the first time, Alex looked serious.
“You don’t understand who you’re dealing with.”
“I understand enough.”
“No, you don’t.”
He pointed at the picture.
“People like them don’t lose.”
My fists tightened.
“Everybody loses eventually.”
Alex stared at me.
Then slowly nodded.
“Your brother said the same thing.”
I froze.
“What?”
Alex looked away.
“I knew Jason.”
The room went silent.
“You knew my brother?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
Alex didn’t answer.
“Tell me!”
He finally looked at me.
“Jason discovered your boss, Richard, was moving money through fake companies.”
My stomach turned.
“Richard?”
“Yes.”
“The man who helped me after Jason died?”
Alex nodded.
“The man who made sure you stayed distracted.”
I felt sick.
“What does that mean?”
“It means while you were grieving, he was cleaning everything.”
I looked at the USB.
“What’s on this?”
“Enough evidence to destroy him.”
My phone buzzed again.
Another message.
This time, only words.
“No police.”
I stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
“Come alone.”
A location followed.
An abandoned warehouse.
Alex saw it.
“They want the drive.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Then what?”
“I’m going there.”
Mark immediately shook his head.
“Absolutely not.”
“They have my son.”
“You walk in there alone, you might not walk out.”
I looked at him.
“My son is already there.”
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone understood.
I wasn’t choosing between danger and safety.
I was choosing between my fear and my child.
Alex grabbed his jacket.
“I’m coming.”
“No.”
“You need me.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“You shouldn’t.”
He paused.
“But right now, I’m the only person who knows how they think.”
I hated that he was right.
Before we left, I looked at Lily.
She was sitting on the couch, holding her brother’s favorite toy.
Her face was pale.
“Daddy?”
I walked to her.
“I’m going to bring Noah home.”
She grabbed my hand.
“Don’t let them hurt him.”
I hugged her.
“I won’t.”
But when I walked away, I noticed something.
Lily was staring at Alex.
Not with fear.
With recognition.
I stopped.
“Lily?”
She looked down.
“What?”
“You’ve seen him before.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
And she whispered:
May you like
“Daddy…”
“I think Alex is the man Grandma was talking to.”
