Chapter 14 - THE FIRE
We saw flames before we reached the cabin.
“Noah!”
I tried to jump out.
Hale locked the doors.
“Wait.”
“My son is in there!”
Tactical officers spread through the trees.
Vanessa sat cuffed in the back seat.
“That’s not where he is.”
I turned.
“What?”
“The cabin is a distraction.”
“You said the lake!”
“I said Michael took him to the lake.”
“Then where is he?”
“The boathouse.”
I stared through the trees.
Across the water, almost hidden by smoke, stood an old structure near the opposite shore.
Hale radioed the team.
Vanessa shook her head.
“He’ll hear boats.”
“What do you suggest?”
“There’s a trail behind the eastern ridge.”
Hale looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“Because Michael and I built this plan years ago.”
The words made my skin crawl.
Hale sent officers east.
I couldn’t stay behind.
This time he didn’t stop me completely.
“Stay behind the team.”
We moved through the woods.
Smoke burned my throat.
Branches tore at my jacket.
Then we heard a gunshot.
Everyone dropped.
Another shot.
An officer shouted.
“CONTACT!”
I crawled behind a tree.
Through the brush, I saw the boathouse.
And Noah.
He stood near the open doorway.
Michael had one arm around his chest.
A handgun pressed near him.
“Dad!”
Every part of me wanted to run.
I didn’t.
Michael shouted.
“Bring Rebecca!”
Vanessa appeared behind Hale.
Still cuffed.
Michael laughed.
“There she is.”
“Let the boy go,” Hale shouted.
“No.”
Vanessa stepped forward.
“Michael.”
“Rebecca.”
“You lost.”
“I never lose.”
“You’re surrounded.”
“So was Carol.”
Vanessa flinched.
Michael smiled.
“You remember how that ended.”
Noah looked at me.
His face was pale.
But he wasn’t crying.
He was watching.
Thinking.
Then I noticed his right hand.
Slowly moving toward Michael’s pocket.
“Noah,” I whispered.
Michael looked down.
Too late.
Noah yanked something free.
Keys.
He threw them into the lake.
Michael jerked around.
Noah bit his arm.
Hard.
Michael shouted.
Noah dropped to the floor.
I ran.
Gunshot.
Wood exploded beside me.
Another shot.
Then Vanessa slammed into Michael from the side.
Both crashed against the railing.
The gun skidded across the floor.
“NOAH!”
He crawled toward me.
I grabbed him.
He wrapped his arms around my neck.
“Daddy!”
“I’ve got you.”
Behind us, Michael punched Vanessa.
She fell.
He grabbed the gun.
Hale shouted.
“DROP IT!”
Michael raised it.
Vanessa grabbed his ankle.
The gun fired.
Michael stumbled backward.
The old railing cracked.
For one second, he hung there.
Then he fell into the water.
Police rushed forward.
Two officers pulled Vanessa away.
Hale searched the water.
No Michael.
Only ripples.
“Noah, don’t look.”
I held his head against my chest.
Then something moved beneath the dock.
Michael’s hand shot up.
He grabbed my ankle.
I fell.
Noah screamed.
Michael dragged me toward the edge.
I kicked him.
He pulled harder.
Then Noah grabbed a broken wooden paddle.
He slammed it down on Michael’s hand.
“LET GO OF MY DAD!”
Michael roared.
His grip loosened.
Hale reached us and pulled me back.
Two officers dragged Michael from the water.
Alive.
Coughing.
Bleeding.
Furious.
But alive.
Which meant he would stand trial.
I held Noah so tightly he complained.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“I can’t breathe.”
I laughed.
Then I cried.
Then he cried.
Behind us, Vanessa sat on the ground in handcuffs.
She stared at Noah.
He stared back.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Noah walked toward her.
I almost stopped him.
He stayed several feet away.
“You scared me.”
Vanessa lowered her head.
“I know.”
“You lied to me.”
“I know.”
“You said my dad didn’t want me.”
Her face broke.
“I know.”
Noah wiped his eyes.
“Why?”
Vanessa looked at him for a long time.
“Because I was a coward.”
Police led her away.
But before they reached the car, she turned.
“Daniel.”
I said nothing.
“There’s one more child.”
Hale stopped.
“What?”
Vanessa’s face went white.
“Lily.”
My stomach dropped.
“Where is she?”
May you like
Vanessa looked toward the burning cabin.
“She’s underneath it.”
