Chapter 12 - THE BLUE HOUSE
There was only one blue house in Elena’s family photographs.
A cottage near Lake Geneva.
Damian recognized it immediately.
“Elena’s grandmother owned it.”
“Who owns it now?”
“No one.”
“Then that’s where he took Leah.”
“Maybe.”
“We don’t have time for maybe.”
We drove through the night.
No large security convoy.
No obvious weapons.
Just Damian, me, and his oldest friend, Marcus.
The blue house sat near the lake under dead trees.
No lights.
No cars.
Too quiet.
We entered through the rear.
Empty kitchen.
Dusty living room.
Then we heard singing.
A child’s voice.
My heart nearly stopped.
Leah.
I ran.
Damian caught me.
“Slow.”
We followed the sound upstairs.
A bedroom door stood open.
Leah sat on the floor.
Alone.
She was humming.
Alive.
I rushed to her.
She threw herself at me.
“Mama!”
I held her so tightly she squeaked.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Damian knelt beside us.
Leah reached for him too.
“Daddy.”
Damian closed his eyes.
That was the first time she had called him that since she started speaking.
He wrapped both arms around us.
For one second, nothing else mattered.
Then Leah pointed under the bed.
“Lady.”
We froze.
“What lady?”
“She sleeping.”
Damian looked beneath the bed.
Nothing.
Then Marcus pulled the bed away from the wall.
There was a trapdoor.
Underneath was a hidden storage room.
A woman lay inside.
Alive.
Barely.
Dr. Rachel Kim.
Leah’s psychologist.
I stared.
“Rachel?”
She opened her eyes.
“Get out.”
“What?”
“It’s a trap.”
A click sounded behind us.
Marcus raised his gun.
Too late.
Vincent stood in the doorway.
He wasn’t alone.
Two men held rifles.
“Put them down.”
Damian slowly lowered his gun.
Vincent smiled.
“Family reunion.”
I pulled Leah behind me.
“What do you want?”
“Elena’s recording.”
“We don’t have it.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No.”
Vincent looked at Leah.
“She knows where it is.”
Damian stepped forward.
“You go near her and I swear—”
Vincent shot Marcus in the leg.
Leah screamed.
Damian froze.
Vincent pointed the gun at him.
“One more threat and I shoot higher.”
I held Leah.
“What recording?”
Vincent looked at me.
“The night before Elena died, she recorded a meeting.”
“With you?”
“With everybody.”
“Mercer?”
“Yes.”
“Pike?”
“Yes.”
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“And you.”
He nodded.
“She hid the device.”
“Where?”
Vincent’s eyes moved to Leah.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to find out.”
Leah suddenly whispered into my ear.
“Bunny heart.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“Bunny heart.”
Vincent heard.
His eyes widened.
“The rabbit.”
It was back at Damian’s house.
Or what was left of it.
Vincent smiled.
“Thank you, sweetheart.”
Then a voice came from downstairs.
“Federal agents! Drop your weapons!”
Vincent spun around.
Damian looked almost surprised.
I wasn’t.
I had called the FBI from the car.
Vincent grabbed Leah.
He pressed a gun to her head.
“No one moves!”
My world stopped.
He dragged her toward the balcony.
Damian raised his hands.
“Vincent.”
“Back up.”
“Take me.”
“I already raised you once. I don’t need you twice.”
He pulled Leah closer.
She cried.
“Mama!”
I stepped forward.
The gun moved toward me.
“Emma, stop,” Damian said.
I didn’t.
Vincent shouted, “I’ll shoot!”
I looked straight at him.
“No, you won’t.”
His eyes narrowed.
“How do you know?”
“Because you need her alive.”
His face changed.
And I knew I was right.
I took another step.
Then Leah bit his hand.
Hard.
May you like
Vincent screamed.
The gun fired.
