Chapter 10 - THE SHOT
The gun fired.
The sound inside the metal storage unit was deafening.
For one horrible second, I thought I’d been hit.
Then I saw blood.
Not mine.
Vanessa’s.
The bullet had ricocheted off the metal frame beside us and cut across her forearm.
She screamed.
The gun fell.
I kicked it away.
She hit me across the face.
Hard.
I went down.
She ran toward Emma.
“No!”
I grabbed Vanessa’s ankle.
She crashed onto the concrete.
Emma tipped her chair sideways.
Vanessa clawed toward the gun.
I pulled her back.
She kicked me in the mouth.
Pain exploded through my jaw.
Then police stormed in.
“DON’T MOVE!”
Vanessa froze.
Three officers surrounded her.
Cole rushed to Emma.
I crawled toward my daughter.
“Dad!”
I ripped at the ropes.
“You okay?”
“I’m okay.”
“Did she hurt you?”
“She slapped me.”
My vision went red.
Emma grabbed my face.
“Dad.”
I looked at her.
“Don’t.”
She knew exactly what I was thinking.
I nodded.
Cole cut the final rope.
Emma fell into my arms.
I held her like I was never letting go.
Across the unit, Vanessa sat handcuffed on the floor.
She stared at us.
No regret.
No apology.
Only hate.
As officers lifted her, she looked at me.
“You still don’t get it.”
I stood.
“What?”
“This wasn’t my idea.”
Cole turned.
Vanessa laughed.
“Jason didn’t recruit me.”
Her smile widened.
“I recruited him.”
Cole stepped closer.
“Meaning?”
Vanessa looked straight at me.
“Ask Daniel who Rachel Carter really was.”
My heart stopped.
“What did you say?”
Her smile vanished.
“You heard me.”
“Don’t say my wife’s name.”
“She had secrets.”
I walked toward her.
Cole blocked me.
“What secrets?”
Vanessa tilted her head.
“Why do you think I picked you?”
The officers pulled her away.
I shouted after her.
“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?”
She called over her shoulder.
“Check Rachel’s old laptop!”
The door slammed behind her.
Emma looked at me.
“Dad?”
I didn’t answer.
Because Rachel’s old laptop was still in my house.
Locked in a cabinet.
Untouched for four years.
And suddenly I remembered something.
Three months before Rachel died, she changed the password.
May you like
When I asked why, she smiled and said:
“Some things are safer when you don’t know them yet.”
