Chapter 8 - THE ELEVATOR
I screamed until my incision felt like it had split open.
Bennett ran toward the stairs.
Security locked the elevators.
But Rebecca had planned ahead.
The elevator stopped on the second floor.
By the time officers reached it, she was gone.
Eli’s hoodie lay on the floor.
I picked it up.
It was still warm.
“No.”
Camille held me upright.
“They’ll find him.”
“They were watching the floor!”
“They will find him.”
I turned toward Bennett.
“How did she get inside?”
“Forged credentials.”
“How did she know where Eli was?”
Nobody answered.
That meant someone inside the hospital had helped her.
Again.
June was moved into secured neonatal care with an officer outside.
I hated letting her out of my arms.
But I couldn’t search for Eli while recovering from surgery.
So I did the only thing I could.
I thought.
Rebecca wanted Eli.
Why?
He was the witness.
But if she only wanted to silence him, she could have done that earlier.
The date under his photograph mattered.
Tomorrow.
Then I remembered something Eli had said.
Dad said if I told you, you’d get sick.
Luke knew Eli had seen him.
Maybe Luke had told Rebecca.
I demanded to speak with him.
Bennett resisted.
I insisted.
They brought Luke into an interview room.
I walked in slowly.
“You have thirty seconds.”
“Claire—”
“Rebecca took Eli.”
His face changed.
“What?”
“She took him.”
“No.”
“Where would she go?”
“I don’t know.”
I slammed my palm against the table.
“WHERE?”
Luke jumped.
“I swear!”
“You knew about the date.”
“What date?”
“Tomorrow.”
Luke went silent.
There.
I saw it.
“What happens tomorrow?”
He looked toward the camera.
“Luke.”
“She’s meeting Keller.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why does she need Eli?”
Luke began crying.
For the first time, I believed the tears.
“Keller needs proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“The original switch.”
My stomach dropped.
“Eli is proof.”
Luke nodded.
“Keller has buyers for the information.”
“Buyers?”
“Families.”
“What families?”
“People who paid years ago.”
The network wasn’t just stealing babies.
It was blackmailing the people who had paid for illegal placements and inheritance fraud.
Eli’s DNA could prove the first major switch.
Rebecca was taking him to Keller as leverage.
Bennett entered.
“Where is the meeting?”
Luke shook his head.
“I only know Rebecca called it Saint Mercy.”
Dr. Hale, watching from behind the glass, suddenly entered.
“Saint Mercy Hospital.”
Bennett turned.
“It closed eight years ago.”
Dr. Hale nodded.
“Dr. Keller worked there.”
Police moved immediately.
Saint Mercy sat abandoned on the edge of the county.
By the time tactical officers entered, the building was dark.
They found Rebecca’s car outside.
Inside, they found blood on a stairwell.
Not Eli’s.
Rebecca’s.
Then they found Rebecca herself.
Alive.
Terrified.
Handcuffed to a radiator.
Keller had betrayed her.
Bennett demanded to know where Eli was.
Rebecca laughed bitterly.
“You still don’t understand.”
“Where is the boy?”
“He doesn’t want Eli.”
“Who does he want?”
Rebecca looked directly at Bennett.
“The other one.”
May you like
Noah.
Luke’s biological son.
