Chapter 10 - THE BORDER
Sarah refused to stay behind.
The police could not legally take her on an active pursuit.
So Rebecca drove.
They headed south while state police tracked traffic cameras.
Every update came too slowly.
Mark’s SUV near Sedona.
Then Camp Verde.
Then nothing for almost an hour.
Sarah stared at the highway.
“He’s going to take her out of the country.”
Rebecca shook her head.
“Border alerts are already active.”
“He’ll find another way.”
“Maybe.”
“That’s what he does.”
Rebecca glanced at her.
“What?”
“He finds another way.”
Sarah’s anger sharpened into clarity.
“He doesn’t solve problems. He goes around them.”
She called Daniel.
“Could Mark access Lily’s trust if he left the country?”
“No.”
“Could he sell anything?”
“Not legally.”
“Could he use Lily as leverage?”
Daniel went quiet.
“Yes.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“He doesn’t want Lily.”
Rebecca glanced over.
“What do you mean?”
“He wants me to cooperate.”
Her phone rang.
Mark.
Rebecca said, “Speaker.”
Sarah answered.
“Where is she?”
Mark sounded calm.
Too calm.
“She’s safe.”
“Let me hear her.”
“You will.”
“Now.”
“Sarah, we need to stop fighting.”
“You kidnapped our daughter.”
“I protected her from a circus.”
“You threatened us.”
“I didn’t send those texts.”
“You paid the man who followed me.”
Silence.
Sarah continued.
“I have video.”
Mark exhaled.
“Okay.”
The word chilled her.
No denial.
No excuse.
Just okay.
“What do you want?”
Mark said, “Finally.”
Sarah looked at Rebecca.
“What do you want?”
“Withdraw the fraud complaint.”
“No.”
“Then this gets harder.”
“You stole from me.”
“I borrowed money.”
“You bought Evelyn a house.”
“It can be sold.”
“You tried to take Lily.”
“I am her father.”
“You are using her.”
Mark’s voice hardened.
“Sign control of the trust over to a neutral financial manager.”
Sarah laughed bitterly.
“Which one? One of your friends?”
“Someone qualified.”
“No.”
“Sarah.”
“No.”
A little voice came through the phone.
“Mommy?”
Sarah’s heart shattered.
“Lily!”
“Mommy, I want you.”
“I know, baby. I’m coming.”
Mark grabbed the phone.
“That’s enough.”
Sarah screamed.
“Don’t you hang up!”
“You have two hours.”
“For what?”
“To agree.”
“Or what?”
He paused.
Then the line went dead.
Sarah stared at the phone.
Rebecca’s face had gone pale.
“Did we get a trace?”
Sarah asked.
Rebecca called the investigator.
Seconds later, he answered.
The call originated near Nogales.
They were getting closer.
Then Daniel called again.
His voice sounded urgent.
“Sarah, I found something.”
“What?”
“Mark can’t control the trust through custody.”
“I know.”
“No. Listen. He may not know that.”
Sarah frowned.
“What are you saying?”
“Your father anticipated this.”
“Anticipated what?”
“A custody fight.”
Sarah went still.
Daniel continued.
“If Mark ever attempted to obtain Lily primarily for access to the trust, his rights as contingent guardian would automatically terminate.”
Sarah looked at Rebecca.
“So even if he got custody…”
“He’d get nothing.”
Sarah almost laughed.
Her father had beaten Mark from the grave.
Then Daniel said, “There’s more.”
“What?”
“The trust has a second beneficiary if anything happens to you and Lily.”
Sarah’s skin went cold.
“Who?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Rachel.”
Sarah looked down at her phone.
Then at Rebecca.
Mark knew Rachel’s address.
Mark knew Rachel was alone.
And suddenly Sarah understood the threat differently.
He wasn’t trying to reach the border.
He was trying to clear everyone between himself and the money.
Sarah called Rachel.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Then the call connected.
But Rachel didn’t speak.
A man did.
“Sarah?”
It was the man from the black SUV.
May you like
And he said:
“You should have stopped digging when we told you to.”
