Chapter 11 - THE CARD IN THE DRAIN
Mrs. De Los Santos screamed.
She lunged toward the drain.
The memory card disappeared through the metal grate.
Valentina grabbed her mother’s hand.
“Run!”
Elena, Valentina, Noah, Alexander, Milo, and the other children raced toward the river exit.
Mrs. De Los Santos dropped to her knees beside the drain.
“You stupid little girl!”
She tried to reach between the bars.
Vincent laughed from the floor.
“You lost it.”
She turned and shot him in the leg.
His scream followed them through the warehouse.
Outside, rain had begun falling.
The children climbed into the taxi.
The driver stared at them.
“How many people were in there?”
“Drive,” Elena said.
The taxi pulled away.
Behind them, Cross’s police cruiser raced out of the loading bay.
He had escaped through another door.
Noah checked the children for injuries.
Valentina sat against her mother.
Her hands were trembling.
Elena kissed the top of her head.
“You were so brave.”
Valentina reached into her pocket.
“I did not drop the real card.”
Noah looked at her.
She held up a small blue piece of plastic.
“That was from my school calculator.”
The real memory card remained hidden beneath the insole of her other sneaker.
Alexander laughed for the first time that day.
“Your father would be proud of you.”
Valentina looked toward the warehouse.
“What about Vincent?”
Elena’s expression hardened.
“He made his choices.”
Noah inserted the memory card into his phone.
Daniel’s recording remained intact.
But a third file appeared.
It was labeled MIRROR TWO.
They played it.
The footage showed Captain Cross, Mrs. De Los Santos, Vincent, and several other people meeting inside the warehouse.
A judge sat at the table.
A senator stood near the door.
Alexander’s father was also there.
Valentina watched silently.
Daniel’s voice could be heard from behind the hidden camera.
“The jewels were never returned.”
“They were divided among the people in this room.”
The footage showed a large red case being opened.
Inside were rare diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
Mrs. De Los Santos lifted one necklace.
Cross laughed.
Alexander’s father said,
“No one will ever know.”
Alexander’s face went pale.
“My father was not forced.”
“He was part of it.”
The taxi driver looked into the mirror.
“You people need federal protection.”
Noah’s phone rang.
A news reporter had received the uploaded evidence.
“We can air the video in five minutes,” she said.
“But we need confirmation that the child is safe.”
Noah looked at Valentina.
“She is safe.”
The reporter continued.
“There is another problem.”
“Captain Cross has announced that Elena Ramirez kidnapped several children from a charity shelter.”
“He has issued an emergency alert.”
Every phone in the taxi buzzed.
Elena’s photograph appeared on the screen.
Beneath it were the words:
ARMED AND DANGEROUS.
Valentina looked at her mother.
“They made you the criminal.”
Elena held her close.
May you like
“Then we show the world the truth before they find us.”
Ahead, police vehicles blocked the road.
