Chapter 7 - THE GIRL IN THE ELEVATOR
Richard did not remember getting into the police SUV.
He remembered Detective Brooks shouting orders.
He remembered officers calling the hospital.
He remembered Elena finally answering.
But all he could hear was his own heartbeat.
“Where’s Lily?”
Richard demanded.
Elena sounded confused.
“With the officer.”
“No.”
“What?”
“Find her.”
Richard heard movement.
Then Elena screamed Lily’s name.
Brooks took the phone.
“Elena, listen to me.”
“My daughter!”
“We are locking down the hospital.”
“She was right here!”
“When did you last see her?”
“A minute ago.”
“Who was with her?”
“Officer Perez.”
Brooks looked toward another detective.
“Find Perez.”
Thirty seconds later they had an answer.
Officer Perez was unconscious in a supply room.
Someone wearing hospital scrubs had struck him from behind.
Security footage showed Lily entering an elevator with a female nurse.
The nurse’s face was hidden beneath a mask.
The elevator went to the parking garage.
No corresponding vehicle exit appeared on camera.
“They’re still inside?”
Richard asked.
“Maybe.”
The SUV turned sharply.
Brooks’s phone rang.
She listened.
Her expression changed.
“What?”
Richard demanded.
“The camera system looped.”
“What does that mean?”
“The garage footage is fake.”
Richard slammed his fist against the seat.
“They’re gone.”
Brooks did not answer.
Richard looked at Owen.
“You said quarry.”
Owen nodded.
“North side.”
“Drive.”
Brooks turned.
“No.”
“They have my daughter.”
“And that is exactly why you will not walk into a trap.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“Police go first.”
“They asked for the password.”
Brooks stared at him.
“You don’t have it.”
“Elena does.”
“Which means the message is bait.”
Richard stopped.
She was right.
If Daniel knew Elena possessed the real password, kidnapping Lily was leverage.
But why contact Richard instead of Elena?
Unless Daniel knew something Richard did not.
His phone rang again.
Unknown number.
Brooks activated recording.
Richard answered.
“Where is she?”
A distorted voice responded.
“Your daughter is fine.”
“Let me hear her.”
“No.”
“Daniel.”
Silence.
Richard continued.
“I know it’s you.”
The voice laughed.
“You always did decide you were right before anyone else finished speaking.”
Richard felt ice move through his veins.
Daniel.
“Let Lily go.”
“Bring Elena.”
“No.”
“Then you won’t see Lily again.”
“You touch her and I swear—”
“Still threatening people when you’re frightened.”
Daniel sounded almost amused.
“You learned that from Dad.”
Richard lowered his voice.
“What did you learn from him?”
The amusement disappeared.
“More than you ever bothered to notice.”
“Where is Lily?”
“Quarry.”
“I want proof she’s alive.”
A pause.
Then Lily’s voice.
“Daddy?”
Richard closed his eyes.
“Lily.”
“I’m okay.”
“Sweetheart, listen to me—”
The call cut off.
Richard stared at the phone.
Brooks spoke.
“We heard her.”
“She sounded calm.”
“That’s good.”
“No.”
Richard replayed it mentally.
Lily had not cried.
She had not said she was scared.
His daughter cried when her shoelace snapped before school.
If she was calm now, it meant something.
“She was telling me something.”
Brooks frowned.
“What?”
“When Lily lies because she’s afraid, she calls me Daddy.”
“What does she normally call you?”
“Dad.”
Brooks understood.
“She knew you’d notice.”
Richard nodded.
“She’s not alone with Daniel.”
“How do you know?”
“Because if Daniel was holding her, she wouldn’t need to lie about being okay.”
They reached the hospital.
Elena was waiting in a wheelchair near the secured entrance.
Richard got out.
“You’re not coming.”
“My daughter is gone.”
“You can barely stand.”
“She’s my daughter.”
Brooks intervened.
“We need the password.”
Elena looked at her.
“I’ll give it to you.”
“No.”
Richard said.
Everyone looked at him.
“If we hand Daniel what he wants, Lily stops being useful to him.”
Elena’s face hardened.
“She is not useful.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Then what do we do?”
Richard looked at Owen.
“How many entrances does the quarry building have?”
“Two.”
“Three.”
Everyone turned.
Owen swallowed.
“There’s an old drainage tunnel.”
“Where?”
“Behind the reservoir.”
Brooks called her tactical commander.
Within twenty minutes, teams were moving toward all three entrances.
Richard and Elena remained inside the mobile command vehicle.
At least that was the plan.
Then Richard received another photograph.
Lily sat in a wooden chair.
Behind her stood Victoria.
Richard stared.
“That’s impossible.”
Elena leaned closer.
Victoria was supposed to be in county custody.
Brooks called immediately.
Her expression darkened.
“What?”
Richard asked.
“Transport vehicle was hit six minutes ago.”
“How?”
“Truck ran a red light.”
“Victoria?”
“Missing.”
Elena stared at the photograph.
“She took Lily?”
Richard shook his head.
“Look at her hands.”
Victoria’s wrists were tied.
Elena zoomed in.
Richard was right.
Victoria was a prisoner too.
Another text arrived.
YOU HAVE TWENTY MINUTES.
Brooks swore.
Then her radio sounded.
“Tactical One to command.”
“Go.”
“We have movement at drainage entrance.”
“Identify.”
“Female juvenile.”
Richard stood.
“What?”
The radio continued.
“She’s running toward our position.”
Richard threw open the command vehicle door.
Brooks grabbed him.
“Wait!”
A figure appeared beyond the trees.
Small.
Pink hospital sweatshirt.
Bare feet.
“Lily!”
Richard ran.
Lily saw him.
“Dad!”
He reached her and dropped to his knees.
She crashed into him.
Richard held her so tightly she squeaked.
Elena stumbled from the vehicle despite the nurse trying to stop her.
Lily broke free and ran into her arms.
“You got out.”
Elena cried.
“How?”
Lily looked back toward the quarry.
“Victoria helped me.”
Everyone froze.
Richard stared.
“What?”
“She untied me.”
“Where is she?”
“Inside.”
“With Daniel?”
Lily shook her head.
“Daniel isn’t the man.”
Richard felt cold.
“What do you mean?”
“The man took his mask off.”
“Who?”
Lily’s eyes filled with fear.
She pointed toward the quarry building.
“It was Uncle Daniel’s friend.”
Richard crouched.
“What friend?”
“The doctor.”
“Mercer?”
Lily nodded.
“But somebody else was there too.”
“Who?”
“I couldn’t see him.”
“What did you hear?”
Lily swallowed.
“He told the doctor Daniel had messed everything up.”
Richard looked at Brooks.
Lily continued.
“And then he said something weird.”
“What?”
“He said, ‘Richard still thinks this started with Elena.’”
Richard felt a chill.
“What else?”
Lily looked at him.
“He said it started before you were born.”
A gunshot exploded inside the quarry.
Then another.
Brooks shouted for the tactical team to move.
Richard pulled Lily behind the vehicle.
Seconds later, an officer’s voice cracked over the radio.
“Suspect down!”
Brooks grabbed the radio.
“Which suspect?”
Static.
Then came the answer.
“Female.”
Richard looked at Elena.
“Victoria.”
But the officer continued.
“Negative.”
“This woman is unidentified.”
“And we found another prisoner.”
Brooks stared toward the quarry.
“Who?”
The radio crackled.
“A male.”
“Approximately seventy years old.”
Richard felt every muscle in his body go rigid.
The officer’s next sentence made no sense.
“He says his name is Jonathan Hale.”
Richard looked at Elena.
His face emptied.
“That’s impossible.”
Jonathan Hale had been buried eight years ago.
May you like
Richard had stood beside the coffin.
Yet somewhere inside the quarry, an old man was telling police he was Richard’s dead father.
