Chapter 11 - THE CABIN
Police wanted Adrian to stay behind.
He refused.
“You can arrest me later.”
The lead detective glared at him.
“If you rush in, you could get your daughter killed.”
“If I sit here, I’ll lose my mind.”
Clara stepped forward.
“I know another road to the cabin.”
Everyone turned.
“There’s an old service trail behind the lake,” she said. “Rachel showed me years ago.”
Police built the operation around it.
Two teams approached from opposite sides.
Adrian stayed with the rear team.
At least, that was the plan.
When they reached the tree line, Adrian saw a light through the cabin window.
Emma cried.
Every instinct in his body screamed GO.
A detective grabbed his arm.
“Wait.”
Then a man appeared outside.
Not Ethan.
He wore the same baseball cap Mateo had described.
Clara whispered, “That’s him.”
The kidnapper.
Police moved.
“Hands!”
The man ran.
Officers chased him into the woods.
Adrian saw his chance.
He broke away.
“Adrian!”
He ran to the cabin.
Inside, Emma was in a portable crib.
Alone.
“Emma!”
He grabbed her.
She cried and buried her face against his neck.
“I got you. Daddy’s got you.”
Then a voice came from behind.
“That was stupid.”
Adrian froze.
Ethan stepped from a dark hallway.
Gun raised.
“Put her down.”
“No.”
“Adrian.”
“No.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
“You always get everything.”
Adrian stared at him.
“This is about Dad?”
“It’s about all of it.”
“You kidnapped a baby because Dad left me the company?”
“He left you everything that mattered.”
“He left you two houses and almost two million dollars!”
“He left you his respect!”
Adrian stared at his brother.
“You’re insane.”
Ethan’s eyes burned.
“You were the golden son. Rachel chose you. Dad chose you. Even Mom called you when she was dying.”
Adrian held Emma tighter.
“So you helped Vanessa destroy Rachel?”
Ethan’s face flickered.
“I never told Vanessa to kill anyone.”
Adrian stopped breathing.
“You knew?”
“I knew she hated Rachel.”
“You knew Rachel died because of her?”
Ethan’s grip on the gun tightened.
“I said I didn’t tell her to kill anyone.”
“But she did.”
Silence.
That was the answer.
Adrian’s voice shook.
“How?”
Ethan looked toward the window.
“You should stop asking questions.”
“Did Vanessa kill my wife?”
Ethan smiled without humor.
“She changed Rachel’s medication.”
Adrian nearly dropped to his knees.
Rachel had taken blood pressure medication.
Vanessa had tampered with it.
A sudden spike.
An aneurysm.
A death everyone called natural.
Adrian whispered, “You let her murder Rachel.”
“I didn’t know until afterward.”
“And you protected her.”
“I protected myself.”
A floorboard creaked behind Ethan.
Clara stepped into view.
Ethan turned.
That single second was enough.
Adrian charged.
The gun fired.
May you like
And Clara screamed.
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