Chapter 16 - THE FEDERAL BADGE
Agent Brooks was legitimate.
Her allegiance was not.
Ruiz contacted a federal supervisor he trusted.
Within twenty minutes, Brooks was detained.
Two of the agents with her had no idea she was compromised.
Her phone contained encrypted messages with Victor.
One message had been sent sixteen minutes earlier.
THE CHILD HAS TO COME WITH THE CARD.
Daniel read it twice.
"Which child?"
Emily looked at Sophie.
Rebecca looked at Noah's photograph.
Either answer was terrifying.
Brooks refused to speak.
Until officers showed her the insurance file.
Then her confidence cracked.
"You don't understand what Victor will do."
Daniel almost laughed.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
Brooks stared at him.
"Because you don't."
"He has judges."
"Police."
"Doctors."
"Executives."
"People you will never find."
Rebecca stepped forward.
"Not anymore."
Brooks looked at her and went pale.
"You were supposed to be dead."
Rebecca smiled without warmth.
"So were a lot of people."
The federal investigation expanded within hours.
Arrest teams moved across three states.
Victor's accounts were frozen.
Judge Harmon was detained.
Two corporate executives were arrested.
Three officers were suspended.
But Victor remained missing.
And so did Noah.
Then Claire regained consciousness.
Daniel went to the hospital once.
Not because he forgave her.
Because Noah needed information.
Claire was handcuffed to the bed.
Her face was swollen from the attack.
When she saw Daniel, she cried.
He remained standing.
"Where would Victor take Noah?"
"I don't know."
"Think."
Claire closed her eyes.
"He had a farmhouse."
"Where?"
"I never knew the address."
"Landmarks?"
"A water tower."
"We know that."
"Railroad tracks."
"An abandoned church nearby."
Daniel called Ruiz.
They located three possible farms.
Police searched the first.
Empty.
Second.
Empty.
At the third, they found Noah's jacket.
Blood was on the sleeve.
Rebecca nearly collapsed when she saw it.
A lab confirmed the blood belonged to Noah.
But the amount was small.
Possibly from a cut.
Daniel searched the room.
On the wall, Noah had scratched another message.
SHE HELPED ME.
Beneath it.
C.
Rebecca stared.
"Claire?"
Daniel shook his head.
"Claire's in the hospital."
Emily whispered.
"Then another C."
Police discovered tire tracks leaving the property.
One vehicle.
Small sedan.
Not Victor's SUV.
Someone had helped Noah escape.
Hours later, an anonymous message arrived on Daniel's phone.
A photograph showed Noah alive.
Sitting inside a motel room.
Beside him was a newspaper from that morning.
Under the photograph were five words.
YOUR WIFE OWES ME NOTHING.
Daniel stared at the message.
Sarah whispered.
"Who sent it?"
Daniel looked closely at the mirror visible behind Noah.
A woman's reflection appeared.
Brown hair.
Older.
Daniel recognized her from one of Claire's photographs.
Claire's mother.
May you like
Caroline Vance.
The woman Claire had claimed was dead.
