Chapter 7 - The Woman on the BridgeThe old train bridge had been abandoned for eleven years.
Snow covered the tracks.
The river below was frozen except for a narrow black current.
I arrived at 11:56 p.m.
Alone.
At least that's what Daniel believed.
I walked to the center.
“Anna?”
Nothing.
Then footsteps behind me.
I turned.
She stood twenty feet away.
Older than the girl in my memories.
Darker hair.
A scar along her jaw.
But the same eyes.
My sister.
Alive.
“Anna.”
She raised the gun.
“Don't come closer.”
I stopped.
“You don't have to be afraid of me.”
“I know.”
“Then lower the weapon.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because everyone who trusted me is dead.”
Her voice shook.
“Lauren trusted me.”
I took one step.
She raised the gun.
I stopped.
“She wasn't your fault.”
“You don't know that.”
“I know enough.”
Anna's eyes filled.
“You shouldn't have come.”
“Emily is missing.”
“I know.”
“She'll kill her.”
“Daniel won't.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Daniel isn't calling the shots.”
I remembered Grant's words.
The network.
“Who is?”
Anna looked away.
“You're not ready.”
“I've spent my entire life believing you were dead.”
“So have I.”
“What happened that night?”
She lowered the gun slightly.
“Daniel's father found out I had the ledger.”
“What ledger?”
“The original.”
I waited.
“It contained every transaction.”
“Every payment?”
“Every person.”
“Every woman.”
She nodded.
“The night of the accident, I was taking it to the police.”
“What happened?”
“A car hit mine.”
“You survived.”
“Yes.”
“Who found you?”
Anna hesitated.
“A woman.”
“Who?”
“Lauren.”
My heart tightened.
“Lauren saved you?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did she disappear?”
“Because she helped me hide.”
“From Daniel?”
“From the police.”
I stared at her.
“Why the police?”
Anna's face hardened.
“Because the police were already part of it.”
She handed me a flash drive.
“This is everything I've collected.”
I took it.
“Where is Emily?”
Anna looked at the road below.
“She's alive.”
“Where?”
“Mercer estate.”
My pulse jumped.
“Then let's go.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel wants us there.”
“You're saying I should leave my sister?”
“No.”
Anna looked directly at me.
“I'm saying we don't know who will be waiting.”
I thought about the ledger.
The names.
The surveillance.
The photograph.
Then I saw something in the snow behind Anna.
A tiny red light.
Laser sight.
“DOWN!”
I tackled her.
A shot cracked through the night.
Glass exploded from the abandoned signal booth.
Another shot.
Anna fired toward the darkness.
I dragged her behind the concrete barrier.
“Sniper?”
“Yes.”
“Daniel?”
“Probably not.”
“What does that mean?”
Anna looked at me.
“This is bigger than Daniel.”
We moved under the bridge.
Two figures appeared on the tracks.
Caleb.
And another man.
Anna whispered:
“That's him.”
“Who?”
“The man who was in the photograph twenty years ago.”
I looked.
He was older now.
Silver hair.
Black coat.
Calm.
He walked toward us.
Then stopped.
“You look exactly like your mother,” he said.
I raised my weapon.
“Who are you?”
He smiled.
“Judge Alden.”
Emily's favorite judge.
The man whose daughter was in Lauren's photograph.
He looked at Anna.
“You should have stayed dead.”
Anna's gun shook.
Alden laughed softly.
Then Caleb pulled out a phone.
He pressed a button.
A video began playing.
Emily appeared on the screen.
Her hands were tied.
Daniel stood beside her.
But that wasn't what made my blood run cold.
Behind them stood my police captain.
Captain Reeves.
My superior.
My commanding officer.
And he was holding the same ledger Anna had just given me.
Alden smiled.
“You still think this is about your brother-in-law?”
May you like
Then he stepped closer.
“It has always been about your department.”
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