Chapter 10 - THE CHOICEWe arrived at the church.
Miller and the officers surrounded the building.
I entered alone.
The church was empty.
Except for a chair in the center.
A projector clicked on.
A video appeared.
Caleb was sitting in the same chair.
He looked frightened.
A man's voice spoke behind the camera.
“Sarah.”
I stepped closer.
“Let my son go.”
“You have the notebook.”
“Yes.”
“Put it on the altar.”
I placed it down.
“Now let Caleb go.”
The man laughed.
“You still think this is about money.”
“What do you want?”
“The truth.”
“What truth?”
“The truth about Daniel.”
I stared at the screen.
“Daniel betrayed us.”
“No.”
“He was killed.”
“No.”
The image changed.
Daniel appeared.
Alive.
He was older.
Tired.
But alive.
My knees nearly collapsed.
“Daniel?”
He looked directly into the camera.
“Sarah, I'm sorry.”
I couldn't breathe.
The video continued.
“I made choices I thought would protect you.”
The screen froze.
Then another video appeared.
This time, four years earlier.
Daniel entering a hospital room.
Holding a newborn.
Emma.
He kissed her forehead.
Then he looked at the camera.
“I need to hide her.”
The video cut.
Another image.
Victor.
Then David.
Then Amber.
One by one.
All connected.
All part of the same secret.
Then the screen displayed a document.
A birth certificate.
Emma Carter.
Mother: Sarah Carter.
Father: Daniel Carter.
Everything was real.
Then another document appeared.
A second birth certificate.
Different name.
Different parents.
Same date.
Same child.
My stomach turned.
Someone had stolen my daughter's identity.
The man behind the camera spoke.
“That is what Daniel discovered.”
“Where is my son?”
“Safe.”
“Where is Daniel?”
Silence.
Then:
“Dead men don't send messages.”
My heart stopped.
The church doors slammed shut.
A man stepped into the aisle.
David.
I stared at him.
“You.”
He looked exhausted.
“I didn't hurt Caleb.”
“You kidnapped him.”
“I rescued him.”
“From whom?”
He pointed toward the back.
A second man appeared.
Victor Hale.
I recognized him instantly.
Victor smiled.
“Hello, Sarah.”
David whispered:
“Now you know.”
Victor looked at the notebook.
“You brought it.”
“Yes.”
“You should have stayed out of this.”
“What did you do to Daniel?”
Victor laughed.
“I didn't kill him.”
“Then who did?”
Victor looked at David.
David lowered his eyes.
My blood ran cold.
“No.”
David whispered:
“Sarah…”
“You killed Daniel?”
“No.”
Victor said:
“David didn't kill him.”
“Then who?”
The church doors opened again.
A woman walked inside.
Amber.
She held a gun.
And behind her stood Daniel.
Alive.
Older.
Scarred.
But alive.
I stopped breathing.
Daniel looked at me.
Then at Caleb.
Then he said:
“I'm sorry, Sarah.”
May you like
Amber raised the gun.
“Now we can finally finish what we started.”
