Chapter 13 - Ethan Is GoneI couldn't breathe.
The school secretary kept repeating:
“Mrs. Carter, the person had your identification.”
“I didn't sign him out.”
“She showed identification.”
“What did she look like?”
“Dark hair. Mid-forties.”
Melissa.
I knew it.
I rushed to the school.
Daniel followed.
The principal showed us the security footage.
A woman entered at 6:58.
She wore sunglasses.
Baseball cap.
Mask.
But she walked confidently.
Too confidently.
“She knew where the cameras were,” I said.
Daniel stared at the screen.
“Melissa.”
“You think so?”
“Yes.”
“Then call her.”
He did.
No answer.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Daniel Carter.”
A man's voice said:
“You have thirty minutes.”
Daniel's face drained of color.
“What do you want?”
“Rachel knows.”
The caller ended the call.
I stared at Daniel.
“Who was that?”
“Richard.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he always gives thirty minutes.”
My heart pounded.
The next message arrived on my phone.
A map location.
An abandoned warehouse outside Phoenix.
Then a photo.
Ethan was sitting inside a room.
Alive.
A man stood behind him.
His face wasn't visible.
I felt my knees weaken.
Daniel caught me.
“Rachel.”
“I'll go.”
“No.”
“I'm going.”
“You don't know what they'll do.”
“Neither do you.”
We drove there.
Police followed from a distance.
I refused to tell them everything.
Not because I distrusted them.
Because someone inside the system might be compromised.
At the warehouse, the door was unlocked.
Inside, we found one chair.
One broken toy airplane.
Ethan's.
My heart shattered.
“Ethan!”
No answer.
A speaker crackled.
Richard's voice.
“You shouldn't have brought Daniel.”
I turned.
“Where's my son?”
“Safe.”
“Bring him out.”
“You have the trust documents.”
“Yes.”
“You will sign.”
“No.”
A screen turned on.
Ethan appeared.
He was crying.
My heart broke.
“Mom!”
“Ethan!”
Richard spoke.
“Sign the trust transfer.”
“No.”
“Then your son suffers.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Richard, take me.”
A laugh.
“You've already cost me years.”
“What do you want?”
“You know.”
Richard continued.
“Rachel believes she understands her husband.”
I looked at Daniel.
“She doesn't.”
A door opened behind us.
Melissa walked inside.
She wasn't holding Ethan.
Another man was.
I froze.
Melissa looked at me.
“I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
“For the part I played.”
She looked at Daniel.
Then at Richard's camera.
And said:
“You need to know something.”
“What?”
Melissa's face went pale.
“I never kidnapped Ethan.”
“Then who did?”
She pointed behind me.
I turned.
The police officer who had followed us was standing in the doorway.
His gun was drawn.
May you like
And he said:
“Put your hands where I can see them.”
