PART 9
“Enough to put very dangerous people in prison.”
Before I could ask another question, a loud crash came from above.
Someone had broken through the shed.
Then a man’s voice shouted:
“SEARCH THE TUNNEL!”
Mr. Foster grabbed his flashlight.
“We have to go.”
“Where?”
“The lake house.”
“Why?”
“Because if Emily is still alive, she’ll be there.”
Noah looked up.
“Mommy said the lake house was dangerous.”
Mr. Foster nodded.
“It is.”
Then he looked at me.
“But it’s the only place they won’t expect us to go.”
We hurried through the tunnel.
It ended beneath an abandoned garage three houses away.
Mr. Foster opened a hidden door.
We stepped into darkness.
A few minutes later, we were in his garage.
He gave us jackets.
Then we climbed into his old pickup truck.
As we drove away, I looked back at my house.
Police lights were already appearing at the end of the street.
But something was wrong.
There were too many vehicles.
Too many men.
And nobody was wearing normal police uniforms.
“Those aren’t police,” Mr. Foster said.
“Who are they?”
“People working for the organization.”
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
Mark’s voice came through.
“Sarah.”
I didn’t speak.
“You have something that belongs to me.”
“You mean Noah?”
“No.”
His voice became cold.
“The chip.”
I looked at Noah.
Mark continued.
“Give it to me, and this ends.”
“You threatened your own son.”
“He isn’t my son.”
Noah heard him.
His face crumpled.
I held him tightly.
Mark continued:
“His father was a fool.”
“Don’t talk about Daniel.”
Mark laughed quietly.
“You think you know what happened?”
“What happened?”
“Daniel betrayed everyone.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Then ask Foster.”
I looked at the man driving.
Mark continued:
“Ask him what he was doing the night Daniel died.”
The call ended.
I stared at Mr. Foster.
He kept his eyes on the road.
“You knew Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“You were there that night?”
He nodded.
“Tell me the truth.”
“I tried to save him.”
“What happened?”
Mr. Foster’s hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“I arrived after the crash.”
He swallowed.
“Daniel was still alive.”
I felt a chill.
“You let me believe he died instantly.”
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Why?”
“Because Daniel gave me something.”
“What?”
“His last words.”
Mr. Foster looked at me.
“He told me, ‘Protect my son.’”
I looked at Noah.
“And you’ve been protecting him ever since?”
“I tried.”
“Then why did you tell Mark where Emily was?”
Mr. Foster’s eyes filled with regret.
“Because they had my granddaughter.”
Silence.
“They threatened to kill her.”
I didn’t know what to say.
Suddenly Noah spoke.
“Grandpa Foster?”
Mr. Foster glanced at him.
“Yes?”
“Mommy said you weren’t bad.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“Your mother was kind.”
We drove until the city disappeared behind us.
The lake house appeared just before midnight.
It looked exactly as I remembered.
Old.
Quiet.
Surrounded by pine trees.
The dock stretched into black water.
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