Chapter 7 - They Took Lily
There is no sound like a mother being told her child is missing.
At least, I don’t remember making one.
I remember the room tilting.
I remember Roman catching me.
I remember screaming Lily’s name even though she was two hours away.
Then everything became cold.
Not calm.
Cold.
“Who took her?”
Victor answered.
“Security footage shows four men entering through the east service tunnel.”
Roman’s face hardened.
“The tunnel Dean knew about.”
My father said, “Voss.”
I looked at Roman.
“Take me back.”
“We’re going.”
“Now.”
“Claire.”
“NOW!”
He didn’t argue.
For the first time.
The drive to Blackridge took ninety minutes.
I called Lily’s tablet again and again.
Nothing.
Mrs. Dalton survived.
A guard had found her unconscious beside the nursery.
When she woke at the hospital, she kept apologizing.
“They took her from me.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
“I promised.”
“So did I.”
That was the promise that hurt.
I had promised Lily nobody would take her.
Roman stood in the hall listening.
His hands were clenched.
A nurse looked at him nervously.
Everyone did.
Except me now.
I walked toward him.
“Find her.”
“I will.”
“No, Roman. Don’t tell me what I want to hear.”
He looked down at me.
“I have never meant anything more.”
Victor found the first lead.
Lily’s red toy car had a tracking tag.
Roman had installed it after the crash.
Of course he had.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“I assumed you’d object.”
“I would have.”
“Exactly.”
The signal appeared forty miles north.
Then stopped.
Industrial district.
Abandoned textile mill.
Roman gathered his men.
Federal prosecutor Rachel Kim arrived before we left.
I stared at her.
“How do you know?”
“Roman contacted me about Voss.”
“When?”
“This morning.”
I looked at him.
“You were already planning to turn over evidence?”
“Yes.”
That surprised me.
Rachel continued.
“If Voss has the child, this is federal kidnapping.”
“I don’t care what category you put it in.”
“You should. Because you are not storming a building with private soldiers.”
Roman’s jaw tightened.
“I’m going.”
“You’re staying behind my tactical team.”
He almost laughed.
“No.”
Rachel stepped closer.
“You want Lily alive, or you want to prove you’re the toughest man in the county?”
That shut him up.
I almost liked her.
We reached the mill after sunset.
The tracking signal came from the second floor.
Rachel refused to let me approach.
I hated her for it.
Then Roman crouched beside me behind an armored vehicle.
“Listen.”
“To what?”
At first, nothing.
Then a tiny voice echoed through an open window.
“Roman!”
My heart stopped.
“Lily!”
He grabbed me before I stood.
“She knows we’re here.”
A man’s voice followed.
“Mr. Hail.”
Malcolm Voss stepped onto an upper balcony.
Sixty years old.
Gray suit.
Perfectly calm.
He held Lily by one hand.
She was crying but standing.
“Mommy!”
“I’m here, baby!”
Voss looked down.
“Bring me the key.”
My father was beside Rachel.
He shouted, “You don’t need her!”
“I need everyone to understand what happens when people steal from me.”
Roman stepped into view.
“Let her go.”
Voss smiled.
“There’s the famous Roman Hail.”
“You wanted me dead.”
“Still do.”
“Then take me.”
I grabbed Roman.
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Trust me.”
I hated those words.
Voss called down.
“Come upstairs alone.”
Rachel whispered, “No.”
Roman ignored her.
He removed his weapon and placed it on the pavement.
Victor said, “Boss.”
Roman walked toward the building.
I caught his hand.
“You don’t have to.”
“Yes.”
“For me?”
He looked toward Lily.
“For her.”
Then he entered.
The next five minutes nearly killed me.
Rachel’s tactical team moved silently along the side of the mill.
Victor monitored radio channels.
My father held my shoulders because I could not stop shaking.
Then Roman appeared on the balcony.
Beside Voss.
Lily ran toward him.
Voss grabbed her.
Roman stopped.
“Give me the key,” Voss said.
Roman reached into his pocket.
A silver pendant.
My necklace.
I stared.
“When did he—”
Victor whispered, “You gave it to him in the vehicle.”
I barely remembered.
Roman held it up.
Voss released Lily.
“Walk her toward me.”
Roman guided Lily behind him.
Then tossed the necklace.
Voss caught it.
He smiled.
“Thank you.”
Roman smiled back.
That was when I knew something was wrong.
Voss opened the pendant.
Empty.
“You—”
Roman hit him.
Lily dropped low exactly as Roman had taught her.
Federal agents burst through both doors.
Chaos lasted seconds.
Voss was pinned against the balcony rail.
Roman scooped Lily into his arms.
She wrapped herself around his neck.
“You came!”
“I told you I would.”
“Where’s Mommy?”
“Right outside.”
He carried her downstairs.
I ran.
Lily launched herself at me.
I fell to my knees.
“Baby.”
“I was brave.”
“You were so brave.”
“Roman punched the bad man.”
Roman said, “We don’t need to celebrate that part.”
Lily considered it.
“Okay.”
Then she whispered, “A little bit?”
I laughed through tears.
“A little bit.”
Rachel brought Voss past us in handcuffs.
He looked at Roman.
“You think this ends anything?”
Roman answered.
“No.”
Voss smiled.
“Good.”
Then he looked at me.
“Ask your father who really ordered Roman’s car hit.”
Everything went quiet.
Roman turned.
“What?”
Voss continued.
“Dean organized it.”
My father’s face changed.
Voss smiled wider.
“But Dean wasn’t the one who wanted Roman dead.”
Rachel shoved him forward.
Roman looked at my father.
“Thomas.”
My father stared at the ground.
I whispered, “Dad?”
He finally looked up.
“I can explain.”
My stomach dropped.
May you like
Because I had heard those words from Ethan before.
And nothing good had ever followed them.
