Chapter 9 - THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE
Ethan wanted me to stay behind.
I laughed in his face.
“My father has been missing for twenty years.”
“That’s exactly why I don’t want you walking into a trap.”
“He’s my father.”
“And Sophie is my daughter.”
That stopped us both.
It was the first time Ethan had said it naturally.
Not biologically.
Not legally.
My daughter.
Our eyes met.
Then Sophie sneezed.
We both looked down.
The tension broke.
We left her with Elena and Eleanor under more security than some presidents received.
Then Ethan and I drove north.
The house sat beside a frozen lake near Lake Geneva.
No guards.
No fence.
Too easy.
Inside, we found a man cooking soup.
Gray hair.
Limp.
One hand scarred.
He turned.
I knew him.
Not from memory.
From photographs my mother had hidden.
“Rachel?”
My father dropped the spoon.
I couldn’t move.
Neither could he.
Then he crossed the room.
Stopped two feet away.
“Can I hug you?”
I started crying.
“Yes.”
Twenty years disappeared for about ten seconds.
Then anger returned.
“Why didn’t you come home?”
His face broke.
“I tried.”
Victor had held him for seven years.
After escaping, Gabriel discovered Victor’s people were still watching my mother.
He stayed hidden to keep them away from us.
Later, he learned about Sophie.
“Why didn’t you call?”
“Because Victor wanted me to.”
He looked at Ethan.
“I’m sorry about Patrick.”
“You didn’t betray him?”
“No.”
“Prove it.”
Gabriel led us to a hidden compartment under the floor.
Files.
Audio tapes.
Financial ledgers.
Enough to destroy Victor Kane.
Then we heard a car outside.
Gabriel went pale.
“He found me.”
Ethan reached for his phone.
No signal.
Jammer.
Three SUVs surrounded the house.
Victor walked toward the porch.
He was not alone.
Elena was beside him.
My sister.
Again.
But this time she wasn’t afraid.
She walked straight toward us.
Victor smiled.
“Family reunion.”
I stared at Elena.
She looked at me.
Then at Ethan.
And quietly said:
“I’m sorry, Rachel.”
Victor placed a hand on her shoulder.
“She works for me.”
May you like
The world stopped.
My own sister had led Victor directly to us.
