Chapter 5 - The Car Behind Them
Adrian was in his vehicle before Marco finished calling Rachel.
“Where are they going?”
“She won’t say.”
“Tell her they’re being followed.”
Marco put the call on speaker.
Rachel’s voice changed instantly.
“What?”
“Black sedan,” Adrian said. “No front plate.”
“I’m calling the driver.”
“Send me the route.”
“I can’t.”
“Rachel.”
“I legally cannot disclose placement information.”
“They are being followed.”
“I understand.”
“No, you don’t.”
The line went quiet.
Then Rachel said, “Eastbound on Bee Cave. That is all I can tell you.”
Adrian drove.
Marco followed in another SUV.
The black sedan had vanished by the time Adrian reached the CPS vehicle.
But no one had attacked.
Not yet.
Rachel ordered the children rerouted to a secure county facility.
Adrian remained outside.
He was not allowed in.
For three hours, he sat in his car across the street.
Marco brought coffee.
Adrian ignored it.
“You know staring at the building won’t change the order.”
“I know.”
“Then why are we here?”
“Because Leo needs to know I didn’t leave.”
“He can’t see you.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Marco leaned back.
“You’re turning into Michael.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Insult me again and walk home.”
Marco smiled.
At noon, Rachel called.
“We have a problem.”
Adrian straightened.
“What?”
“Leo refuses to speak.”
“That’s not new.”
“He also refuses medication unless you tell him it’s safe.”
Adrian was inside five minutes later.
Leo sat in a wheelchair in a small interview room.
He looked exhausted.
When Adrian entered, he turned away.
Adrian crouched.
“You’re mad.”
No answer.
“You should be.”
Nothing.
“They need to give you pain medicine.”
Leo stared at the wall.
“It’s safe.”
Still nothing.
Adrian sat on the floor.
“I promised I would come for you.”
Leo’s eyes moved.
“I am.”
“You let them take us.”
His voice was tiny.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
That sounded like Michael.
Adrian almost laughed.
Instead, he nodded.
“You’re right.”
Leo finally looked at him.
“So why?”
“Because if I fought them physically, they would never let you come back.”
Leo thought about that.
“Did you want to?”
“Yes.”
That earned a small smile.
“Would you win?”
“Yes.”
Rachel, standing behind the glass, closed her eyes.
Adrian ignored her.
“But winning one fight can make you lose something bigger.”
Leo frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It will when you’re older.”
“I hate when grown-ups say that.”
“So did I.”
Leo took the medication.
Before Adrian left, the boy whispered, “Don’t let Mom find us.”
“I won’t.”
The investigation moved quickly after that.
Too much evidence existed.
Dr. Trent agreed to talk after prosecutors showed him the storage records.
He claimed Vanessa had pressured him.
Adrian did not care whether that was true.
Trent admitted the clinic falsified medical reports.
He admitted Leo had been sedated without proper justification.
He admitted Vanessa had demanded documentation describing Leo as emotionally unstable.
Then he said something unexpected.
Vanessa was not the person giving orders.
Graham Vale was.
Vale had used the clinic for years.
Custody manipulation.
Insurance schemes.
Money laundering.
Blackmail.
Michael had uncovered the network when he found financial transfers attached to his own tax records.
He had confronted Vanessa.
She warned Vale.
Two days later, Michael’s brake line was cut.
Prosecutors now had enough to reopen the death investigation.
Vanessa disappeared that afternoon.
Her home was empty.
Her passport remained.
Her phones were gone.
Adrian knew she had not fled far.
People like Vanessa did not run until they had something to bargain with.
She still wanted the children.
Why?
The answer came from Michael’s records.
A life insurance trust.
Michael had created it shortly before his death.
Eight million dollars.
Beneficiaries: Leo and Mia.
Vanessa controlled the trust only while she retained legal custody.
If custody transferred permanently, control shifted to Michael’s designated trustee.
Adrian.
Marco read the document twice.
“She loses eight million if she loses the kids.”
“Not just eight.”
“What?”
Adrian pointed.
The trust held shares in Michael’s consulting company.
The company owned land.
Valuable land.
Future development rights.
Total value: nearly twenty-four million.
Vanessa was not trying to hide abuse only.
She was protecting control of a fortune.
Michael had known.
He had built a trap into his will.
If Vanessa harmed the children and lost custody, Adrian gained control.
“What was Michael thinking?” Marco asked.
“He thought she might come after him.”
“He knew she was dangerous.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t he tell you?”
“Because he hated what I am.”
Marco did not argue.
That night, Adrian was allowed one phone call with the children.
Mia talked first.
“Uncle Ad?”
“No one calls me that.”
“I do.”
Apparently she did.
“Did you eat?”
“Mac and cheese.”
“Good?”
“No.”
Leo took the phone.
“Are we coming back tomorrow?”
“I’m working on it.”
“That means no.”
“It means I don’t know yet.”
Leo sighed.
“You’re bad at making kids feel better.”
“I’ve been told.”
“By who?”
“You.”
Leo almost laughed.
Then his voice changed.
“Uncle Adrian?”
“Yes?”
“I remembered something.”
“What?”
“The night Daddy died.”
Adrian stood.
“What do you remember?”
“Mom was talking to somebody.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“What did she say?”
Leo went silent.
“Leo?”
“She said, ‘If Michael talks to Adrian tomorrow, we lose everything.’”
Adrian stopped breathing.
“When was this?”
“The night before the crash.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Anything else?”
“There was a man.”
“Did you see him?”
“A little.”
“Could you recognize him?”
“I think.”
Adrian heard a sound on Leo’s end.
A door.
“Leo?”
The boy whispered.
“Someone came in.”
“Who?”
No answer.
“Leo?”
The line disconnected.
Adrian called back.
No response.
He called Rachel.
Straight to voicemail.
Marco was already moving.
“What facility?”
Adrian gave him the address.
They reached it in eleven minutes.
Police cars filled the parking lot.
The front doors stood open.
Rachel ran toward Adrian.
Her face was white.
“What happened?”
“The fire alarm went off.”
“Where are the kids?”
“We evacuated.”
“Where are they?”
Rachel looked toward the parking lot.
Then back at Adrian.
“Leo is here.”
Adrian’s blood turned cold.
“And Mia?”
Rachel did not answer.
He grabbed her shoulders.
“Where is Mia?”
“We can’t find her.”
A security officer approached holding something.
A lavender ribbon.
Mia’s.
He handed it to Adrian.
“There’s more.”
“What?”
The guard pointed toward the pavement.
A child’s shoe lay near the rear gate.
Beside it was a folded piece of paper.
Adrian opened it.
May you like
One sentence.
BRING THE KEY TO UNIT 214 OR YOU WILL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN.
