Chapter 11 - Mara’s Secret
Emily turned toward Mara.
Mara did not raise her weapon.
She set it on the ground.
“Let me explain.”
Emily laughed once, broken and furious.
“That’s what guilty people say.”
Adrian stepped between them.
“What were you doing there?”
Mara’s eyes never left his.
“Trying to stop Victor.”
“From killing Sarah?”
“Yes.”
Adrian’s fist clenched.
“And you never told me?”
“I couldn’t.”
“You watched me bury my wife.”
“I watched you bury an empty coffin.”
Silence swallowed the tunnel.
Emily whispered, “What?”
Mara looked toward the screen.
“Sarah didn’t die that night.”
Adrian grabbed her by the front of her jacket.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
“Wrong answer.”
“Adrian, listen to me.”
“Where is my wife?”
Mara’s voice cracked for the first time.
“I got her out of the car before Victor could push it over.”
Emily stared.
“You saved her?”
“I thought I did.”
Mara continued.
“Sarah had evidence against North Star. She believed Thomas was alive and that Victor had taken control of parts of the network. She wanted to expose all of it.”
Adrian released her.
“What happened after the road?”
“I moved Sarah to a safe house.”
“Without telling me.”
“She begged me not to.”
“Why?”
“Because she believed someone near you was leaking information.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“Who?”
“She didn’t know.”
The speaker crackled.
Rook said, “Ask Mara what happened at the safe house.”
Mara closed her eyes.
Emily whispered, “What happened?”
“Three days later, it was hit.”
“By who?”
“I don’t know.”
“How convenient,” Claire said.
Mara glared at her.
“I arrived after the attack. Two agents were dead. Sarah was gone.”
Adrian leaned against the tunnel wall.
Four years of grief shifted beneath him like collapsing ground.
“If she survived…”
“I searched,” Mara said. “I never stopped.”
Rook laughed again.
“You searched in all the wrong places.”
The steel door at the end of the tunnel unlocked with a heavy clank.
A thin line of light appeared around it.
“Emily,” Rook said, “bring the memory card.”
Adrian stepped in front of her.
“No.”
Rook’s voice softened.
“Then Sarah dies for real this time.”
The monitor changed.
Live video.
A woman sat tied to a chair in a concrete room.
Her hair was shorter.
Her face thinner.
But Adrian knew her immediately.
Emily made a sound that was almost a sob.
“Mom?”
Sarah lifted her head toward the camera.
And whispered one word.
May you like
“Run.”
