CHAPTER 9: THE CHOICE
Daniel held the gun steady.
I could see the calculation in his eyes.
"Emma, come here," he said.
She was still crying.
"EMMA. NOW."
She stumbled toward him.
"Mommy," she whispered.
"It's okay, baby. I'm right here."
Daniel grabbed her arm.
"You're not going to stop us, Maya. You never could."
"Then why did you stay? All those years. Why didn't you just leave?"
He smiled.
"Because I needed a cover. A normal life. A wife who wouldn't ask questions."
"Is that all I was? A cover?"
"Don't take it personally. You were convenient."
The words hit like a blade.
"You're a monster."
"I'm a businessman. And business is good."
I saw Agent Webb shift behind me.
I needed to keep Daniel talking.
"What was it all about?" I asked. "Emma. The money. What were you really doing?"
Daniel laughed.
"Emma isn't my only business, Maya. She's a part of something bigger. Something that will change everything."
"Then tell me what it is."
"Just like that? You want the truth?"
"I deserve the truth."
"Fine. I'm part of a network. A very old network. We move people. We move assets. We move anything that has value. And Emma has a lot of value."
"Value? She's six years old."
"Which is exactly why she's perfect."
I felt sick.
"Who was the buyer?"
"Someone powerful. Someone who will pay anything for a child with her... potential."
"Her potential?"
"Genetics, Maya. You never knew your family history. But I did. And I knew exactly what Emma was worth."
I felt the world tilt.
"What are you talking about?"
"Your grandmother. The woman you never met. She had a fortune. And she left it all to Emma. But there's a condition."
"A condition?"
"The money can only be claimed if Emma reaches adulthood. Which means I need to keep her alive. Happy. Healthy. And far away from you."
"Where are you taking her?"
Somewhere you'll never find her."
I lunged forward.
Agent Webb moved at the same time.
The gun went off.
The bullet hit the wall beside my head.
"EMMA!"
I grabbed her arm.
Pulled her toward me.
Daniel fired again.
But Webb had already tackled him.
The gun skittered across the floor.
They struggled.
I pulled Emma into my arms.
"Mommy!"
"I've got you, baby. I've got you."
Webb had Daniel pinned.
"Don't move," he said. "Don't even breathe."
Daniel smiled.
"You won't win, Maya. This isn't over."
"Yes it is."
"I have connections. I have resources. You can't stop me."
But I wasn't listening.
Because I had my daughter.
And nothing else mattered.
I held her close.
And for the first time in days, I let myself cry.
May you like
But I knew this wasn't the end.
It was just the beginning.
