Chapter 9 - THE TRAP
The wildfire had been used as bait.
That realization changed everything.
Ryan hadn't simply rescued Brooke.
Someone had arranged the circumstances.
The camp.
The timing.
The helicopter.
The limited seats.
Someone knew exactly what would happen.
Michelle contacted federal investigators.
We gave them copies of the recordings.
They told me not to contact Ryan.
But I did.
I called him.
“I know.”
Silence.
“You know what?”
“The wildfire.”
His breathing changed.
“Natalie…”
“They knew Caleb would be there.”
“I know.”
The words shattered me.
“You knew?”
“I found out afterward.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was trying to protect you.”
“You keep using that word.”
“I love you.”
I laughed through tears.
“Love doesn't look like this.”
“I made mistakes.”
“You abandoned us.”
“I saved Caleb.”
“You saved him after leaving him terrified.”
He was silent.
Then he said:
“Brooke wasn't supposed to survive.”
I froze.
“What?”
“The people behind this wanted her dead.”
“Why?”
“Because she had the recording.”
I looked at Brooke.
She was crying silently.
Ryan continued.
“They thought I would hand her over.”
“But you didn't.”
“No.”
“Why?”
His voice broke.
“Because once, before everything went wrong, I loved her.”
I closed my eyes.
There it was.
The truth I had feared for years.
He had never completely let Brooke go.
But then he said something else.
“And I love you.”
I whispered:
“You don't get to love two people and call the damage an accident.”
I hung up.
Then Michelle entered the room.
“We found something.”
“What?”
She placed a document on the table.
It was a flight manifest.
My name appeared on it.
So did Caleb's.
But neither of us had ever been scheduled to fly.
Someone had forged our names.
May you like
And the destination was not Sacramento.
It was Mexico.
