Chapter 9 - THE HUNT FOR LILY
Everything happened at once.
Police locked down the hospital.
Every exit was sealed.
Security footage was reviewed.
But the person who took Lily had planned carefully.
They wore a mask.
Gloves.
Hospital scrubs.
And a surgical cap.
The only thing visible was a pair of eyes.
Detective Harris studied the footage.
“Who had access to this floor?”
The hospital administrator provided a list.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Technicians.
Security.
Then Dr. Hayes stepped forward.
“Wait.”
Everyone looked at him.
“There was one temporary employee.”
“Name?”
“Evan Price.”
“Where is he?”
Nobody knew.
His badge had been deactivated six months earlier.
But somehow someone had used his credentials tonight.
Detective Harris looked at me.
“Richard has someone inside.”
My stomach twisted.
“How do we find them?”
“We follow the money.”
They traced the hospital employee's bank account.
A transfer appeared.
Ten thousand dollars.
From an offshore account.
The same account connected to Richard.
Then another clue appeared.
A parking camera showed the suspect leaving through the service entrance.
A black van.
The license plate was captured.
Police tracked it.
It was heading toward Lake Haven.
Again.
The cabin.
My heart pounded.
“He took her there.”
Detective Harris nodded.
“Probably.”
We drove through the night.
When we arrived, the cabin was dark.
No cars.
No lights.
No sound.
Police surrounded it.
Then we heard crying.
A baby's cry.
My heart exploded.
“Lily.”
Detective Harris stopped me.
“Stay back.”
“No.”
“Mrs. Carter—”
“That is my daughter.”
He looked at me.
Then nodded.
Officers entered.
A gunshot echoed.
I screamed.
Then silence.
Seconds later, Detective Harris emerged carrying Lily.
Alive.
Crying.
I ran toward them.
He handed her to me.
I held her so tightly she squeaked.
“Mommy's here.”
I kissed her face.
“She’s okay,” Dr. Hayes said after examining her.
But then Detective Harris came outside.
“We didn't catch Richard.”
“Where is he?”
“Gone.”
“Who was inside?”
The temporary employee.
He was injured but alive.
He confessed.
Richard had ordered the kidnapping.
But there was more.
“He said the baby wasn't the real target.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
The detective looked at me.
“Richard wanted you.”
“Why?”
“He wanted the memory card.”
I touched Lily's back.
“And now?”
“He knows we have it.”
We returned to the hospital.
This time Lily never left my arms.
My son slept beside me.
My mother stayed in the room.
For the first time in days, we were together.
But there was still one problem.
Richard was free.
And he knew exactly where we were.
At 3:12 a.m., the hospital lights went out.
The emergency generator failed.
Everything became black.
Then every phone in the room vibrated at once.
A message appeared.
LOOK OUT THE WINDOW.
I froze.
Detective Harris approached.
Outside, across the parking lot, stood a man.
Richard.
He was holding something.
A photograph.
He raised it toward the window.
It was a picture of me.
Taken earlier that day.
Then another message appeared.
THE CARD FOR YOUR FATHER.
I stared at the screen.
Then the final message arrived.
OR NEXT TIME I TAKE YOUR SON.
I looked at my eight-year-old.
And I knew.
This was no longer about Lily.
May you like
Richard had changed the target.
:::
