Chapter 13 - The Blue Wall
Claire’s family had owned a small lakeside theater outside town when she was a teenager.
It closed fifteen years ago.
Nathan had been there once, early in their marriage.
He remembered blue walls backstage and white stars painted by local children.
Police surrounded the property within forty minutes.
Nathan waited across the road in an armored command vehicle while every instinct screamed at him to run inside.
Mills sat beside him.
“You go in before we clear it, you could get them killed.”
“I know.”
“Then stay in the chair.”
Nathan hated him for being right.
Inside the theater, officers found three heat signatures on the lower level and two upstairs.
Mills nodded to the team leader.
The entry began.
Seconds stretched.
Then shouting crackled over the radio.
One officer called, “Children located!”
Nathan stood.
“Stay here.”
He stayed for eleven more unbearable seconds.
Then Mills received the all-clear.
Nathan ran.
Ava reached him first.
He dropped to his knees and caught all three girls at once.
Chloe sobbed into his neck. Lily kept saying, “We’re okay, we’re okay,” as if she were comforting him.
Ava held on silently.
Emma entered behind the medics and stopped when she saw them.
Chloe reached one hand toward her.
Emma crossed the room and joined the embrace.
For the first time, Nathan did not care who saw him cry.
Only a little.
Only enough for Ava to notice.
“They left us,” Ava said.
Nathan pulled back. “Who?”
“Victoria and the man.”
“Daniel?” Emma asked.
Ava nodded. “They were fighting.”
“About what?”
Ava looked at Emma. “He said he didn’t need Victoria anymore.”
Emma’s prediction had been right.
Lily added, “Victoria took his phone.”
Nathan looked at Mills.
That mattered.
“Did you hear where they were going?”
Ava thought hard.
“He said something about a plane.”
Mills moved immediately.
But Chloe tugged Nathan’s sleeve.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“The bad man dropped this.”
She opened her fist.
Inside was a silver key card stamped with the logo of Cole Meridian Aviation.
Nathan recognized it.
Executive hangar access.
Only senior officers carried those cards.
Daniel had been fired six years ago.
His access should have died the same day.
May you like
Nathan looked at the card number.
It belonged to his current chief financial officer.
