Chapter 10 - The Other Plan
Richard hit the concrete as glass rained around him.
A second shot struck a crate where his head had been.
Nolan crawled behind a forklift and shouted, “Back exit!”
Outside, Alvarez’s team moved in.
Someone fired from the catwalk, then ran.
Richard saw only a black jacket disappearing through an upper door.
Police flooded the warehouse less than thirty seconds later.
The shooter escaped through a service stairwell to the river road.
Nolan was arrested on conspiracy, unlawful surveillance, evidence tampering, and several computer crimes. He did not resist.
In the lockbox, police found the stolen trust documents, copies of Anna’s medical records, photographs, handwritten timelines of “incidents,” and a flash drive containing edited video clips designed to make Anna look negligent.
But there was something else.
A document titled PHASE TWO.
Anna read it at the precinct with Richard beside her.
The language was clinical.
If voluntary separation fails, initiate emergency guardianship petition following documented safety incident. Secure child temporarily. Pressure Richard to remove Anna from residence pending evaluation.
Anna’s hands began to shake.
“They planned to take Leo.”
Alvarez pointed to the bottom of the page.
There were two sets of initials.
V.M.
And C.M.
Richard stared at the second set.
“C.M.?” Anna asked.
He did not answer.
“Richard?”
His voice came out rough.
“My mother.”
Catherine Mercer lived three states away and had spent most of the last year claiming she wanted nothing to do with family business.
She also hated Anna.
Not loudly. Catherine was too polished for that.
She used softer weapons.
“You’re very independent for someone raising a Mercer child.”
“Family traditions matter, Anna. Even when you don’t understand them.”
“Vanessa would have made a wonderful mother.”
Anna suddenly remembered Catherine visiting after Leo’s first birthday and asking an odd question.
“If Richard were ever gone, who would make decisions for Leo?”
At the time, Anna had laughed it off.
Now she felt sick.
Richard called his mother.
No answer.
Alvarez called state police near Catherine’s home.
Ten minutes later, they reported the house empty.
Her car was gone.
Her housekeeper had not seen her since yesterday morning.
Richard’s phone buzzed with a text.
It was from Catherine.
A photograph loaded slowly.
Their hotel suite door.
Taken from the hallway.
Under it were six words.
You should have listened to your sister.
Anna looked toward the hotel security guard standing outside the precinct interview room.
May you like
Then she thought of Leo.
“Where is my son?”
