Chapter 11 - The Birthday Song
Mara hadn't sung the song aloud in nine years. She had repeated it silently on birthdays she spent alone, drawing a candle on napkins because there wasn't anyone there to blow one out.
"Little star, little light," she began softly. "Keep your brave heart burning bright."
The girl on the phone made a sound halfway between a gasp and a sob.
"Mom?"
"Lily. Oh, honey, it's me."
Mara leaned against the wall. Her knees finally threatened to give way. Rourke looked away to give her something resembling privacy.
"I thought you left," Lily whispered. "They showed me a letter. It said you didn't want us."
"I never wrote that. Not one word. I tried to come back every day."
"Then why didn't you?"
Mara let the hurt land. "Because I was afraid the people looking for me would hurt you. I thought staying away would keep you safe. I was wrong about how far they'd go."
Lily cried without trying to hide it. "I'm in the old water plant. There are three men and a lady with a silver badge. They say you'll bring them the red light."
Finch scribbled details. "Do you see a door number?"
"B-Twelve. I can hear water running. Mom, please don't just do what they say. They have a camera on me."
A man's hand must have taken the phone. "Time's up."
"Who is this?" Mara demanded.
"You know the rules. The device at the reservoir by sunrise. No soldiers. No tricks."
Mara forced herself to breathe. "Let me hear her once more."
"You'll hear her at the exchange."
The line went dead.
Rourke spread the map across the hood of the sedan. The old water plant had three access points, two sealed and one underwater. Finch knew the utility records; Torres knew the terrain; Cole knew the delivery roads.
"We'll get her out," Rourke said.
Mara shook her head. "We get everyone out. If Bell can order this today, he'll do it again tomorrow."
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Finch discovered that Door B-Twelve wasn't a holding room. It was a control chamber overlooking the reservoir gates.
And its emergency flood procedure had been scheduled for 5:40 a.m.
