Chapter 16 - Lily Runs
Daniel pressed a hand to his side.
Blood soaked his shirt, but the bullet had grazed him instead of entering deep.
“Dad!” Lily screamed.
Grant pulled her toward a pickup truck parked behind the quarry office.
Ruiz shouted from the tree line, “Grant! Drop the weapon!”
Grant fired toward the officers.
They took cover.
Vanessa pushed herself up on one elbow.
“Lily!” she yelled. “Remember the red button!”
Grant looked at Vanessa in confusion.
Lily didn’t.
She reached behind Grant and slapped the emergency alarm button on the quarry gate control box.
A deafening siren erupted.
Grant flinched.
Lily bit his hand.
He yelled and loosened his grip.
She ran.
Daniel forced himself to his feet.
“Keep running, baby!”
Grant raised the pistol toward Lily’s back.
Vanessa threw a rock.
It struck his wrist.
The gun fired into the dirt.
Ruiz’s team moved in.
Grant sprinted for the pickup, but Sarah appeared from behind the quarry office holding Rourke’s dropped gun with both hands.
“Don’t,” she said.
Grant stopped.
His face went blank.
“You couldn’t shoot me three years ago.”
Sarah’s arms trembled.
“No. I couldn’t.”
He took one step toward her.
“But I’m not the woman you kidnapped three years ago.”
Ruiz came up behind Grant.
“On your knees.”
For a moment Daniel thought it was over.
Then Grant smiled.
“You still don’t understand.”
He reached into his coat.
Sarah raised the gun.
Ruiz shouted.
Daniel lunged.
Grant pulled out—not a weapon—but a small remote control.
His thumb pressed the button.
An explosion thundered from the direction of the lodge.
Flames climbed into the night.
Grant dropped the remote and raised his hands.
“You wanted evidence?” he said. “There goes your evidence.”
Ruiz cuffed him.
Daniel held Lily so tightly she squeaked.
Sarah stared at the burning lodge.
Then Vanessa whispered from the ground, “He’s wrong.”
Daniel looked at her.
May you like
She gave a weak, bloody smile.
“The evidence isn’t in the lodge.”
