Chapter 9 - Find Ellie
Clare's scream ripped through the second floor.
"ELLIE!"
Dominic had seen men lose brothers, sons, fortunes, freedom.
He had never seen terror move as fast as it moved through Clare Rowan.
She ran toward the open window.
Vincent caught her before she climbed onto the sill.
"No. Look at me. Nobody took her out that way."
"How do you know?"
"Wet stone outside. No footprints."
Dominic's eyes swept the room.
The blanket on the floor.
The unconscious guard.
The missing toy.
But Ellie's shoes were still beside the bed.
"She's inside," he said.
Clare turned on him. "You don't know that."
"She wouldn't walk outside barefoot in this weather if someone gave her a choice."
Vincent touched the guard's neck. "Drugged or struck. We'll know later."
Dominic looked under the bed.
Nothing.
Then he saw a small wooden peg near the closet.
A piece from Ellie's latch board.
Another peg lay in the hallway.
"She's leaving a trail," Clare whispered.
They followed it.
One piece near the service stairs.
Another beside the laundry lift.
A tiny brass hook at the basement landing.
Dominic's leg burned as he descended.
Clare moved ahead of him, calling Ellie's name.
No answer.
The trail ended at the old catering kitchen.
Vincent raised his weapon and opened the swinging door.
Empty.
Then came a soft knock.
Three taps.
Pause.
Two taps.
Clare spun toward the pantry.
"Ellie?"
A tiny voice answered, "Mommy?"
Clare yanked open the door.
Ellie was curled inside behind sacks of flour, barefoot, crying silently.
Clare dropped to the floor and pulled her close.
"Baby, what happened?"
Ellie pointed toward the hall.
"The jacket man said we had to go."
"What jacket man?"
"Security jacket. He picked me up. I bit him."
Vincent almost smiled despite everything.
"Good girl."
"Then he dropped me, and I ran."
Dominic crouched carefully.
"Did you see his face?"
Ellie shook her head.
"Hat."
"Did he say anything?"
She nodded.
"He said Mr. Arthur was right. Little kids should stay quiet."
Clare closed her eyes.
Dominic felt something inside him settle into a cold, permanent shape.
Arthur had made this personal.
Then Ellie held out her fist.
Inside was a gold button she had torn from the man's sleeve.
Vincent took it.
The button carried the crest of Vale Security.
But older.
A design they had stopped using five years earlier.
Only one group still had uniforms with that crest.
Retired security supervisors.
Vincent went still.
"I know who keeps those jackets."
Dominic looked at him.
"Who?"
May you like
Vincent's voice dropped.
"My father."
