Chapter 14 - The Man Without a Name
North Ridge Recovery sat behind pine trees and a twelve-foot fence.
Its website described a peaceful residential center for addiction, trauma, and behavioral health.
Its records told a darker story.
Police arrived with a warrant before dawn.
Jenna waited in an unmarked car with Grace because Moreno had refused to let either of them inside.
At 6:12 a.m., the front doors opened.
Three officers came out.
Between them walked a thin man in gray sweatpants.
Jenna stopped breathing.
"Lucas."
She was out of the car before anyone could stop her.
The man looked up.
For a second, there was no recognition.
Then his face collapsed.
"Jenna?"
She ran to him.
He nearly fell when she hit his chest.
She was hitting him and hugging him at the same time.
"You left me!"
"I didn't."
"They told me you left."
"I tried to get back."
He was crying now.
"I tried."
Police had found Lucas admitted under the name "Luke Ryan." His file claimed a history of delusions and violent substance abuse.
Jenna stared at him. "Is any of that true?"
"I drank too much sometimes," he said. "I wasn't an addict. I wasn't violent. My father had two men pick me up after I confronted him. They drugged me. When I woke up here, staff said I had signed myself in."
Grace felt sick.
"For three years?"
Lucas nodded.
"Every time I demanded to leave, they said I was unstable. They controlled my phone, my money, everything."
Moreno walked over with a folder.
"We found payment records from Malcolm Reed's office. Monthly."
Alexander's expression darkened.
"Where is Reed now?"
"His attorneys say he is traveling."
"Convenient."
Lucas looked at Jenna.
"The baby?"
She could not answer.
Grace stepped forward.
"Her name is Emma."
Lucas turned toward her.
Grace held up a recent photo on her phone, then remembered the absurdity. Emma could not see his face, and he had never seen hers beyond a newborn photo.
"She's alive," Grace said. "She's safe."
Lucas covered his mouth.
"I have a daughter."
Jenna nodded through tears.
"You have a daughter."
Then Moreno's phone rang.
She listened, swore, and turned away.
"What is it?" Alexander demanded.
Moreno ended the call.
"Malcolm Reed's jet filed a flight plan thirty minutes ago."
"To where?"
"No destination."
Alexander stared at her.
"Can he do that?"
"Apparently he just did."
A second officer came running from the building.
"Detective! We found a locked office in the basement."
Moreno looked at him. "What's inside?"
May you like
The officer's face had gone pale.
"Files. Dozens of them. All children."
