Chapter 11 - The Turning Tide
The police response was swift, but ultimately frustrating. They took photos of the vandalized wall, collected fingerprints, and filed a report for breaking and entering. But because the perpetrator had worn gloves and disabled the outdoor security cameras by cutting the main power line to the cottage’s exterior, there was no physical evidence linking the crime to Daniel, Vivian, or Grant.
"They are trying to break you psychologically, Claire," Ethan said as they sat in a motel room that night. He had insisted they leave the cottage immediately. "They want you to panic. They want you to run, or lash out, so they can use it against you in court."
Claire sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes red from crying, but her tears had stopped. A cold, hard anger was beginning to take their place.
She had spent years being the victim. She had spent years trembling in the corner, hoping that if she was quiet enough, if she was good enough, the abuse would stop.
But it had never stopped. It had only changed forms.
"I'm not running anymore, Ethan," Claire said, her voice deadly quiet.
Ethan looked at her, surprised by the sudden change in her tone. "Claire?"
"Every time I try to play by the rules, they use the rules against me," she said, standing up and walking to the window, looking out at the neon lights of the motel sign. "They want a war? I’ll give them one. But I’m not going to fight it in their courtroom."
She pulled out her phone and called Julian Vance.
"Julian," Claire said when he answered. "Did you find Rebecca?"
"I did," Julian said, his voice tight with excitement. "She’s hiding out in a small cabin in upstate New York. She has a mountain of evidence—bank statements, wire transfers, and the original copy of the legacy trust agreement. She’s terrified to go to the authorities because Grant threatened her life. But she’s willing to talk to us if we can guarantee her safety."
"We are coming to get her," Claire said.
"Claire, that's incredibly dangerous," Julian warned. "If Grant is tracking you, he might follow you straight to her."
"That’s exactly what I want him to do," Claire said, a cold, calculating smile playing on her lips. "I want them to think they’ve backed me into a corner. I’m going to use myself as bait."
"Claire, no!" Ethan protested, grabbing her shoulder. "You can't risk your life like this!"
"Ethan, they vandalized my home. They threatened my baby," Claire said, turning to face him, her eyes burning with an intense, unyielding fire. "They will never stop until they are behind bars. We need to catch them in the act of committing a federal crime. If we go to Rebecca, and the Sterlings follow us to try and silence her, we will have Julian there with a hidden camera feed broadcasting directly to the FBI."
Ethan stared at his sister, realizing that the gentle, quiet woman he had protected for so long was gone. In her place stood a mother who was ready to tear the world apart to protect her child.
"Okay," Ethan said slowly, a fierce, prideful smile forming on his face. "Let’s go hunting."
The plan was set. They would leave Maya under the heavy, round-the-clock protection of Ethan’s trusted security team at a secure, undisclosed location. Then, Claire, Ethan, and Julian would drive to upstate New York to meet Rebecca.
But as they packed their bags in the motel room, Claire’s phone buzzed again.
It was a text message from an unknown number.
It was a photo.
Claire felt her heart stop.
May you like
The photo was taken from a distance, through a telephoto lens. It showed Ethan’s security team standing outside the secure safehouse where Maya was supposed to be hidden.
Beneath the photo was a single line of text: “Did you really think you could hide our legacy from us? We are always one step ahead, Claire.”
