CHAPTER 28 — THE LEGAL ABDUCTION
Claire was held for six hours.
Then the charges against her were suddenly suspended.
No explanation was given.
Sarah wanted her free.
That frightened Claire more than prison.
Cole remained in custody.
Mason disappeared after the hearing.
Olivia left the courthouse in Sarah’s vehicle.
Daniel vanished before police could question him.
Only Dana and Elaine waited outside for Claire.
“Sarah transferred Lily to a private guardianship residence,” Dana said.
“Where?”
“No official address exists.”
Claire unfolded Lily’s drawing.
Room Nine had a second door hidden behind a wall.
Three small circles appeared above it.
Elaine recognized the design.
“Those are pressure valves.”
“For what?”
“An underground medical wing.”
Rebecca’s secret access point activated that evening.
A text message appeared on Claire’s computer.
I AM ALIVE.
Claire typed back.
WHERE IS LILY?
The answer came slowly.
NORTH HARBOR. BENEATH THE ORIGINAL FOUNDATION.
Claire sent another question.
WHERE IS OLIVIA?
The screen flickered.
WITH ME.
Then:
DO NOT TRUST DANIEL.
A map appeared.
The underground complex extended from the courthouse to the abandoned maternity annex and beneath the new Bennett Coastal headquarters.
Gray Tide had constructed an entire network under North Harbor.
A second message appeared.
LILY HAS A TRACKER.
Claire remembered the stuffed rabbit.
Mr. Buttons had been taken with Lily.
Dana located a weak signal beneath the oldest section of the harbor.
It was moving.
Sarah was transporting Lily through the underground tunnels.
Margaret arrived shortly before midnight.
Her coat was torn, and blood marked one side of her face.
“Where have you been?” Claire demanded.
“Peter told you about Caroline.”
“Rebecca.”
“Yes.”
“You gave away one of your daughters.”
Margaret did not defend herself.
“Sarah threatened to kill both of you. I believed separating you was the only chance one would survive.”
“You chose me.”
“I kept the child Peter could legally protect.”
“And left Rebecca with Gray Tide.”
“I searched for her for twenty-nine years.”
Claire wanted to hate her.
Instead, she saw a woman whose decisions had destroyed everyone she tried to save.
Margaret placed a pistol on the table.
“Sarah contacted me.”
“What did she want?”
“The Vane registry.”
“Peter has it.”
“Not anymore.”
Margaret opened her hand.
The microfilm capsule rested in her palm.
Claire stepped back.
“You took it.”
“Peter gave it to me before the courthouse hearing.”
“Why?”
“He believed I could trade it for Lily.”
“You are not meeting Sarah alone.”
“I am not meeting Sarah.”
Margaret pointed toward the map.
“She is coming here.”
Every light in the building went out.
The tracker signal stopped moving.
A child’s voice came from the dark hallway.
“Mommy?”
Claire ran toward it.
“Lily?”
A small figure stood near the entrance holding a stuffed rabbit.
Claire reached her.
Then stopped.
The child was not Lily.
She was the same age.
The same height.
She had the same dark hair.
May you like
The girl looked up at Claire.
“Are you the mother they promised me?”
