Chapter 9 - THE LODGE ABOVE THE CLIFF
Snow began falling before they reached the mountain.
Grant drove the visible vehicle.
Emma sat beside him.
A federal transmitter remained hidden beneath the dashboard.
Agents followed at a distance without headlights.
The mountain lodge appeared through the trees shortly after midnight.
One light burned upstairs.
Grant entered first.
Emma followed despite the gun Victor pointed at them.
Lily sat in a wooden chair near the fireplace.
Her wrists were tied with silk scarf fabric.
A red burn marked one cheek.
She was conscious.
She looked at Emma.
Then at Grant.
Her mouth opened.
No sound came.
Owen stood beside the window holding Claire’s audit file.
“You brought the originals?”
Grant raised a sealed envelope.
“You release Lily first.”
Owen laughed.
“You still negotiate like a board chairman.”
“She is not a contract.”
“She is twenty-eight percent of the company.”
Grant’s face hardened.
“She is my daughter.”
“That is why you have always been weak.”
Victor searched Emma and Grant.
He found no weapons.
He did not find the transmitter hidden inside Emma’s coat button.
Owen took the envelope.
It contained copies.
He realized immediately.
“You think I’m stupid?”
“I think Claire made dozens of copies.”
“She taught me never to trust one archive.”
The claim was partly a bluff.
Owen could not know that.
Lily began tapping one foot against the chair.
Seven times.
Pause.
Seven times again.
Emma looked toward the ceiling.
A smoke detector flashed above them.
Lily had noticed it.
A security camera rested inside the casing.
Victor’s system was recording.
Owen planned to create another false story.
Grant attacking his brother.
Emma helping abduct Lily.
A tragic struggle near the cliff.
Emma moved closer to the fireplace.
Victor raised the gun.
“Stay where you are.”
“I’m cold.”
“No one cares.”
Lily’s eyes moved toward the iron fire tool beside Emma.
Then toward the loose knot around one wrist.
She had been working it open.
Emma understood.
She began talking.
“You chose me because my mother was sick.”
Owen glanced at her.
“Renata chose you.”
“She said desperate women are predictable.”
“Were you?”
“For six months.”
Emma took another step.
Victor moved toward her.
Lily pulled her hand free.
She grabbed the burning log poker and struck the camera housing.
Sparks fell from the ceiling.
The room went dark.
Grant moved toward Lily.
Victor fired.
The bullet struck the wall.
Emma threw hot fireplace ash into his face.
Victor screamed.
May you like
Owen grabbed Lily and dragged her toward the rear door.
Beyond it waited the mountain road.
