CHAPTER 8 — THE CHILD AS BAIT
CHAPTER 8 — THE CHILD AS BAIT
The ambulance arrived twelve minutes later.
Twelve minutes too late.
Dominic stood beside the bed as paramedics worked over his mother, but he already knew from their faces that they were fighting a battle they had probably lost.
Claire stood in the doorway.
She couldn't stop staring at the bloodstain on her mother's coat.
"Is she—"
Dominic didn't answer.
The lead paramedic shook his head.
"I'm sorry."
Claire closed her eyes.
For seventeen years, she had dreamed of meeting her mother.
She had imagined questions.
Arguments.
An explanation.
She had received seven minutes.
And then silence.
Dominic watched Claire fold inward.
Something inside him hardened.
Gabriel had done this deliberately.
He hadn't simply wanted his mother dead.
He wanted Dominic angry.
He wanted Claire frightened.
He wanted them moving exactly where he wanted them to move.
The cemetery.
The vault.
The truth.
Dominic turned toward Marcus.
"Lock down the estate."
Marcus nodded.
"No one leaves."
"Not even us?"
Dominic looked at Claire.
"Especially us."
Three hours later, the mansion was surrounded.
Every gate was guarded.
Every vehicle was searched.
Every member of the staff had been moved into the main hall.
Dominic stood in front of them.
"Until we find Gabriel, nobody goes anywhere alone."
A nervous murmur passed through the room.
Then Harper appeared at the top of the staircase.
She was still wearing the yellow nightgown from the morning Mia had been found.
"Mr. Dominic?"
Dominic immediately walked toward her.
"What is it?"
"Where's Mommy?"
"She's resting."
Harper looked toward Mia's room.
"Can I see her?"
"Later."
Harper lowered her eyes.
"She told me something."
Dominic crouched.
"What?"
"Before she went downstairs with Miss Claire."
Dominic's expression changed.
"What did she tell you?"
Harper whispered:
"She said if anything happened, I should give you this."
The little girl reached into the pocket of her nightgown.
She pulled out a tiny silver key.
Dominic stared.
"Where did you get that?"
"Mommy gave it to me."
"When?"
"The night before she disappeared."
Claire came closer.
"Harper, did your mother tell you what it opens?"
Harper nodded.
"A music box."
Dominic exchanged a glance with Claire.
"What music box?"
Harper pointed toward the library.
"The pretty one in your house."
Dominic's blood ran cold.
"The music box in Vermont?"
Harper shook her head.
"No."
She pointed toward the library.
"The one here."
Dominic entered the library.
Claire followed.
They searched every shelf.
Every drawer.
Every cabinet.
Nothing.
Then Harper walked in.
She looked around.
"That's not it."
She pointed toward the fireplace.
"Mommy said it was behind the fire."
Dominic moved the grate.
A hidden compartment appeared.
Inside was a small wooden music box.
Claire stared at it.
"That's the same one."
Dominic opened the lid.
A melody played.
Three notes.
Then four.
Claire's face went pale.
"The song."
"What?"
"My mother used to sing this."
The music box stopped.
A tiny drawer opened.
Inside was a photograph.
Harper.
Mia.
And a man Dominic didn't recognize.
On the back were four words:
HE KNOWS ABOUT HER.
Dominic looked at Harper.
"Who is this man?"
Harper pointed at the photograph.
"That's Uncle Gabriel."
Silence.
Dominic's expression changed.
"Gabriel?"
Harper nodded.
"He used to visit Mommy."
Claire stared at the child.
"When?"
"Before you came."
Dominic crouched.
"Harper, did Gabriel ever talk to you?"
"Yes."
"What did he say?"
"He said I was special."
Claire's face tightened.
"Why?"
Harper shrugged.
"He said little girls can open doors."
Dominic immediately stood.
The silver key in his hand suddenly felt much heavier.
At 2:17 a.m., the first alarm sounded.
A side door had opened.
Marcus ran into the hall.
"Boss!"
Dominic drew his weapon.
"What?"
"The child."
Dominic froze.
"Harper?"
"She's gone."
Mia woke screaming.
"Harper!"
Dominic rushed upstairs.
The bedroom window was open.
The security camera had been disabled.
On the floor lay Harper's yellow nightgown.
Dominic picked it up.
There was a note beneath it.
One sentence.
BRING ISABELLA TO THE CEMETERY. ALONE.
Claire appeared behind him.
Her face was white.
"No."
Dominic looked at her.
"What?"
"They took Harper."
"I know."
"They're using her as bait."
"I know."
Claire shook her head.
"You can't go."
Dominic stared at her.
"I have to."
"No."
"They have a child."
"They want you to think that."
"What do you mean?"
Claire pointed at the note.
"They didn't say bring Dominic."
She looked at the words.
"They said bring Isabella."
Dominic understood.
"This isn't about me."
"No."
Claire's voice trembled.
"It's about the heir."
Mia was barely conscious when Dominic entered her room.
"Where is Harper?"
Mia tried to sit up.
"Dominic..."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"Gabriel took her."
Mia's face changed.
"No."
"You knew he might come."
"I knew he was dangerous."
"You didn't tell me."
"I was trying to protect her."
Dominic's voice became cold.
"She's four years old."
Mia began to cry.
"He came here three weeks ago."
Dominic stopped.
"What?"
"He asked about the girl."
"What girl?"
"Claire."
Claire stood behind him.
Mia looked at her.
"He knew she was Isabella."
Claire whispered:
"How?"
Mia shook her head.
"I don't know."
Dominic stared.
"What did Gabriel want?"
"He wanted me to give him the key."
"What key?"
"The silver one."
Dominic pulled it from his pocket.
"This?"
Mia nodded.
"Yes."
"What does it open?"
Mia looked toward Claire.
"The Vale vault."
The cemetery was two hours away.
Dominic drove.
Claire sat beside him.
Neither spoke.
Marcus followed in another vehicle.
Dominic had told him to stay back.
No lights.
No sirens.
No weapons visible.
Gabriel wanted Isabella.
He would get Isabella.
But Dominic had no intention of giving him Claire.
As they approached the cemetery, Claire noticed something.
"Stop."
Dominic slowed.
"What?"
"There."
A black SUV.
Abandoned.
Dominic pulled over.
They approached carefully.
The driver's door was open.
Inside was a bloodstain.
No body.
Claire whispered:
"Another message."
On the dashboard was a photograph.
Harper.
She was sitting in a dark room.
Alive.
Terrified.
And holding a teddy bear.
On the back:
SHE HAS ONE HOUR.
Dominic's jaw tightened.
Claire grabbed his arm.
"Don't lose control."
"They have a child."
"I know."
"They're threatening Mia's daughter."
"I know."
Dominic looked at the photograph.
Then something caught his attention.
Harper's teddy bear.
There was a small silver bird embroidered on its chest.
Claire recognized it.
"That symbol."
"What?"
"The Vale crest."
Dominic stared.
"Why would Gabriel give Harper that?"
Claire shook her head.
"He didn't."
"Then who did?"
Claire looked at the photograph again.
Her eyes widened.
"Harper did."
"What?"
"Look at her hand."
Dominic zoomed in.
Harper was holding the teddy bear.
But her thumb covered a tiny metal clasp.
Claire whispered:
"She's showing us where she is."
Dominic stared.
The child wasn't merely waiting to be rescued.
She was sending them a message.
They reached the cemetery at 3:03 a.m.
Fog covered the graves.
Dominic stepped out.
Claire followed.
"Stay behind me."
She shook her head.
"I'm the bait."
"You are not bait."
"That's exactly what I am."
Dominic looked at her.
"They want me."
"They want Isabella."
Claire's voice was steady.
"Then let them think they have her."
They walked toward the oldest section.
At the center stood a large black monument.
ADRIAN VALE.
Dominic stopped.
The grave was sealed.
He touched the stone.
"My father."
Claire looked around.
"Where's the vault?"
Dominic pulled out the silver key.
The ground beneath them clicked.
A section of stone shifted.
A staircase appeared.
Dominic stared.
"That's it."
They descended.
The vault door stood open.
Inside was a single chair.
A table.
And a video screen.
The screen turned on.
Gabriel appeared.
Harper sat beside him.
Dominic's blood ran cold.
"Let her go."
Gabriel smiled.
"Hello, Dominic."
"You want me?"
"No."
"Then what?"
Gabriel looked at Claire.
"I want Isabella."
Claire stepped forward.
"I'm here."
Gabriel smiled.
"Good."
Dominic moved in front of her.
Gabriel's expression changed.
"Move."
"No."
"Dominic."
"I said no."
Gabriel sighed.
"Then Harper dies."
Harper began crying.
"Mr. Dominic..."
Dominic's face changed.
Claire whispered:
"Don't."
Gabriel smiled.
"You see?"
He looked at Claire.
"That's why children are useful."
Claire stepped forward.
"Let her go."
"Give me the key."
Claire held up the silver key.
"This?"
"Yes."
She looked at Dominic.
He shook his head.
Don't.
Claire ignored him.
She walked toward the camera.
"I'll give it to you."
Gabriel smiled.
"Good girl."
But Claire stopped.
"After you answer one question."
Gabriel's expression changed.
"What?"
"Why Harper?"
Silence.
Claire continued.
"Why choose her?"
Gabriel looked at the child.
"Because Mia protected you."
Claire's eyes narrowed.
"And?"
"Because Harper is the one person you would sacrifice everything to save."
Claire froze.
"What do you mean?"
Gabriel smiled.
"Ask your friend."
Dominic frowned.
"What friend?"
Gabriel looked toward the camera.
Then another screen activated.
A live image appeared.
Mia.
Bound.
Alive.
But someone stood behind her.
A man in a black mask.
Gabriel's voice became cold.
"Choose."
Claire stared.
"Harper."
"Or Mia."
Dominic's hands clenched.
Gabriel smiled.
"You have five minutes."
The screen went black.
Silence filled the vault.
Claire looked at Dominic.
"They're both alive."
"For now."
"We have to save them."
"We will."
"How?"
Dominic stared at the screen.
Then he noticed something.
The video of Harper had been filmed inside the vault.
But the image of Mia was live.
Meaning the second location was nearby.
He looked at the walls.
Then the floor.
A ventilation system hummed beneath them.
"She's here."
Claire looked at him.
"Who?"
"Mia."
He pointed toward the wall.
"The live feed is coming from inside this cemetery."
Claire's eyes widened.
Dominic grabbed his radio.
"Marcus."
Static.
Then:
"Yes, boss."
"Find the second chamber."
"Understood."
Dominic looked at Claire.
"Gabriel made one mistake."
"What?"
"He thought we'd choose."
Claire understood.
"We're saving both."
The lights suddenly went out.
A door slammed behind them.
Then Gabriel's voice came through the darkness.
"You have four minutes."
Claire reached for Dominic's hand.
And somewhere beneath the cemetery, Harper began screaming.
Not because someone had touched her.
But because she had seen something.
Something that made the little girl whisper through the darkness:
"Mommy?"
A woman's voice answered.
"Harper?"
Mia.
Alive.
But the voice wasn't coming from the room where Dominic expected her to be.
It was coming from directly beneath them.
And then Harper screamed:
"There's another mommy down here!"
Dominic and Claire froze.
Another woman.
Another identity.
Another secret.
And suddenly the photograph of the two babies came back to Claire.
Two names.
Two bracelets.
Two stories.
She whispered:
"Dominic..."
"What?"
"I think Gabriel didn't kidnap Harper to use her as bait."
"Then why?"
Claire stared into the darkness.
"Because Harper found the other child."
The floor beneath them shifted.
May you like
A hidden door opened.
And from somewhere below came the sound of a baby crying.
