Chapter 11 - The Second Hostage
Aunt Diane had disappeared that morning.
Nobody noticed immediately because she lived alone and often spent days at her lake cabin.
Chloe had noticed.
She knew our family better than I did.
“I want the patent archive released.”
Chloe’s voice was calm.
“No police.”
“You kidnapped my aunt.”
“Don’t make this dramatic.”
Diane stared angrily at the camera.
“Don’t give her a damn thing, Ethan.”
Chloe slapped the phone away from Diane’s face.
I heard the impact but couldn’t see what happened.
“Chloe.”
My voice dropped.
“Touch her again and there will be nothing left to negotiate.”
Chloe laughed.
“You still think you’re in charge.”
Detective Bennett motioned for me to keep talking while technicians traced the call.
“What do you actually want?”
“The original patent keys.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Ask your mother.”
I looked at Mom.
Her expression told me she knew.
Chloe saw it too.
“Exactly.”
The call ended.
Mom explained.
The digital patent archive was encrypted.
The downloaded files were useless without a physical authentication device.
My father had created three encrypted security keys.
One had been destroyed after his death.
One was held by the patent attorneys.
The final one belonged to Mom.
“Where is it?”
She hesitated.
“Somewhere Chloe never looked.”
“Where?”
Mom smiled faintly.
“In the mop closet.”
For the first time in forty-eight hours, Maya laughed.
The device was hidden inside the hollow handle of an old feather duster.
The same closet where Chloe had grabbed the mop she used against Maya.
Police recovered it.
Nathan wanted the key placed in court custody.
Detective Bennett wanted to use it to draw Chloe out.
Mom wanted Chloe stopped.
I wanted Diane home.
We built a plan.
I texted Chloe.
I HAVE THE KEY.
Her reply came within thirty seconds.
COME ALONE.
She gave me an address.
An abandoned veterinary clinic outside the city.
Bennett shook her head.
“You are not going alone.”
“She’ll be watching.”
“Then we make her believe you are.”
At 10:42 p.m., I drove toward the clinic carrying a duplicate case.
Police teams remained several minutes behind.
The building looked dark.
I entered through a side door.
“Chloe?”
A light clicked on.
Diane sat in the middle of the room.
Alone.
I ran toward her.
Then she screamed.
“DON’T!”
I stopped.
A phone had been taped beneath her chair.
Its screen showed a live video.
Chloe wasn’t in the clinic.
She was watching remotely.
“You really do choose family.”
I heard her voice through a speaker.
“Put the key on the table.”
I set down the case.
“Let Diane go.”
Chloe laughed.
“I already did.”
The locks around Diane’s wrists released electronically.
Then Chloe added.
“But while you were driving out there, I visited someone else.”
My blood froze.
Behind Chloe on the video was an empty hospital bed.
May you like
My mother’s bed.
*
