Chapter 14 - Mr. Moon Had a Tracker
Daniel reached the child center in nine minutes.
The forged order bore a judge’s signature and a court seal good enough to fool the front desk.
Security footage showed Victoria wearing sunglasses and a dark coat. Lily walked beside her clutching Mr. Moon.
Daniel nearly stopped breathing.
“She went willingly,” the receptionist said.
“She’s six,” he snapped. “She went because an adult told her she had to.”
Ramirez issued an abduction alert.
Airports were notified. Victoria’s cards were frozen. Mason’s phone went dark at the same time.
Rebecca gripped Daniel’s arm.
“Think. Does Lily have anything traceable?”
Daniel stared at the screen.
Mr. Moon.
Six months earlier, after Lily wandered away at a crowded science museum, Daniel had hidden a small Bluetooth-GPS tag in the rabbit’s stitched pocket.
He opened the tracking app.
A blue dot moved south on Interstate 17.
“Got her.”
Police units began converging, but the signal left the highway and disappeared into a rural dead zone near Lake Arden.
Daniel knew the area.
Morgan Holdings owned an old retreat property there, closed for renovations.
He drove behind Ramirez’s unmarked car through freezing rain.
At the property gate, fresh tire tracks cut through mud.
The main house was dark.
One upstairs window glowed.
Then Daniel’s phone rang.
Victoria.
He answered on speaker.
“Where is Lily?”
“She’s safe.”
“Let me hear her.”
A pause.
Then Lily’s voice, small and frightened.
“Daddy?”
“I’m here, bug.”
Victoria grabbed the phone back.
“You destroyed everything.”
“You kidnapped my daughter.”
“You took my life first.”
“You built your life out of lies.”
Victoria’s breathing changed.
“Come inside alone.”
Ramirez shook his head hard.
Daniel ignored him.
“If I do, Lily walks out.”
“No police.”
Daniel looked at the dark windows.
“Where’s Mason?”
Silence.
Then a man’s voice came faintly through the call.
“Tell him to bring the drive.”
Mason.
Victoria returned to the phone.
“You heard him.”
Daniel looked toward the house.
May you like
“Which drive?”
“The one Hannah left behind.”
