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Chapter 390
The bus terminal was everything Harry hated about the world beyond Marta's cabin. It was loud, crowded, and too impersonal. Announcements blared from overhead speakers, competing with the rumble of diesel engines and the chatter of strangers. The smell of exhaust and cheap coffee hung in the air like a physical presence.Harry stood in line at the ticket counter, his bag slung over one shoulder, the small wooden bird Marta had given him clutched in his pocket. His fingers traced its smooth contours absently, a talisman against the chaos."Next."He stepped forward, purchased his ticket, and moved to the waiting area. His bus wasn't for another forty minutes. He found a seat near a window, set his bag at his feet, and tried to quiet his mind.But something was wrong.At first, he couldn't name it. Just a vague unease, the kind of feeling you get when you've forgotten something important but can't remember what. He checked his pockets for his phone, wallet, ticket, the wooden bird. Ev
Chapter 389
Susan looked up then. Brenda's eyes were wet. Genuine tears? Or just another performance?"Richard made his choices," Susan said quietly. "He paid for them. That doesn't change what he did. What you did.""I know." Brenda's voice was barely above a whisper. "I know."They stood in silence, two women bound by a family that had caused them both immense pain. Steven breathed between them, unaware, unresponsive.Finally, Brenda stepped back. "I should go. But Susan—" She paused at the door. "If you need anything. Anything at all. Call me."She left, the door closing softly behind her.Susan sat alone with Steven, his hand in hers, and wondered if she would ever understand the people in this family. If she would ever trust again. ***The morning sun filtered through the trees surrounding Marta's cabin, casting long shadows across the porch where Harry sat with a cup of tea. The days had blurred together in this place—a strange, suspended time between the nightmare of his captivity and wh
Chapter 388
The drive back to the city was silent. Courtney sat in the back of the van, the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders, watching the industrial landscape give way to suburbs, then to the familiar streets of the city. Gary sat beside her, his hand resting on hers, a steady presence she couldn't quite feel.Dana's words echoed in her skull like a bell that wouldn't stop ringing.Next time.Next time meant there would be a next time. Next time meant Dana wasn't running—she was waiting. Next time meant this wasn't over.When they finally reached Gary's apartment, Courtney moved on autopilot. She shed her jacket, sat on the couch, stared at the wall. Gary made tea, set it beside her, sat across from her. She didn't touch it."Courtney." His voice was soft, careful. "You need to sleep.""I can't.""You need to try."She shook her head slowly. "Every time I close my eyes, I see her. The warehouse. The gun. That smile." She pulled the blanket tighter. "She said next time. What does that
Chapter 387
Priya didn't respond. She was fully focused now, her hands moving in quick, precise adjustments on the wheel. The van bounced over uneven pavement, rattling Courtney's teeth.They rounded a corner and saw it: Dana's car, fishtailing as she took a turn too fast, then straightening and accelerating toward a row of abandoned warehouses."She's heading for the old loading docks," Courtney said. "If she makes it through, she'll hit the rail yard. After that—""She's gone," Flynn finished. "I see her. I'm coming in hot."Through the windshield, Courtney saw Flynn's SUV appear from a side alley, cutting diagonally across Dana's path. For a moment, it looked like he would intercept her—like the chase would end here, in this desolate stretch of forgotten industry.But Dana was faster.At the last possible second, she wrenched the wheel, sending her car into a sideways slide that somehow threaded the needle between Flynn's SUV and a collapsed wall. Metal screamed against metal as she clipped
Chapter 386
Three days passed and Courtney had slept, ate, and studied the dossier until she could recite it from memory. Gary stayed by her side, a constant presence. Chance checked in daily, bringing updates from Gerald and Flynn.On Thursday night, Courtney's phone rang. She glanced at the screen, and it was Flynn.She answered immediately. "What do you have?""We've been watching the diner," Flynn said. "The one from Webb's file. He showed up an hour ago. Alone."Courtney's heart rate spiked. "Is Dana with him?""Not yet. But he's waiting. Ordering coffee, checking his watch. Looks nervous." A pause. "We're setting up surveillance. If Dana shows, we'll know.""I'm coming.""Courtney—""I'm coming, Flynn. I won't get in the way. I just need to see. Need to know." Her voice was steady, but there was an edge to it that Flynn recognized.A long pause. Then: "Fine. But you stay in the van with Priya. You don't get out. Understood?""Understood."Gary was already grabbing his coat. "I'm driving."
Chapter 385
Gary straightened. "Webb? That name...""Marcus Webb is a known associate of the Young family," Gerald confirmed. "Low-level logistics, mostly."Courtney's eyes had gone wide. The grief was still there, a permanent resident in the lines of her face, but something else was rising to meet it—a fierce, burning focus that Chance recognized all too well."He rented the vehicle," Gerald continued carefully. "Whether he was driving it that night, we can't confirm yet. But it's a strong lead.""I want everything on this Marcus Webb," Courtney said. Gerald hesitated. "Courtney, I know you're—""I'm not asking as a victim," she interrupted. Chance looked at Gary. Gary looked at Chance. Something passed between them—a silent acknowledgment that this was exactly what Courtney needed.Courtney was already reaching for her laptop, her movements sharp and purposeful. The hollow woman from moments ago was gone, replaced by something harder, more focused. Gary watched her with a mixture of relief an
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