Chapter 17 - The Sister's Redemption
"Rachel! Over here!" Madison’s frantic whisper pierced the sound of the rain.
I didn't hesitate. I sprinted across the sodden earth, my bare feet slipping on wet pine needles, clutching Chloe to my chest like the most fragile glass. Madison caught me by the arm, pulling me directly into the passenger seat, slamming the door, and throwing a dry fleece blanket over Chloe and me.
"Are you hit? Is she hurt?" Madison’s hands shook as she inspected Chloe, her eyes wild with adrenaline.
"We're alive," I breathed, gasping for oxygen, checking Chloe’s face. She was crying now, cold and wet, but completely whole. "Madison... how did you know? How are you here?"
Madison jammed the SUV into gear and gunned the engine down the unpaved logging road without headlights, navigating by infrared display on the dashboard.
"I’ve been monitoring the family’s private accounts since Marcus went down," Madison said, her knuckles bone-white on the steering wheel. "Two hours ago, an offshore escrow account in the Caymans released a two-million-dollar wire to an ex-paramilitary outfit in Jersey. Evelyn authorized it from her villa in Zurich. She orchestrated Daniel’s escape."
"Evelyn," I spat the name like poison. "Even from across the ocean, she’s still pulling the strings."
"Not for long," Madison said, glancing in the rearview mirror. Behind us, above the canopy of the woods, an orange glow began to bloom into the rainy night sky.
My heart shattered. They had torched my father’s house.
"Vance..." I choked out.
"Agent Vance made it out," Madison assured me grimly. "He was patched into my comms two minutes ago. He took two rounds to the shoulder, but he took down three of Daniel’s contractors. The marshals have locked down Dutchess County. But Daniel slipped into the woods before the perimeter closed."
"Why?" I asked, looking down at my daughter’s innocent, tear-streaked face. "Marcus and Daniel are ruined. Their assets are frozen. Why would Daniel risk a federal manhunt just to come after us?"
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Madison reached into the center console and pulled out a manila folder stamped with a crimson seal from the Manhattan Surrogate's Court.
"Because of what your father did before he died, Rachel. Daniel isn't just running for his life. He’s hunting Chloe because without her, he’s a dead man."
