Chapter 10 - THE LAST LIEEric didn’t escape for Claire.
He escaped for the twins.
That became clear within an hour.
The babies had been released from hospital observation and placed temporarily with Claire’s sister, Amanda, under supervision.
At 2:14 a.m., Amanda’s security system went offline.
By 2:20, she and the twins were gone.
Claire was seen entering the property.
Eric’s vehicle appeared on highway cameras heading south.
Toward Savannah.
Grace immediately understood.
“They’re going to my mother.”
Nathan looked at her.
“Why?”
“The evidence.”
Evelyn’s box contained enough documentation to destroy Eric permanently.
Vale placed the Carter cottage under protection.
But Eric wasn’t heading for Tybee Island.
His vehicle turned west.
Jonathan traced an old Whitmore property outside Statesboro.
An abandoned flight-testing facility.
Nathan recognized it.
“My grandfather used to take us there.”
Jonathan went pale.
“The bunker.”
Grace looked at him.
“What bunker?”
“Underground records storage.”
It had been closed for fifteen years.
Or publicly closed.
Federal teams mobilized.
Nathan was ordered to stay behind.
Again.
This time he listened.
Grace noticed.
“You’re not arguing?”
He shook his head.
“You’re trained for this. I’m not.”
A small sentence.
A significant change.
Grace nodded once.
“I’ll call.”
Nathan caught her hand.
She stopped.
He released it immediately.
“Come back.”
Grace looked at him.
“I intend to.”
Eric Halden stood inside the underground facility with a pistol.
Claire held one twin.
Amanda held the other.
Amanda was crying.
“You said nobody would get hurt.”
Eric snapped, “Be quiet.”
Claire looked exhausted.
“This wasn’t the agreement.”
Eric laughed.
“There is no agreement anymore.”
Claire shifted the baby against her.
“You said we were leaving together.”
“We are.”
“You don’t need Amanda.”
“No.”
Amanda froze.
Claire understood.
“Eric.”
He pointed the gun toward Amanda.
Claire stepped in front.
“Don’t.”
Eric’s expression changed.
“You think you’re their mother now?”
“I am their mother.”
“You were willing to hand them to Eleanor for money.”
Claire flinched.
“I made a mistake.”
“You made hundreds.”
“So did you.”
Eric raised the weapon.
Before he could fire, alarms screamed.
Federal agents breached the outer building.
Eric grabbed Claire.
He pressed the gun against her neck.
Amanda crouched behind equipment with one baby.
Claire clutched the other.
Grace entered with Vale.
“Eric!”
He turned.
“You.”
Grace kept her weapon lowered.
“It’s over.”
“You’ve been saying that for twenty years.”
“I was nineteen when my father died.”
“Your father should have kept his mouth shut.”
That sentence nearly destroyed her control.
“Did you kill him?”
Eric smiled.
“Would it matter?”
“Yes.”
“Then yes.”
Claire stared at him.
“You told me it was Eleanor.”
Eric laughed.
“Eleanor signed the check. I handled the details.”
Grace’s jaw tightened.
“And William Whitmore?”
Eric’s smile faded.
“He became inconvenient.”
Nathan’s father too.
There it was.
A confession.
Grace knew the transmitter carried every word.
Eric tightened his grip around Claire.
“I need a vehicle.”
Vale answered.
“Not happening.”
“Then she dies.”
Claire began shaking.
The newborn cried.
Grace looked at her.
A woman who had participated in ruining her marriage.
A woman who tried to steal her place.
A woman who had lied repeatedly.
And still, Grace saw a terrified mother holding an innocent child.
“Eric.”
He looked at her.
“Take me instead.”
Vale shot her a warning glance.
Eric laughed.
“Why?”
“You want leverage. Claire is worthless now.”
Claire flinched.
Grace continued.
“I have the original evidence.”
Eric’s eyes sharpened.
“You’re lying.”
“William’s tapes. Samuel Carter’s records. Financial authorization.”
“Where?”
“Safe.”
Eric hesitated.
Grace knew greed better than fear.
She stepped closer.
“Let Claire and the babies go. I’ll give you the location.”
“Grace,” Vale warned.
Eric considered.
Then shoved Claire away.
She stumbled.
Agents pulled her and the child to safety.
Eric pointed the gun at Grace.
“Come here.”
Grace obeyed.
He backed toward a side corridor.
“Evidence.”
“Outside.”
“You said—”
“I said I’d give you the location.”
Eric’s face twisted.
“You’re exactly like your father.”
Grace looked at him.
“Thank you.”
His finger tightened on the trigger.
A shot exploded.
Grace flinched.
Eric’s weapon fell.
A bullet had struck his shoulder.
Agents surged forward.
Vale had fired.
Within seconds Eric was pinned to the floor.
Grace stood over him.
He screamed.
“You think this ends anything?”
Grace looked down.
“Yes.”
“No.”
He laughed through pain.
“Eleanor will never let you win.”
Grace crouched.
“You still don’t understand.”
Eric stared.
“This was never about winning.”
She stood.
“It was about ending what people like you kept doing because everyone else was too afraid to speak.”
Eric was taken away.
Claire sat against the wall holding both twins.
She looked at Grace.
“I’m sorry.”
Grace stopped.
Claire’s face crumpled.
“I know that means nothing.”
“It means something.”
Claire looked surprised.
“It doesn’t fix anything,” Grace continued. “But it’s a start.”
Claire cried quietly.
“Will you ever forgive me?”
Grace thought about it.
“I don’t know.”
Then she walked away.
Outside, dawn was beginning.
Nathan waited behind the federal perimeter.
When Grace appeared, he didn’t run toward her.
He waited.
Grace walked to him.
He searched her face.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
Then Grace closed the distance and hugged him.
Nathan froze.
He didn’t assume what it meant.
He simply held her.
For a few seconds.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
May you like
And for the first time in months, Grace felt something other than betrayal.
She felt possibility.
