Chapter 5: The Mother Who Came Back
I ran.
I didn't wait for Officer Daniels.
I didn't wait for anyone.
I raced down the stairs, grabbed my car keys, and ran outside.
"Ryan!""
Daniels followed me.
"Get back here!""
I barely heard him.
I had one thought.
Sophie.
The little girl who had spent years sleeping behind my walls was alone in a hospital room with the woman she feared most.
I drove through two red lights before Daniels' patrol car caught up with me.
When we reached the hospital, two officers were already waiting near the pediatric entrance.
One of them approached.
"Mr. Carter, we have the situation contained.""
"Where is Sophie?""
"Inside.""
"Is she safe?""
The officer hesitated.
That was enough.
I pushed past him.
Daniels caught my shoulder.
"Wait.""
I turned.
"She's my daughter.""
"I know.""
"Then let me see her.""
He released me.
We hurried toward the pediatric ward.
A nurse stood outside Sophie's room.
Her face was pale.
"Where is she?"" I asked.
"She's in the room.""
"Is Mara with her?""
"No. Security removed her.""
I looked through the glass.
Sophie was sitting upright in bed.
She had pulled the blanket over her head.
I opened the door slowly.
"Sweetheart?""
The blanket moved.
Two frightened eyes appeared.
"Daddy?""
I approached the bed.
"I'm here.""
She immediately reached for me.
I sat down and wrapped my arms around her.
Her little body trembled.
"She came.""
"I know.""
"She said you were bad.""
I closed my eyes.
"What else did she say?""
Sophie buried her face against my chest.
"She said I had to go back.""
"You're not going anywhere.""
"She said Lily was waiting.""
I pulled back.
"What?""
Sophie looked at me.
"She said Lily was coming with her.""
My blood turned cold.
I stood immediately.
"Where is Lily?""
Daniels was already calling the house.
No answer.
He tried again.
Then his expression changed.
"Get the patrol unit back to the Carter residence.""
I grabbed his arm.
"What happened?""
"The officer stationed at your house isn't answering.""
I felt the air leave my lungs.
"Emily?""
He didn't answer.
We rushed toward the elevators.
I called my wife.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then someone answered.
It wasn't Emily.
"Hello, Ryan.""
Mara.
I stopped walking.
"Where's my daughter?""
A soft laugh came through the speaker.
"Which one?""
My hand tightened around the phone.
"Don't touch Lily.""
"You're making this sound very dramatic.""
"Where is Emily?""
"She's safe.""
"Put her on the phone.""
"I don't think that's a good idea.""
I looked at Daniels.
He was gesturing for me to keep her talking.
"What do you want?""
Mara sighed.
"I want what was promised to me.""
"Nothing was promised to you.""
"Oh, Ryan. You really don't know anything, do you?""
"Tell me where Lily is.""
"She's with someone who loves her.""
I felt rage rising in my chest.
"You're not her mother.""
Mara's voice became cold.
"Neither are you.""
The call ended.
I stared at the screen.
Daniels immediately called the telecommunications unit.
Then he looked at me.
"We're going to find them.""
I turned toward Sophie's room.
She was watching us through the glass.
Her face was pale.
I returned to her bedside.
"Sophie, I need you to tell me something.""
She clutched the blanket.
"Is Mara taking Lily?""
"We're going to bring Lily home.""
Sophie shook her head.
"She has the blue car.""
"What blue car?""
"The car with the little stars.""
I remembered a blue SUV Mara used to drive.
"Did you see it?""
Sophie nodded.
"She took pictures.""
"Of what?""
"Of Lily.""
I sat down.
"Where?""
"In the pink room.""
My stomach tightened.
"How long ago?""
Sophie looked confused.
"Before I went away.""
"Did Mara take Lily into that room?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
Sophie stared at her hands.
"She said Lily needed to practice.""
"Practice what?""
Sophie whispered:
"Being me.""
I felt a chill move down my spine.
Before I could ask anything else, Daniels returned.
"We found the car.""
"Where?""
"Near your neighborhood.""
"Then let's go.""
He shook his head.
"There's more.""
He handed me a printed photograph.
It showed the blue SUV parked outside an old building.
A woman was standing beside it.
Mara.
And next to her was Emily.
My wife.
I stared at the photograph.
"When was this taken?""
"Yesterday afternoon.""
I looked at him.
"Emily told me she hadn't seen Mara.""
Daniels nodded.
"That's why we need to find her.""
I studied the photograph again.
Emily was holding a large cardboard box.
Mara was smiling.
Between them stood a little girl wearing a pink coat.
Her face was turned away from the camera.
"Is that Lily?""
"We don't know.""
I looked closer.
The girl was holding something.
A stuffed rabbit.
The same stuffed rabbit Sophie had been given at the hospital.
My hands began to shake.
"Where was this taken?""
"An old residential property outside town. We're checking the address now.""
I stared at the photograph.
Then I noticed something.
The building had a sign above the entrance.
*BELL FAMILY CHILD SERVICES.*
I looked at Daniels.
"What is that place?""
He took a breath.
"An organization Mara used to run.""
"Used to?""
"It closed four years ago.""
"Why?""
He didn't answer.
Instead, he turned the photograph over.
On the back was a handwritten note.
Transfer complete. Second daughter secured.
I felt sick.
"Second daughter?""
Daniels nodded.
"We believe Mara has been using this property to move children between locations.""
"How many?""
"We don't know yet.""
I looked through the glass at Sophie.
She was still sitting in bed.
A little girl with no shoes, no family photographs, and no understanding of why the world had kept her hidden.
I returned to her.
"Sophie, do you remember Grace?""
Her eyes widened.
"Yes.""
I leaned forward.
"Who was she?""
Sophie looked toward the door.
Then whispered:
"She was the girl before me.""
"Before you?""
Sophie nodded.
"She slept in the wall.""
My heart stopped.
"Did she look like you?""
"Yes.""
"What happened to her?""
Sophie began crying.
"Mara said she went to heaven.""
I swallowed.
"How old was she?""
Sophie held up five fingers.
"Did you see her leave?""
Sophie shook her head.
Then she whispered:
"She stopped breathing.""
I couldn't move.
The room seemed to grow smaller.
"Where was she?""
Sophie pointed toward the hospital floor.
"Under the pink room.""
I stood abruptly.
Daniels heard her answer.
He turned toward me.
"Mr. Carter, I need you to stay here.""
"Why?""
"We're going to that building.""
"I'll come with you.""
"No.""
"She's my daughter!""
"And that's precisely why I need you to stay out of a potentially dangerous search.""
I wanted to argue.
But my phone rang.
Emily.
I answered immediately.
"Emily! Where are you?""
Her breathing was ragged.
"Ryan...""
"Where's Lily?""
"She's here.""
"Put her on the phone.""
A muffled sound followed.
Then Emily whispered:
"I made a terrible mistake.""
"Where are you?""
"At the old building.""
I looked at Daniels.
He was already signaling the officers.
"Listen to me. Stay away from Mara.""
Emily began crying.
"She has the original documents.""
"What documents?""
"The birth records. The adoption papers. Everything.""
"Emily, I don't care about the papers. I want Lily.""
"Ryan, she says she has proof.""
"Proof of what?""
My wife took a shaky breath.
"That Sophie wasn't supposed to survive.""
I felt my stomach turn.
Then I heard a child's voice in the background.
"Daddy?""
"Lily!""
"Help me!""
A crash followed.
Then Mara's voice.
"Emily, give me the phone.""
The call went dead.
I stared at the screen.
Daniels grabbed his radio.
"All units, move to the Bell property. Possible child abduction. Suspect armed or dangerous.""
I turned toward him.
"Armed?""
He looked at me.
"An officer just found a photograph of Mara carrying a handgun.""
My hands went cold.
Then my phone vibrated again.
A message.
From Emily.
It contained a photograph.
Lily was sitting on a wooden chair in a dark room.
Her hands were tied.
Beside her was a small metal table.
And on the table lay two hospital bracelets.
One read:
*SOPHIE CARTER.*
The other read:
*GRACE BELL.*
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Underneath the photograph, Emily had written:
Ryan, there were three babies. Not two.
