Chapter 12 - Jack's Daughter
Jack did not run.
That was the first reason Emma did not immediately believe he had betrayed them.
He simply stared at Daniel's frozen face on the screen.
Then he said, "Fair."
Emma stood on one crutch.
"You want to explain?"
"Yes."
"Start quickly."
Marcus stepped behind Jack.
Jack slowly removed his coat.
No weapon.
He sat.
"Daniel didn't trust me because I once worked for Black Pine."
Emma stared.
"You said construction."
"I started construction."
"And after?"
"Security transport."
"For children?"
"Yes."
Evan looked disgusted.
"You kidnapped kids?"
Jack's face tightened.
"I drove vehicles."
"With kidnapped children inside them."
"I didn't know at first."
Emma's voice turned cold.
"And when you found out?"
"I quit."
"When?"
"Nineteen ninety-nine."
"After my transfer."
"Yes."
Emma wanted to hate him.
Part of her did.
"Did you transport me?"
Jack looked directly at her.
"Yes."
Silence.
Emma gripped the crutch.
"Where?"
"From Black Pine Center to your first placement."
"My fake aunt?"
"No."
Emma froze.
"What first placement?"
Jack closed his eyes.
"You were placed with another family before the Wilkes household."
"Who?"
"The Turners."
Emma stared.
"No."
Jack's voice broke.
"My family."
Lydia whispered, "What?"
Jack continued.
"My wife couldn't have children."
Emma felt sick.
"They gave me to you?"
"Temporarily."
"How long?"
"Six months."
Emma shook her head.
"I don't remember."
"They conditioned you heavily."
"You were my father?"
"No."
Jack looked devastated.
"I was a coward who let them put a frightened child in my house because my wife wanted a daughter."
Emma backed away.
Jack's eyes filled.
"You called yourself Lizzie then."
A memory hit Emma.
Yellow curtains.
A dog named Max.
A man's hands teaching her to tie fishing line.
Emma dropped the crutch.
Jack stood instinctively.
"Don't touch me."
He stopped.
Emma whispered, "You."
Jack nodded.
"I eventually realized what Black Pine was. When Helen's people began looking for you, I tried to help."
"What happened?"
"They took you from us."
"Why?"
"Because I asked questions."
"Then why didn't you search for me?"
"I did."
"For thirty-five years?"
"For three."
Emma's face twisted.
"Then you stopped."
"My wife died."
Emma stared.
"How?"
"Car accident."
The words landed heavily.
"Accident?"
Jack shook his head.
"I don't believe it was."
Emma understood.
Black Pine had punished him.
Jack continued.
"I spent twenty years staying away because I believed everyone near me got hurt."
"Daniel knew all this?"
"Some."
"And that's why he didn't trust you."
"Yes."
Marcus looked toward the video.
"There's more."
Daniel continued after the warning.
"Jack Turner once participated in the program. But people can change. Decide for yourself whether he has."
Jack laughed softly.
"Typical Daniel."
The video continued.
"The new program uses old infrastructure. I believe the primary facility is outside Silver Crossing."
Marcus wrote it down.
"Rachel is there."
Evan stood.
"What?"
Daniel looked into the camera.
"If I fail to reach her, someone has to."
The video ended with coordinates.
Silver Crossing.
Montana.
Emma looked at Evan.
"We're going."
Marcus immediately objected.
"No."
"Daniel said Rachel is there."
"He recorded this nine months ago."
"Then we start there."
"Federal investigators need to handle this."
Emma turned.
"Which federal investigators?"
Marcus stopped.
She continued.
"Black Pine existed for decades. Children disappeared. Deaths were falsified. Records were rewritten. You think nobody higher up knew?"
Detective Ortiz quietly said, "She's right."
Marcus looked at her.
Ortiz shrugged.
"I don't like it either."
Evan stepped beside Emma.
"I want my mom."
Emma looked at him.
He looked seventeen again.
Not a killer.
Not an enemy.
A boy who had been manipulated using grief.
Emma said, "Then we're finding her."
That evening, they prepared to leave.
Jack approached Emma outside.
"You don't owe me forgiveness."
"I know."
"I should've told you sooner."
"Yes."
"I was afraid you'd never trust me."
Emma looked at him.
"Now I don't."
Jack nodded.
"Fair."
She started to walk away.
Then stopped.
"What was I like?"
Jack swallowed.
"When?"
"When I lived with you."
A faint smile appeared through his grief.
"You hated peas."
Emma almost laughed.
"You slept with every light on."
Her eyes watered.
"And you used to hide crackers under your pillow because you were afraid food would disappear."
Emma closed her eyes.
Somewhere deep inside, she remembered.
Jack whispered, "I'm sorry, Lizzie."
Emma opened her eyes.
"Don't call me that."
Jack nodded.
She walked away.
Behind her, his voice came softly.
"Emma."
She stopped.
"You had a red bicycle."
Emma froze.
The memory from childhood.
A red bicycle.
She turned.
Jack held out a photograph.
A little girl sat on a red bicycle.
Beside her stood a younger Jack Turner.
Emma took it.
On the back, written in a woman's handwriting:
OUR DAUGHTER, IF ONLY FOR A WHILE.
Emma looked up.
May you like
Jack said, "My wife never knew they stole you."
Emma whispered, "Neither did I."
