Chapter 14 - The Man Above Hollow Creek
Alexander Vale owned homes in six states.
A private island.
Two aircraft.
Three charitable foundations.
And political relationships reaching Washington.
When federal agents moved toward him, Vale disappeared.
So did Thomas Carter.
So did Harrison Cole's remaining money.
The network was collapsing, but the people at the top were running.
Then Caleb was found.
Alive.
Abandoned at a truck stop.
He carried a message.
Vale wanted Emma.
Not dead.
Delivered.
In exchange, he would provide the location of forty-seven missing Hollow Creek children.
The government refused.
Daniel did not.
He wanted to use himself as bait.
"Vale doesn't care about you," Lisa said.
"He cared enough to have me tortured."
"He wants Emma."
"Then let him think he's getting her."
A controlled exchange was arranged without Emma's presence.
A van resembling child-services transport moved toward an abandoned airfield.
Daniel sat inside wearing a transmitter.
Agents surrounded the area.
Vale did not appear.
Thomas Carter did.
He approached the van alone.
Daniel stepped out.
"Where is Vale?"
Thomas smiled.
"You still believe Vale is the end."
Daniel's expression changed.
"What does that mean?"
Thomas looked toward hidden agents as if he knew they were there.
"He funded Hollow Creek."
"You ran it."
"No."
"Harrison?"
"No."
"Reeves?"
Thomas laughed.
"They were middle managers."
Daniel stared.
"Who was above Vale?"
Thomas's smile vanished.
"Ask Grace."
Daniel lunged.
"Grace is dead."
"Exactly."
Agents moved in.
Thomas reached into his coat.
A gunshot cracked.
He collapsed.
Not fired by police.
A sniper.
From somewhere beyond the airfield.
The bullet hit Thomas in the chest.
Agents scrambled.
The shooter escaped.
Thomas survived long enough for Daniel to reach him.
"Who?"
Blood filled Thomas's mouth.
"Your wife..."
Daniel leaned closer.
"What about Grace?"
Thomas whispered something.
Daniel froze.
"What?"
Thomas grabbed Daniel's sleeve.
"Grace... knew her."
"Her?"
Thomas smiled faintly.
"Emma looks just like her."
Then Thomas died.
The sentence tore through Daniel.
Her.
Emma looks just like her.
Grace had always claimed Emma resembled Daniel's mother.
Was that what Thomas meant?
Or someone else?
DNA tests were ordered immediately.
Emma was Daniel's biological daughter.
No question.
Grace was Emma's biological mother.
No question.
Then Daniel realized Thomas did not mean genetics.
He meant appearance.
A woman somewhere in Hollow Creek's leadership looked like Emma.
Lisa searched archived photographs.
Thousands of faces.
Then Ethan found one.
A photograph from twenty-five years earlier.
Samuel Carter stood beside Alexander Vale.
Beside them was a young woman.
Blonde.
Small.
Serious eyes.
Around twenty years old.
Her face carried an unmistakable resemblance to Emma.
The caption identified her.
Margaret Vale.
Alexander Vale's daughter.
Officially dead at age twenty-two in a boating accident.
But Daniel found a later photograph.
Taken three years after her supposed death.
May you like
Margaret Vale was alive.
And standing beside Grace Miller.
