Chapter 10 - DANIEL DISAPPEARS
Daniel insisted he would not run.
Ryan ordered protection.
Daniel accepted.
Then at 5:20 the next morning, he disappeared.
No forced entry.
Protection officer outside.
Back door alarm never triggered.
Emma panicked.
Ryan checked cameras.
Daniel left through the front door at 4:58.
Alone.
Got into his own car.
Drove away.
Voluntarily.
Emma stared.
“He went to Mason.”
Why?
Daniel left one note.
I CAN END THIS.
Emma ripped it in half.
“Idiot.”
Ryan agreed.
Daniel believed he could trade the recovery fragment for Mason’s evidence and protect Leo from future targeting.
Wrong lesson.
He was still deciding alone.
At an abandoned self-storage facility, Daniel met Mason.
Police tracked him through the car despite Daniel disabling his phone.
Mason demanded the key fragment.
Daniel demanded:
all copies of Leo’s photos,
all surveillance,
all data tied to his family.
Mason laughed.
“You think this is a contract?”
Daniel said:
“I think you took my son.”
Wrong child or not, true.
Then Mason said:
“I never meant to.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“You still did.”
For the first time, Mason looked ashamed.
Then police sirens approached.
Mason realized Daniel had been followed.
He ran.
Daniel did not.
Ryan reached him.
“What were you thinking?”
Daniel answered:
“I was trying to end it.”
Ryan snapped:
“You don’t end kidnapping by privately negotiating with the kidnapper.”
Emma arrived minutes later.
She stood in front of Daniel.
“You hid Spencer from me.”
Silence.
“You hid the wallet.”
Silence.
“You hid the backup.”
Silence.
“Then you hid this.”
Daniel whispered:
“I was scared.”
Emma answered:
May you like
“So was I.”
That was not permission.
