At 14, my parents believed my brother’s lie and kicked me out of the house during a winter storm. “Get out. I won’t feed a thief.” Four hours later, the police called them to the emergency room. But when Mom walked in and saw the man sitting beside me, holding my hand, she dropped her purse. “No... You’re supposed to be de:ad...”

I froze, the red laser dot resting perfectly over my racing heart.

Why did the cartel want me?

Daniel stepped in front of me, taking the red dot onto his own bleeding shoulder.

"You are not touching my daughter," Daniel growled.

The leader of the cartel mercenaries chuckled beneath his mask.

"She is the only one who knows the password to Richard's encrypted ledger," the leader stated.

I gasped, suddenly remembering a strange string of numbers my father had forced me to memorize years ago.

He had always told me it was the code to my college savings account.

He had used me as a human vault without my knowledge.

"I will never tell you," I shouted from behind Daniel.

The mercenary raised his weapon, his finger tightening on the trigger.

"Then we will just have to extract it from you painfully," he replied.

Suddenly, Daniel reached into his heavy coat pocket.

He pulled out a small, spherical object and pulled a metal pin from the top.

"Close your eyes and cover your ears!" Daniel roared.

He tossed the tactical flashbang directly down the stairwell.

I slammed my eyes shut and covered my ears with my hands.

A blinding white light erupted in the enclosed space, followed by a concussive boom that shook my bones.

The mercenaries screamed in pain, completely blinded and deafened by the blast.

Daniel grabbed my arm and kicked open the door to the third floor.

We rushed into the abandoned pediatric wing of the hospital.

"How did you have a stun grenade?" my mother asked as we ran.

Daniel looked over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the empty hallways.

"I did not die in that warehouse fire fourteen years ago," Daniel said breathlessly.

"I was recruited by a shadow division of the federal government."

My mother stumbled, her mind struggling to process the impossible truth.

Before she could ask another question, the elevator doors at the end of the hall dinged open.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

My father stepped out, his face covered in sweat and his stolen gun raised.

"You ruined everything, Sarah!" my father screamed, pointing the gun at my mother.

Chapter 6 - The Secret Asset