Chapter 10 - The Unfinished Business
The FBI commander rushed over to the evidence table where the fried vest lay.
He examined the scorched black box and the shattered digital timer.
The agent pointed out that the hidden compartment meant to hold the microchip ledger was completely empty.
Richard, lying on the stretcher nearby, smiled weakly and coughed.
He explained that the microchip had never been inside the vest at all.
He had mailed the actual evidence directly to the FBI headquarters three days ago.
He only let the cartel think the ledger was in the vest to buy enough time for the package to arrive.
The commander radioed his team in Washington and received immediate confirmation that the data was secured.
The corruption ring, the cartel, and the dirty local cops were all going to federal prison for the rest of their lives.
Valerie stood up and walked out of the school building, stepping into the cool October air.
She watched as paramedics bandaged Lila's bruised ribs and gently loaded her into an ambulance beside her father.
Richard reached out from his stretcher and tightly grasped Valerie's hand.
He thanked her with tears in his eyes, calling her a true guardian angel.
Valerie smiled warmly and told Lila she would see her back in class very soon.
The little girl waved happily, her terrifying ordeal finally over.
Later that evening, Valerie returned to her quiet, peaceful home on the edge of town.
She poured a glass of wine and sat down at her kitchen table, feeling the incredible relief of a happy ending.
She sorted lazily through the day's mail that she had brought in from the porch.
At the bottom of the pile was a plain white envelope with no return address.
May you like
She opened it and slid out a glossy photograph of her own teenage daughter walking home from high school that afternoon.
Scrawled across the back of the photo in thick red marker were three terrifying words, "We found her."
