Chapter 3 - The Chase
The gunshot echoed loudly through the sterile hospital corridor.
I scrambled down the rusted metal stairs of the fire escape as fast as my weak legs would allow.
Aaron was right behind me, keeping a protective hand hovering over my shoulder.
The cold afternoon air bit into my skin through the thin hospital gown.
We reached the alleyway just as sirens began wailing in the distance.
Aaron grabbed my hand and pulled me toward a dark gray SUV parked in the employee lot.
He unlocked the doors with his key fob and shoved me into the passenger seat.
Tires squealed as he threw the car into reverse and peeled out of the parking lot.
I huddled in the seat, shivering uncontrollably from the poison and the sheer terror.
Where are they taking her?
Aaron kept his eyes firmly locked on the road as he navigated through the heavy traffic.
If they are leaving the country, they won't use the international airport.
Your husband has money, so he will use the private airfield on the north side of the city.
I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that we would not be too late.
Daniel had planned this perfectly from the very beginning.
He poisoned me to make me look insane.
He manipulated the court to get temporary custody.
Now he was kidnapping my daughter before the truth could come to light.
Aaron handed me his heavy military jacket to keep me warm.
He pulled a sleek black phone from the center console and dialed a secure number.
He asked his military contacts to track the GPS signal on Daniel's luxury sedan.
A tense silence filled the car for three grueling minutes.
The voice on the other end of the line finally crackled through the speaker.
The target vehicle is currently parked at the Vanguard Private Aviation terminal.
Aaron hit the gas pedal, weaving recklessly between slow-moving cars.
We are fifteen minutes away.
My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst through my chest.
Suddenly, Aaron's phone beeped with an incoming image file from his contacts.
He handed the device to me.
Look at the security camera footage from the terminal entrance.
I stared at the grainy photograph on the screen.
It showed Daniel and his mother, Patricia, walking toward the private terminal doors.
Patricia was clutching Lily tightly by the wrist.
But the child in the photo was wearing a bright yellow coat that Lily never owned.
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I zoomed in on the child's face and gasped in absolute horror.
That is not my daughter.
