Chapter 6 - The Hideout
I stared at the police captain in utter disbelief.
My mind could not comprehend the words he had just spoken.
If Daniel is not on that airplane, then who did I see on the security cameras?
The captain handed me a printout of the facial recognition scan from the security checkpoint.
The man holding Lily's hand was wearing Daniel's signature trench coat and a baseball cap pulled low.
But the high-resolution scan revealed a facial structure that belonged to a complete stranger.
Daniel had hired a body double for himself too.
He played us like pawns in a sick game of chess.
He knew I would eventually figure out the private airport trick.
He wanted us to waste all our time and energy stopping the commercial flight.
Aaron leaned against the cold concrete wall of the holding cell.
He wiped a streak of blood from his forehead and cursed under his breath.
This was a masterclass in misdirection.
While we were chasing ghosts, the real Daniel took the real Lily somewhere else.
The captain unlocked our handcuffs.
The hospital just sent over your toxicology report.
The FBI is now officially treating this as an attempted murder and kidnapping case.
You are free to go, but we have no idea where your husband actually is.
I collapsed into a metal chair as the poison flared up in my system again.
My vision swam with dark spots.
I forced myself to think like Daniel.
Where would an arrogant narcissist hide when the whole world was looking for him?
He would not go to a hotel.
He would not trust a friend.
He would go to the one place that technically did not exist on paper.
I looked up at Aaron with sudden clarity.
The hunting cabin.
Daniel's grandfather left him a massive plot of land in the mountains two years ago.
Daniel never registered the deed in his name to avoid paying property taxes.
It is completely off the grid and practically invisible to law enforcement databases.
Aaron grabbed my arm and helped me stand up.
The captain offered to send a SWAT team, but Aaron shook his head.
A tactical team will take three hours to mobilize in that remote terrain.
By the time they arrive, Daniel might do something desperate.
We are taking my truck.
We rushed out of the airport and jumped back into Aaron's SUV.
The drive into the dark, winding mountain roads felt like a descent into hell.
We finally turned onto a hidden dirt path surrounded by towering pine trees.
In the distance, an orange glow flickered through the branches.
May you like
As we broke through the clearing, my worst nightmare became reality.
The wooden cabin was entirely engulfed in roaring flames.
