Chapter 10 - The Family Reborn
Richard Vance cocked the hammer of the pistol, his breathing ragged from the adrenaline of the ambush.
He sneered down at Andrew, mocking him for risking everything for an empty plastic box.
Vance prepared to pull the trigger, completely unaware of the shadow moving silently behind him.
Andrew smiled a cold, victorious smile, revealing he was never the bait in this trap.
A red laser sight dotted perfectly onto the center of Vance's forehead.
A booming voice echoed over a police megaphone, demanding everyone drop their weapons immediately.
The FBI, tipped off by a massive data dump Sarah had triggered an hour ago, swarmed the docks with armored vehicles.
Vance froze in absolute terror, dropping his weapon as federal agents aggressively tackled him to the concrete.
Andrew stood up, his heart pounding as a black government van pulled onto the pier with its sirens blaring.
The doors swung open, and Sarah stepped out, leaning heavily on the arm of a federal agent.
Tucked safely in Sarah's arms was a beautiful, crying baby girl wrapped in a warm blanket.
The FBI had raided Vance's secret penthouse during the distraction at the docks and rescued Lily unharmed.
Andrew ran forward, tears streaming down his face as he finally took his daughter into his arms.
She had Emily's soft curls and his own bright, searching eyes.
He held her against his chest, dropping to his knees on the wet pavement as years of grief finally washed away.
Ethan jumped out of the transport vehicle and ran over, throwing his arms around Andrew and his new baby sister.
One year later, the Whitman penthouse was filled with the warm, chaotic sounds of a real family.
Andrew sat by the fireplace, watching Ethan proudly read a storybook to Lily on the plush rug.
The doorbell chimed softly, and Andrew walked to the foyer, finding a single, unmarked envelope resting on the marble floor.
May you like
He tore it open, pulling out a recent, crystal-clear photograph of Emily looking directly into the camera lens.
The handwritten note on the back simply read, "I am coming home, Andrew, but they are still following me."
