Chapter 15 - ELEVEN MINUTESGrace disappeared for eleven minutes on Wednesday afternoon.
Eleven minutes.
Carrie would later discover time could become monstrous in very small amounts.
At 3:08, Daniel arrived at Grace’s school.
At 3:09, the teacher said another authorized driver had collected her.
At 3:10, Daniel called Carrie.
By 3:11, Dominic had three security teams moving.
By 3:12, Carrie could no longer feel her hands.
“Who took her?”
“We don’t know.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“I know.”
Dominic was already driving.
Carrie was beside him.
Reyes called the school.
The pickup signature belonged to Maria.
Maria was standing in Carrie’s kitchen.
Someone had duplicated her identification.
3:14.
Carrie called Grace’s smartwatch.
No answer.
3:15.
Dominic ran a red light.
Carrie did not tell him to slow down.
3:16.
Security footage showed Grace walking calmly beside a woman wearing a school volunteer badge.
3:17.
The woman’s face was partially hidden by sunglasses.
3:18.
Carrie stopped breathing correctly.
Dominic noticed.
“Look at me.”
“Drive.”
“Carrie.”
“Drive!”
3:19.
Daniel called.
“We found the volunteer.”
“Where?”
“She’s unconscious behind the gym.”
Carrie made a sound Dominic would hear in nightmares.
Someone had stolen the woman’s badge.
3:20.
Reyes received a traffic-camera hit.
A gray SUV.
3:21.
The vehicle turned into a church parking lot less than two miles from the school.
3:22.
Dominic’s car entered the lot.
The SUV stood empty.
Carrie jumped out before he stopped.
“GRACE!”
Nothing.
Then:
“Mommy?”
Carrie turned.
Grace sat on the church steps.
Alone.
Holding a red balloon.
Carrie ran.
She fell to her knees and pulled Grace against her.
Grace looked confused.
“Mommy, you’re squeezing.”
Carrie sobbed.
Dominic reached them seconds later.
He dropped down.
His arms went around both.
For a long time, neither parent could speak.
Grace finally asked:
“Are we in trouble?”
“No.”
Carrie kissed her hair repeatedly.
“No, baby.”
Dominic checked her arms.
Face.
Hands.
“Did anyone hurt you?”
“No.”
“Who brought you here?”
“A lady.”
“What lady?”
Grace thought.
“She was pretty.”
Carrie nearly laughed from hysteria.
“What did she say?”
“She said Daddy asked her to get me.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
Grace continued.
“Then she said she made a mistake.”
“A mistake?”
“She told me to sit here and wait.”
“Anything else?”
Grace held up the balloon.
“She gave me this.”
Reyes arrived.
He took the balloon carefully.
A tiny envelope was tied to the string.
Inside:
STOP THE MERIDIAN VOTE.
Dominic went still.
Carrie read it again.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Reyes agreed.
“Evelyn wants the merger.”
“Exactly.”
Sebastian arrived fifteen minutes later.
When he saw Grace safe, relief crossed his face.
Dominic noticed.
Sebastian read the note.
“This isn’t Evelyn.”
“Why?” Carrie asked.
“Because stopping the vote hurts her.”
Reyes looked at Sebastian.
“Who else wants it stopped?”
Sebastian hesitated.
“Me.”
Dominic’s eyes hardened.
Sebastian immediately added:
“But I didn’t take Grace.”
Dominic stood.
Carrie grabbed his hand before he moved.
Sebastian did not retreat.
“Someone wants you to think I did.”
Reyes agreed.
“The child wasn’t harmed.”
Dominic snapped:
“Do not say that like it matters.”
“It matters enormously.”
Reyes pointed to Grace.
“If someone wanted leverage, they had it. Instead they released her within minutes.”
Carrie understood.
“This was a message.”
“Yes.”
“To stop the vote.”
“Yes.”
“Then whoever took her is against Evelyn.”
Sebastian looked toward the church.
“Which means we have at least two enemies.”
Grace tugged Carrie’s sleeve.
“Mommy?”
Carrie crouched.
“Yes?”
“The lady cried.”
Everyone stopped.
“What?”
“The lady who picked me up.”
Grace frowned, remembering.
“When she put me here, she cried.”
Carrie’s pulse changed.
“Did she say why?”
Grace nodded.
“She said she was sorry.”
Dominic knelt.
“What exactly did she say?”
Grace looked at him.
“She said, ‘Tell your daddy I couldn’t do it.’”
The adults exchanged looks.
Reyes asked:
“Anything else?”
Grace thought harder.
Then:
“She said Grandpa Anthony ruined all of us.”
Sebastian’s face lost color.
Dominic saw it.
“You know who she is.”
Sebastian looked at Grace.
Then away.
“Maybe.”
“Who?”
Sebastian swallowed.
“My sister.”
Dominic stared.
“You have a sister?”
May you like
Sebastian laughed bitterly.
“So do you.”
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