Chapter 16 - THE HUSBAND WHO ESCAPED
Jake had escaped federal custody fourteen hours earlier.
Nobody told me.
Not because authorities were incompetent.
Because Jake had never technically escaped.
He had been transferred.
A forged federal transport order moved him from prison at 5:40 that morning.
Two marshals collected him.
The vehicle disappeared forty-seven minutes later.
Both marshals were later found unconscious.
Jake vanished.
And somehow, hours later, he had my daughter.
I drove to Century City with six federal vehicles behind me.
Jake called before we arrived.
“Come alone.”
“Not happening.”
“Emily, Adrian has people inside law enforcement.”
“You kidnapped Clara.”
“I saved her.”
“Those words will sound fantastic at your second sentencing.”
“Listen to me.”
“No. You listen. If my daughter has one scratch—”
“She’s sleeping.”
“Put her down.”
“I will.”
His voice broke.
“I swear.”
Something about that stopped me.
Jake sounded terrified.
Not powerful.
Not manipulative.
Terrified.
“Why did you take her?”
“Because Adrian ordered the kidnapping.”
“And you beat him to it?”
“Yes.”
“You expect me to thank you?”
“No.”
“Good.”
I arrived twenty minutes later.
Federal agents surrounded the building.
I went upstairs with Grace.
The condo door stood open.
Jake sat on the floor beside Clara’s travel crib.
His hands were visible.
No weapon.
Clara slept peacefully.
I crossed the room and lifted her.
The moment her warm body touched mine, my legs nearly collapsed.
Jake looked away.
“You're safe, baby.”
I kissed her hair again and again.
Grace handcuffed Jake.
He didn't resist.
“Why?” I demanded.
Jake looked at Clara.
“Because she's my daughter too.”
“No.”
His face tightened.
“Legally, maybe not.”
“Not legally. Not morally. Not after what you did.”
“I know.”
“Then don't use that word.”
He nodded slowly.
Fair.
That almost made me angrier.
“What happened?”
Jake told us.
Three weeks earlier, a prison counselor approached him.
Except the counselor wasn't a counselor.
Lighthouse.
They offered freedom in exchange for one task.
Deliver Clara.
Jake agreed.
My blood boiled.
“You agreed?”
“I needed them to believe me.”
“How noble.”
“I deserved that.”
“You deserve considerably worse.”
He continued.
The forged transfer had been arranged weeks in advance.
Once Jake was free, he was given my home security codes.
Nursery location.
Guard rotations.
Everything.
“But I changed the plan,” he said.
“You kidnapped her yourself.”
“I took her before their team arrived.”
“Why not call me?”
“Because your phone was compromised.”
Grace checked.
He was right.
That realization made the room colder.
Jake looked at me.
“They're inside Aegis too.”
I froze.
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Convenient.”
“Emily.”
He leaned forward despite the handcuffs.
“Someone on your board works for Adrian.”
My mind immediately moved through seven faces.
Howard.
Melissa.
Grant.
Priya.
Samuel.
Rebecca.
Thomas.
“Proof?”
Jake nodded toward his jacket.
Grace searched it.
A folded document.
Payments.
Offshore transfers.
One recipient code.
HP-06.
Howard Pierce.
The only director who voted against shutting down the legacy servers.
Of course.
I should have seen it.
Then Jake said something worse.
“Howard isn't the highest person.”
“What does that mean?”
“He reports to someone inside your executive office.”
I stared.
“My executive office has twelve people.”
“Then you have twelve suspects.”
Clara stirred against my chest.
I looked down.
Everything suddenly became simple.
I had spent months rebuilding Aegis around transparency.
Someone had infected it from inside.
Fine.
I knew how to remove infections.
“Grace.”
“Yes?”
“Tell federal authorities Jake surrendered voluntarily.”
Jake looked surprised.
I looked at him.
“This doesn't forgive anything.”
“I know.”
“You're still going back.”
“I know.”
“But first you're going to help me identify every person Lighthouse owns.”
Jake nodded.
“Anything.”
I almost laughed.
“That's exactly what you said at our wedding.”
Pain crossed his face.
Good.
Some promises should hurt when remembered.
By midnight, Jake was transferred to secure federal custody.
Clara was moved to a location known only to Grace, Evelyn, and me.
At 8:00 the next morning, I walked into Aegis headquarters.
Howard Pierce was waiting in the boardroom.
He smiled.
“Emily. We heard about the security incident.”
“Did you?”
“Terrible.”
“Yes.”
I sat opposite him.
“Especially considering you paid for it.”
His smile vanished.
Six federal agents entered.
Howard stood.
“This is insane.”
I slid the transfer records across the table.
He looked at them.
Then at me.
“You have no idea what you're doing.”
“I hear that surprisingly often from men being arrested.”
Agents cuffed him.
As they escorted him out, Howard laughed.
Actually laughed.
I watched him.
“What?”
He turned.
“You think I'm the traitor?”
“You took their money.”
“Yes.”
He smiled wider.
“But I wasn't the person who gave them Clara’s location.”
My stomach dropped.
“Who did?”
Howard looked through the glass wall toward the executive floor.
My assistant, Madeline Shaw, stood beside my office.
May you like
She saw us looking.
Then she ran.
