Chapter 29 Chapter 29

Chapter 29 Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE~

The plan was simple in concept, dangerous in execution.

We would announce publicly that Declan was taking the family to our lake house upstate for a week—a property everyone knew about. Detective Morrison's team would set up surveillance around the property. When Victoria and Catherine made their move, the police would be ready.

"The lake house is remote," Detective Morrison said, studying maps. "That works in our favor for surveillance, but also means backup will take longer to arrive if something goes wrong."

"We'll have a panic room installed before we go," Declan said. "Reinforced, stocked with supplies, direct line to emergency services."

"And the children?" Detective Morrison asked.

"Stay with my parents in the city," I said firmly. "I won't put them in actual danger. We can use dolls or something to make it look like kids are in the car when we leave."

Declan agreed. "Maya, Nathan, and Liam go somewhere safe. Anita and I handle this."

My parents weren't happy about the plan, but they understood.

"You've been running for too long," my mother said as we dropped off the kids. "It's time to face this head-on."

Liam hugged me tight before we left. "Be careful, Mama," he whispered. He'd started calling me that a month ago, and it still made my heart melt every time.

"I will, baby," I promised. "We'll be back before you know it."

The drive to the lake house was tense. Declan and I barely spoke, both lost in our own thoughts about what might happen.

The house was beautiful—situated on a quiet lake surrounded by forest. Under normal circumstances, it would be peaceful. Relaxing.

Now it felt like a trap waiting to be sprung.

Detective Morrison's team was already there, installing cameras and sensors everywhere.

"If a squirrel crosses the property line, we'll know about it," one of the techs assured us.

The panic room was in the basement—steel-reinforced, stocked with water, food, medical supplies, and weapons. A last resort if everything went wrong.

"Let's hope we don't need it," Declan said.

That night, we made a big show of "putting the kids to bed" in the upstairs bedrooms. We closed curtains, turned on nightlights, everything that would look normal from outside.

Then we waited.

One day passed. Then two. Then three.

"Maybe they're not coming," I said on the fourth night. "Maybe they know it's a trap."

"They'll come," Declan said. "Catherine's obsessed with revenge. She won't be able to resist."

He was right.

On the fifth night, the sensors detected movement in the woods around the property.

"We have activity," Detective Morrison's voice came through the radio. "Two figures approaching from the north side. Stay inside and stay alert."

My heart pounded as Declan and I watched the security monitors.

Two people emerged from the trees. Even in the darkness, I could make out Catherine's distinctive gray hair. And beside her, thinner and more disheveled than I remembered, was Victoria.

"They're here," Declan said unnecessarily.

We watched as they approached the house slowly, carefully, checking for signs of security.

"Why aren't the police moving in?" I asked into the radio.

"We want them inside the house," Detective Morrison responded. "Harder for them to escape that way. Just stay in position."

Catherine and Victoria reached the back door. Victoria pulled out some kind of tool and started working on the lock.

"She's picking the lock," I said. "How long until she gets in?"

"Three minutes, maybe less," a tech said. "She's good."

"Where did she learn to do that in prison?" I wondered aloud.

The lock clicked. The door swung open.

"They're in the house," Declan said. "Detective Morrison, they're inside."

"Hold position," Detective Morrison said. "Let them get deeper into the house before we move."

Catherine and Victoria moved through the kitchen, then into the living room. They were heading for the stairs—for the bedrooms where they thought our children were sleeping.

"We need to move," I said urgently. "They think the kids are up there."

"The decoys will fool them," Detective Morrison said. "Just give us another minute."

Catherine and Victoria climbed the stairs. We watched on the monitors as they entered the first bedroom—Nathan's room.

Victoria pulled back the blanket on the small bed and found the doll we'd placed there.

Her scream of rage could be heard throughout the house.

"It's a trap!" she shouted. "Catherine, it's a trap! They knew we were coming!"

"Move in now!" Detective Morrison ordered his team.

But Catherine and Victoria were already running.

They didn't head for the door they'd come in—they went straight for the second-floor window and jumped.

"They're escaping through the north window!" I shouted into the radio.

"We see them," an officer responded. "In pursuit."

Declan and I ran to the window in time to see Catherine and Victoria disappearing into the woods, with police officers chasing after them.

"Should we go out there?" I asked.

"Absolutely not," Declan said. "We stay here where it's safe."

For twenty agonizing minutes, we listened to radio chatter as police pursued Victoria and Catherine through the forest.

"Subject One heading toward the lake!"

"Subject Two circling back toward the road!"

"Lost visual on both subjects!"

"Damn it," I breathed. "They're getting away."

Then a new voice came over the radio. "We've got Subject One—Victoria Laurence is in custody. Still searching for Subject Two."

One down, one to go.

Another fifteen minutes passed before the next update.

"Subject Two spotted near the dock. Moving to intercept."

We heard shouting, sounds of a struggle.

"Subject Two in custody! Catherine Reynolds is in custody!"

I collapsed onto the couch, relief flooding through me. "They got them. They actually got them both."

Declan pulled me close. "It's over. It's really over this time."

Detective Morrison came to the house an hour later to give us a full update.

"Both Victoria and Catherine are being held at separate secure facilities," he said. "They're facing multiple charges—breaking and entering, violation of parole for Victoria, conspiracy, attempted kidnapping. They're not getting out this time."

"What were they planning to do?" I asked. "If they'd actually found the children?"

Detective Morrison's expression darkened. "We found zip ties, duct tape, and a bottle of chloroform in Catherine's bag. It looks like they were planning to take the children and use them as leverage to force you to drop all charges against Victoria."

I felt sick. "They would have drugged them?"

"Looks like it," Detective Morrison said. "Thank God the kids weren't really here."

After Detective Morrison left, Declan and I just sat together in silence for a long time.

"I can't believe it's actually over," I finally said. "After all this time, all the threats, all the fear—it's done."

"Not quite," Declan said. "We still need to get through the trials, make sure they're both locked up for a very long time."

"But the active threat is gone," I said. "That's what matters."

We drove back to the city the next morning. I couldn't wait to see the kids.

When we walked into my parents' house, Liam ran to us immediately.

"You're back! You're okay!" he said, hugging us both.

Maya and Nathan were right behind him, babbling excitedly.

I scooped up the twins, holding them close, breathing in their baby smell.

"We're all okay," I said. "And we're going to stay okay."

Over the next few weeks, Victoria and Catherine's trials dominated the news. The evidence against them was overwhelming, and their lawyers could barely mount a defense.

Victoria was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Catherine got forty years.

"Justice," Sarah said when I told her the news. "Finally."

"I feel bad for them," I admitted. "Not enough to want them free, but I feel sad that their lives ended up like this."

"That's because you're a good person," Sarah said. "But Anita, they made their choices. They chose revenge over healing. That's on them, not you."

She was right. I knew she was right.

But I still felt sad about it all.

A month after the trials ended, life finally started to feel normal.

I went back to work full-time. Declan was busy with Norex but making sure to be home for dinner every night. The kids were thriving—Liam was excelling in preschool, and the twins were walking and talking and getting into everything.

"This is what I wanted," I told Declan one night after we'd put the kids to bed. "Just a normal, boring life with my family."

"I don't think our life will ever be truly boring," Declan said with a laugh. "But I'll take peaceful chaos over dangerous chaos any day."

That weekend, we had a big family barbecue. My parents, Sarah and her boyfriend, Margaret and Rick's replacement at Norex (a lovely woman named Patricia who was nothing like the original Patricia), even Dr. Chen and Dr. Martinez came.

I looked around at all these people who'd supported us through everything, and I felt overwhelmingly grateful.

"What are you thinking about?" Declan asked, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"How lucky I am," I said. "How lucky we are. We have three amazing kids, good friends, our health, each other. After everything we've been through, we made it to the other side."

"We did," Declan agreed. "And I promise you, I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret choosing me that first night."

"I could never regret it," I said, turning to kiss him. "Even with all the chaos that followed, I'd choose you again. Every single time."

That night, after everyone had gone home and the kids were asleep, Declan and I sat on our back porch, watching the stars.

"Do you think it's really over?" I asked. "All the danger, all the threats?"

"I think so," Declan said. "Everyone who wanted to hurt us is in prison now. There's no one left."

"What about Jake?" I asked. "He's still out there somewhere."

"Jake helped us," Declan reminded me. "And he's taking care of himself now. I don't think we'll hear from him again unless he needs something."

I hoped he was right.

For several months, life was exactly what I'd hoped for. Normal. Peaceful. Even boring sometimes.

The twins turned two and had a huge party with a petting zoo and a bounce house. Liam started kindergarten and made friends immediately. Declan was named CEO of the Year by a major business magazine. I got another promotion at work.

Everything was perfect.

Until the day I got a call from Detective Morrison.

"Anita, I need you to come to the station," he said, his voice serious. "There's something you need to see."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Just come. Bring Declan. You're both going to want to hear this."

An hour later, Declan and I sat in Detective Morrison's office, confused and worried.

"What's going on?" Declan asked.

Detective Morrison pulled up a video on his computer. "This was sent to us anonymously yesterday. We've verified it's legitimate."

He pressed play.

The video showed Victoria in her prison cell, talking to someone off-camera.

"I told you, the plan is already in motion," Victoria was saying. "Catherine's arrest was unfortunate, but we accounted for that possibility. The others will continue the work."

"Others?" I repeated. "What others?"

Detective Morrison paused the video. "Keep watching."

"And you're sure they can get to the children?" the off-camera voice asked.

"I'm sure," Victoria said with a cruel smile. "Anita thinks she's safe now. She thinks locking me and Catherine up ended the threat. She has no idea how many people she's hurt, how many allies we've made over the years. By the time she realizes what's happening, it'll be too late."

The video ended.

I looked at Detective Morrison, my heart pounding. "When was this recorded?"

"Last week," he said. "Since then, we've been investigating everyone Victoria and Catherine had contact with over the past two years. And we found something disturbing."

He pulled up a file. "There are at least five other people—friends of Catherine's, business associates of Victoria's—who have expressed interest in 'finishing what was started.' We don't know which ones, if any, are serious. But the threat is real."

"So it's not over," I said, feeling all my old fear rushing back. "It's never going to be over."

"We'll protect you," Detective Morrison said. "Increased security, surveillance—"

"We've done all that before," I interrupted. "And people still got to us. Still hurt us. How is this time going to be different?"

"Because now we're being proactive
instead of reactive," Detective Morrison said. "We're not waiting for them to make a move. We're hunting them down first."

I looked at Declan, who looked as devastated as I felt.

We'd thought it was over.

We'd thought we were finally safe.

But we were wrong.