Chapter 38 No Safe Place

Chapter 38 No Safe Place
The drive took almost three hours; my eyes were glued on the heart monitor attached to Arthur’s car seat. Every time the green line jumped, my own heart jumped with it. Edward sat next to me, his hand resting on my shoulder. 

"We are almost there," Edward said.  

I looked at him. He looked exhausted. 

The car slowed down. We turned onto a long, gravel driveway. In the distance, I could hear a low sound.  

"Is that the ocean?" I asked.  

"Yes," Edward said. "The house sits on a cliff. You can see the water from the bedroom window."  

The car stopped. I looked out and saw a large, two-story house made of grey wood and white stone. It did not look like the Vance mansion. It did not have gold statues or marble pillars. It looked warm. It looked like a place where people actually lived.  

Edward opened the car door. The air that rushed in was cold and salty. It smelled like salt water and pine needles.  

"The perimeter is clear, Sir," Mark said. "The two nurses you hired are already inside. They have the medical room ready for the baby."  

Edward helped me out of the car. I was still weak, and the cool wind made me shiver. He carried Arthur’s seat, and I leaned on his arm as we walked up the wooden steps.  

Inside, the house was filled with the smell of fresh paint and wood smoke. A fire was crackling in a large stone fireplace in the living room. Two women in white uniforms walked up to us.  

"Mrs. Vance, I’m Sarah," one of them said softly. "Let’s get the little man settled so you can get some rest."  

I did not want to let him go, but I knew I had to. They took Arthur to a room on the first floor that had been turned into a mini-hospital. It had the same blue lights and monitors from the NICU, the walls were painted a soft blue.  

Once Arthur was safe, Edward led me upstairs. My legs felt heavy. Every step was an effort. When we reached the master bedroom, I stopped by the door.  

The room was beautiful. There was a large bed with thick, white blankets. The windows were huge, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. Even in the dark, I could see the white foam of the waves hitting the rocks below.  

"Do you like it?" Edward asked. He sounded nervous, like a boy showing off a drawing.  

"It’s perfect," I said.  

I walked to the window and pressed my forehead against the glass. "Edward, did you see the woman's face on the camera? The one at the hospital?"  

Edward sighed. He walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Mark looked at the footage again. It was not someone we know. But she was young, maybe in her twenties.

I needed to sleep.  

Edward helped me get into bed. The sheets were cool and crisp. As soon as my head hit the pillow, the exhaustion finally won. I fell into a deep sleep.  

But my dreams were not peaceful. I dreamt of the warehouse. I dreamt of the smell of salt water, but this time, it was not the ocean outside my window. It was the water leaking into the room where I was tied up.  

I woke up screaming.  

"Serena! Serena, wake up!"  

Edward was holding me. I was shaking, and my clothes were wet with sweat. 

"I saw her," I gasped. "The woman. She was in the room."  

"It was just a dream," Edward said, stroking my hair. "You're safe. I promise."  

He stayed with me until I calmed down. He went downstairs to get me a glass of water and check on Arthur. While he was gone, I stayed in bed, watching the ocean.  

I looked at the bedside table. Edward had left his phone there. It vibrated.  

I should not have looked. I knew I should not have. But I reached out and tapped the screen. It was a text message from an unknown number.  

The ocean is beautiful this time of year. I hope the baby likes the sound of the waves.  

"Edward!" I screamed.  

He came running back into the room,
"What happened? Did you fall?"  

I could not speak. I just pointed at the phone.  

Edward picked it up and read the message. 

"How?" Edward whispered. "How did they get this number? This is a burner phone. It’s only been active for six hours."  

"They know we're here," I said. My voice was shaky. "Edward, she knows exactly where we are."  

Edward quickly called Mark.

Mark, get the men outside. Double the guard. I want the gates locked. Nobody enters."  

"Sir," Mark said, "if they found us this fast, it means we have a leak. Someone is telling her our moves."  

Edward looked at me, then at his phone. The house did not feel safe anymore.  

"Check everyone," Edward ordered. "The nurses, the drivers, the staff. I want to know who is talking to her.”

Mark nodded and left the room.  

Edward came back to the bed and sat beside me. He took my hands in his. 

"We can move again," he said. "We can leave for the airport right now. We can go to a different country."  

"No," I said. I looked him in the eye. I was tired of running. I was tired of being the victim. "If we move, she will just follow us. She has the money. We can't spend our whole lives running Edward."  

"Then what do we do?"  

"We stop running," I said. "Lily wants to play a game? Fine. But she’s not the only one with something to fight for. You have the USB drive. You have the names of the people she paid. Use them."  

Edward looked at me. 

"Don't wait for her to find us," I said. "Go after her. Find the leak. If Lily wants to see the ocean, let's show her the bottom of it."  

Edward was silent for a long time. Then, he leaned forward and kissed my forehead.  

"I’m going to end this, Serena. For good, he promised."  

He left the room to talk to Mark. I sat in the bed, listening to the waves. They sounded louder now. 

I got out of bed, ignoring the pain in my stomach. I walked down the stairs to Arthur's room. He was awake, looking up at the blue ceiling. I picked him up, feeling his small weight in my arms.  

"Don't worry, Arthur," I whispered. "Mommy is done being afraid."