Chapter 11 - My Mother Knows Vanessa called from my mother's phone.
“You found the drive.”
“Where is my mother?”
“Safe.”
“If you hurt her—”
“I don't need to hurt her.”
Her voice trembled.
“I need the proxy token.”
I said nothing.
“You don't have it, do you?”
She already knew.
“You're guessing.”
“No.”
She laughed quietly.
“Claire told me you would eventually come looking.”
My stomach tightened.
“What happened to her?”
“You're still blaming me.”
“Shouldn't I?”
“She ruined everything.”
“She discovered your theft.”
“She discovered what your family had been doing for years.”
I went silent.
Vanessa lowered her voice.
“You don't know the truth about your father.”
That sentence stopped me.
“My father?”
“He wasn't the innocent man you think he was.”
The call ended.
Ruiz stared at me.
“She wants you emotional.”
“She mentioned my father.”
“Then she knows that's where you're vulnerable.”
A photograph arrived.
My mother was sitting in the passenger seat of a black SUV.
She looked frightened.
On her lap was her old green handbag.
Noah recognized it.
“She keeps Grandpa's things in there.”
I zoomed in.
The inner pocket was open.
A small black object was visible.
The proxy token.
Then another photograph arrived.
A rusted sign.
PIER 9.
Ruiz assembled a tactical team.
Vanessa called again.
“Daniel comes alone.”
“You know I won't.”
“Then your mother disappears.”
I looked at Noah.
He was listening.
“Don't,” I told him.
He shook his head.
“I know Mom hid something.”
“You're staying here.”
“No.”
“You're thirteen.”
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“And my mom trusted me.”
There was no arguing with that.
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