Chapter 25
A maintenance door beneath the defense table led to an old service tunnel.
Daniel had spent months preparing his escape.
He emerged two blocks away and stole a delivery van.
The city locked down roads.
He abandoned the van near the river.
Police believed he drowned.
I did not.
Daniel never accepted endings he couldn’t control.
That night, Emily’s home lost power.
Michael checked the breaker.
The wires had been cut.
Bear searched the yard.
A message was carved into the back gate.
THE DINER. DAWN.
Daniel wanted me alone.
Federal agents prepared an ambush.
At dawn, I entered the empty diner wearing a recording device.
Daniel sat in Bear’s old booth.
“You made strangers into family,” he said.
“They acted more like family than you did.”
He placed two photographs on the table.
One showed Richard being transported from the hospital.
The other showed Caroline inside prison.
Daniel had people near both of them.
“If I don’t call by six, neither survives.”
“You tried to kill Richard.”
“I needed him frightened.”
Daniel demanded access to Emily’s restored trust.
I slid prepared documents across the table.
He read them and smiled.
Then Bear entered through the kitchen.
Daniel stood, holding a weapon beneath the table.
“I said alone.”
“I’m her son.”
This time, the words were true.
Daniel aimed at him.
I knocked the table sideways.
The weapon fired into the ceiling.
Bear disarmed Daniel.
Federal agents rushed inside.
Daniel laughed as they handcuffed him.
“It’s after six.”
My phone rang.
Richard’s transport vehicle had crashed.
May you like
Caroline’s prison unit was on fire.
Daniel had triggered both attacks before coming.
