Chapter 12 - The Price of Sophie
Rebecca called four minutes later.
Nathan answered on speaker.
“If she is hurt—”
“She’s not hurt.”
Sophie’s crying could be heard faintly.
Elena covered her mouth.
Rebecca continued.
“You brought Elena back. That was stupid.”
Nathan forced himself to breathe.
“What do you want?”
“The Hart Ridge drive.”
Nathan looked at Elena.
“And?”
“Elena’s twenty-four-percent voting proxy.”
Elena whispered, “Never.”
Rebecca heard her.
“Hello, Elena.”
Three years of hatred filled two words.
Elena took the phone.
“Let Sophie go.”
“You left her before. Don’t perform motherhood now.”
Elena’s hand shook.
“You wanted my shares from the beginning.”
“No. At the beginning I wanted Asterion solvent.”
“You stole from it.”
“I saved it.”
“You created the debt.”
Rebecca laughed softly.
“You scientists always think money is something vulgar happening in another room. Asterion was weeks from collapse. Gavin and I built financing structures Nathan was too proud to approve openly.”
Nathan felt the accusation because part of it was true.
He had ignored cash-flow warnings.
Rebecca continued.
“Then Elena discovered the structure and threatened to expose us.”
“You laundered money,” Elena said.
“We moved money.”
“Through shell companies you owned.”
“And you signed invoices.”
Elena closed her eyes.
Rebecca knew exactly where to cut.
Nathan said, “This ends tonight.”
“No. Tonight you finally pay attention.”
Rebecca gave instructions.
A disused ski lodge owned by a Northlight affiliate.
Midnight.
No police.
Drive and proxy documents.
Sophie for the evidence.
Keene advised contacting federal agents immediately.
Nathan agreed.
Elena resisted.
“Rebecca will know.”
“She already expects surveillance.”
“She knows Asterion security systems.”
“Federal agents don’t use Asterion systems.”
Elena stared at him.
“You still believe institutions automatically protect people.”
Nathan’s anger flashed.
“And you still believe disappearing is protection.”
They both stopped.
Mara said quietly, “Sophie does not have time for your marriage.”
That silenced them.
The plan was simple.
Nathan would bring a cloned drive.
Elena would bring an unsigned proxy document.
Federal agents would establish a perimeter beyond the lodge.
Daniel would monitor radio traffic.
At 11:58, Nathan entered the lodge.
Rebecca stood beside a fireplace.
Gavin was nowhere visible.
Sophie sat on a sofa.
Unharmed.
Terrified.
“Daddy.”
Nathan moved toward her.
Rebecca raised a pistol.
He stopped.
Elena entered behind him.
Rebecca stared.
For a moment, the two women simply looked at each other.
Elena said, “You hit my daughter.”
Rebecca’s mouth tightened.
“She needed discipline.”
Nathan stepped between them.
“Where is Gavin?”
Rebecca smiled.
“You still think Gavin is the dangerous one.”
A door opened upstairs.
Gavin appeared.
He looked exhausted.
“I told you this was insane, Rebecca.”
She turned the gun slightly.
“Then leave.”
Gavin looked at Nathan.
“She’s been planning around all of us.”
Rebecca laughed.
“Don’t become moral now.”
Gavin’s voice broke.
“I moved money. I forged authorizations. I threatened Elena. I did not agree to take a child.”
Nathan stared at him.
A power reversal.
Gavin was cracking.
Rebecca saw it too.
“You pathetic coward.”
Gavin reached into his coat.
Rebecca aimed at him.
Federal agents shouted outside.
Everything happened at once.
Rebecca grabbed Sophie.
Nathan moved.
Elena screamed.
Gavin dropped to the floor.
Daniel came through a side entrance with agents.
Rebecca held the weapon against the ceiling and dragged Sophie toward the rear door.
Nathan stopped.
He understood immediately.
If he rushed her, Sophie was in more danger.
“Sophie,” he said.
His daughter was sobbing.
“Look at me.”
Rebecca yelled, “Stay back!”
Nathan ignored her.
“Remember the planetarium.”
Sophie stared at him.
“The stars look small when they’re far away.”
Rebecca pulled her backward.
Nathan continued.
“But their light isn’t gone.”
Sophie looked down.
Then suddenly dropped her full weight.
Rebecca lost her grip for one second.
Elena moved first.
She pulled Sophie away.
Daniel tackled Rebecca.
The weapon slid harmlessly across the floor.
Federal agents surrounded her.
Nathan grabbed Sophie.
Elena wrapped both arms around them.
For one second, they were a family again.
Then Gavin shouted from upstairs.
“Wait!”
Everyone turned.
He was holding his phone.
“If you arrest Rebecca without this, she’ll blame everything on me.”
Rebecca glared.
Gavin pressed play.
A recorded conversation filled the lodge.
Rebecca’s voice said:
“Once the merger closes, destroy the Hart Ridge archive. After that, Elena can come back if she wants. Nobody will believe her.”
Then Gavin’s voice:
“And Sophie?”
May you like
Rebecca answered:
“She’ll believe whatever mother remains.”
