Chapter 3 - The Butterfly Trail
Seraphina wanted to slap him.
“My daughter would never leave willingly.”
Caleb held up the butterfly sticker.
“Maribel put this here.”
“How do you know?”
“She uses them to mark places where she feels safe.”
Seraphina stared.
“You've been teaching her that?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Caleb looked at her.
“Your daughter.”
They searched the room.
There were no signs of a struggle.
No blood.
No overturned furniture.
No footprints except small ones near the window.
Seraphina's heart pounded.
Gideon and six guards entered.
“Lock down the property.”
Caleb shook his head.
“No.”
Gideon snapped.
“My daughter is missing.”
“And if the person who took her expects us to lock the estate down, we'll make it easier for them.”
Seraphina looked at Caleb.
“What do you suggest?”
“Follow her.”
He examined the garden.
One butterfly sticker was attached to the window frame.
Another on the stone wall.
Another beside the old greenhouse.
Maribel had left a trail.
They followed it.
The trail ended at the garden's eastern edge.
There, beneath the old elm tree, Caleb found a small hole beneath the roots.
Inside was a child's backpack.
Seraphina recognized it immediately.
“That's hers.”
Caleb opened it.
Inside were crayons, a notebook, a juice box, and a folded piece of paper.
Seraphina opened it.
Three words.
HE KNOWS MOMMY.
Her blood ran cold.
“Who?”
Caleb studied the handwriting.
“Did she ever mention someone named Daniel?”
Seraphina froze.
“How do you know that name?”
“Because she wrote it here.”
She looked down.
At the bottom of the page was one additional word.
DANIEL.
Seraphina's hands shook.
Daniel Vale was her younger brother.
He had died when he was nineteen.
Or so she believed.
Her father had told her Daniel died in a boating accident.
But Maribel had been born years later.
She couldn't have known him.
Unless—
A noise came from the greenhouse.
Caleb raised his hand.
Everyone stopped.
He moved ahead.
Seraphina followed despite his warning.
Inside the greenhouse, they found Maribel.
She was sitting beside a man.
Seraphina screamed her name.
“Maribel!”
The child turned.
“Mommy!”
She ran into her mother's arms.
Seraphina held her so tightly she could barely breathe.
“Are you okay?”
Maribel nodded.
“I wasn't kidnapped.”
“I know.”
“I went with him.”
Seraphina looked at the man.
He was around fifty.
Gray hair.
Expensive coat.
He raised both hands.
“I'm sorry.”
Caleb stepped between them.
“Who are you?”
The man looked at Seraphina.
“Daniel Vale.”
Her world stopped.
Maribel looked up.
“He's Uncle Daniel.”
Seraphina couldn't move.
“Daniel died.”
The man shook his head.
“No.”
He pulled a faded photograph from his pocket.
A family photograph.
Seraphina was six.
Daniel was nineteen.
Their father stood behind them.
And beside him was another man.
Seraphina recognized him.
The same man from Caleb's photograph.
Blackridge.
Daniel spoke quietly.
“Your father lied to you.”
Seraphina's heart pounded.
“Why?”
“Because he was afraid.”
“Of what?”
Daniel looked at Maribel.
“Of what your daughter inherited.”
Caleb stepped forward.
“What does she have?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Something worth killing for.”
Before he could explain, a gunshot shattered the greenhouse glass.
Caleb tackled Seraphina and Maribel to the ground.
Two more shots.
The guards returned fire.
Daniel disappeared through a side door.
Seraphina crawled toward Maribel.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
Caleb looked around.
His face was grim.
“Everybody down.”
A bullet struck the metal frame above them.
Caleb immediately recognized the shooting pattern.
“Sniper.”
“Where?”
“West tower.”
Gideon shouted instructions.
Caleb stopped him.
“No.”
Gideon glared.
“What?”
“That's not where the shooter is.”
He pointed toward the trees.
“It's a distraction.”
A second shot came from behind them.
Gideon dropped.
Seraphina screamed.
Caleb moved instantly.
He dragged Gideon behind cover.
The guards scattered.
Maribel clung to Seraphina.
Then a voice came through a loudspeaker.
“Mrs. Vale.”
Seraphina looked up.
“Give us the girl.”
Caleb stared toward the forest.
The voice continued.
“Or the next bullet won't miss.”
Maribel whispered:
“Mommy…”
Caleb looked at her.
Then he crouched.
“Maribel.”
She looked at him.
“Do you trust me?”
She nodded.
“Good.”
He whispered something in her ear.
Then stood.
Seraphina grabbed his arm.
“What are you doing?”
“Giving them what they want.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“Trust me.”
She stared at him.
Then nodded.
Caleb stepped into the open.
“Take me instead.”
Silence.
Then the voice laughed.
“You're not worth anything.”
Caleb smiled.
“You're wrong.”
He slowly lifted his hands.
“You need me.”
May you like
And from the forest came the reply:
“We need your son.”
