Chapter 13 - THE LAST TRAP
When the lights returned, Sofia was gone.
So was Olivia.
I screamed.
“OLIVIA!”
Daniel ran through the archive.
Rachel checked every exit.
Nothing.
Then I saw the camera.
Someone had entered through a maintenance tunnel.
They had taken Sofia and my daughter.
My grandfather had anticipated everything.
Thomas found a video file.
It showed Sofia carrying Olivia through the tunnel.
But Sofia wasn't afraid.
She was looking directly at the camera.
Then she raised one finger to her lips.
A signal.
She wanted us to follow.
Rachel understood first.
“She knows where they're taking them.”
We followed the tunnel.
It led beneath the old estate.
Then outside.
A black vehicle waited.
We followed it to an abandoned warehouse.
Inside, my grandfather stood beside Sofia.
Olivia was in a secure infant carrier.
She was crying.
My grandfather looked at me.
“You should have given me the certificate.”
I stepped forward.
“You've lost.”
He smiled.
“No.”
He pointed at Thomas.
“Ask him.”
I turned.
Thomas looked devastated.
My grandfather continued:
“Your lawyer has been working for me since your father died.”
I stared at Thomas.
“No.”
Thomas shook his head.
“He's lying.”
My grandfather laughed.
“Then ask him who gave me the location of the archive.”
Thomas didn't answer.
I felt the floor disappear beneath me.
Rachel raised her weapon.
“Step away from the baby.”
My grandfather smiled.
“You won't shoot.”
She lowered it.
Then Daniel moved.
He knocked the weapon away from one of the guards.
Chaos erupted.
Thomas grabbed Sofia.
I ran toward Olivia.
My grandfather tried to stop me.
I shoved him away.
He stumbled.
I grabbed the carrier.
Olivia screamed.
“Daddy!”
I pulled her against me.
My grandfather looked at me.
“You think this changes anything?”
I held my daughter tighter.
“Yes.”
Police sirens filled the warehouse.
My grandfather's smile vanished.
The archive had automatically transmitted the evidence.
Thousands of files.
To investigators.
To journalists.
To federal authorities.
To every major news outlet.
He had lost.
The guards surrendered.
Thomas was crying.
“I was undercover.”
I looked at him.
“I know.”
My grandfather was handcuffed.
As officers led him away, he stopped beside me.
“You think Olivia is safe?”
I stared.
He whispered:
“Northbridge was never just a company.”
Then he was taken away.
The warehouse became silent.
Sofia touched Olivia's cheek.
“She is safe.”
I nodded.
But my grandfather's final words stayed with me.
May you like
Because there was one question nobody had answered.
Who was still running Northbridge?
