Second Chance
Chapter 11 - Second Chance
The boat was named Second Chance.
Mason hated that.
Noah’s cap sat on the seat like a dare. A juice box lay on the floor. A prepaid phone held one saved video.
Kyle Mercer appeared on the screen.
“Mason,” he said, “you’ve always wanted to believe Sarah was a victim. She wasn’t. Preston helped me protect Noah then, and he’s helping me now.”
Mason gripped the table until his knuckles whitened.
Kyle continued.
“Back off. Let Vail’s lawyers fix this. Or you’ll find out how easy it is for a boy to vanish.”
The river split into three counties before reaching the lake.
Boats. Marinas. Cabins. Old docks.
Too many places to hide a child.
At two in the morning, police in Indiana found Kyle’s house empty. His second wife, Amanda, came to them with a split lip and a folder.
Kyle had taken Noah after Preston’s call.
Amanda had found a notebook.
Inside were payments to Preston, Dr. Emory Vale, Margaret Vail, and Deputy Brigg.
Deputy Brigg.
The same deputy who tried to take Lily at the rally.
By dawn, Brigg had vanished.
His garage held a receipt from Miller’s Bend Marina.
Dolly volunteered to go in wearing a wire.
Captain Hayes said no.
Dolly said, “Honey, I spent thirty-two years listening to men lie into radios. I can buy worms and gossip.”
At the bait shop, Dolly asked the cashier about Brigg’s truck.
“Slip twelve,” the cashier said. “Blue cabin cruiser. Helping a friend with a boy who got carsick.”
Mason heard it through the wire and ran before Captain Hayes could stop him.
At slip twelve, Kyle stood on the boat holding Noah by both shoulders.
Deputy Brigg stood near the wheelhouse with one hand inside his jacket.
Noah saw Mason.
“Grandpa!”
Kyle shouted, “Back up!”
Mason raised both hands.
“Noah, look at me. You did nothing wrong.”
Kyle tried dragging the boy into the cabin.
Noah bit him.
Hard.
Then the child threw himself toward the dock.
Mason caught his shirt.
Boone caught Mason’s belt.
A gunshot cracked as Captain Hayes disarmed Brigg.
Mason pulled Noah onto the dock and held him while the boy sobbed, “Daddy said you’d go away.”
Mason whispered, “No one is sending me away.”
May you like
Kyle was cuffed on the wet deck.
At last, Noah was safe.
