Chapter 10 - The Other Hale
His name was Declan Ward.
Thirty-nine.
Former Army medic.
No criminal record.
No known connection to Chicago.
He lived in Milwaukee and ran a small rehabilitation clinic.
Until twelve hours earlier.
Then he disappeared.
Rafael had him.
Yara too.
I expected satisfaction.
Instead, I felt anger that surprised me.
Yara had threatened Brin.
Tried to buy away my son.
Helped hide the pregnancy.
But she had also warned us.
People were rarely convenient enough to be entirely evil.
Rafael demanded Brin and the child in exchange for Declan and Yara.
“No,” I said.
Brin said the same thing.
Then:
“I’m going.”
I turned toward her.
“No.”
She glared.
“You just agreed with me.”
“I changed my mind.”
“You don’t get to do that.”
“I nearly died because of this. Our son has something implanted inside his body because of this. My mother spent half her life hiding this. I’m done sitting in hospital rooms while men decide what I’m allowed to know.”
There was the Brin I remembered.
Infuriating.
Brilliant.
Alive.
We compromised.
She would not physically enter Lakefront.
She would join the operation from a secure federal vehicle.
Our son remained under guard.
I went inside.
Rafael waited in Lakefront’s abandoned research wing.
Declan was there.
Untied.
That was the first warning.
Yara remained restrained.
Second warning.
“Cormack,” Rafael greeted.
“You look like Patrick.”
“Apparently that was intentional.”
He smiled.
Declan stared at me.
We looked alike around the eyes.
Nothing more.
“You’re my brother?”
“Apparently.”
Rafael laughed.
“Touching.”
I looked at Yara.
“You all right?”
She nodded.
Then whispered:
“Don’t believe him.”
Rafael slapped the back of her chair.
“Ungrateful.”
Something changed in her expression.
Not fear.
Hatred.
“You raised me to marry him.”
Rafael looked amused.
“You were useful.”
Yara stared at him.
“Am I even your daughter?”
Rafael didn’t answer.
That hurt her more than a yes or no.
Then he addressed me.
“Bring Brin.”
“No.”
“Then your brother dies.”
Declan laughed.
“Do I?”
Rafael turned.
Declan had already loosened something behind his back.
He wasn’t restrained because Rafael thought he didn’t need to be.
Mistake.
Declan moved.
Fast.
He shoved Yara’s chair sideways and struck the emergency alarm.
Federal agents entered from two corridors.
Rafael ran.
Royce pursued.
I freed Yara.
She grabbed my sleeve.
“Let him go!”
“What?”
“He wants you downstairs.”
“Why?”
“The archive isn’t here.”
She pointed toward the floor.
“It’s beneath the hospital.”
“What hospital?”
Her face went pale.
“The one where Brin is.”
My phone rang.
May you like
Hospital security.
The entire maternity wing had just lost power.
