Chapter 17 - pale smoke
We burst through the rear pantry door into the pouring rain, sprinting across the wet lawn toward the dark outline of the garden shed.
Inside the shed, illuminated by a single solar lantern, sat Nora and Lily. Lily was huddled in the corner, clutching her yellow blanket, while Nora held a heavy brass wrench in her trembling hands.
When the door opened and Ethan stepped inside, Nora dropped the wrench with a loud clatter against the dirt floor. She let out a choked sob, throwing her arms around Ethan's neck.
"You came," she wept against his chest. "You came back."
Ethan pulled her close, kissing her wet hair before dropping to one knee to lift Lily into his arms. The little girl buried her face in his neck, her tiny fingers tangling in his dark coat.
"I promised I'd come back, little bird," Ethan whispered, his eyes shining with unshed tears as he held his daughter close.
I stood at the door of the shed, watching the tree line near the main driveway. Flashlight beams were already cutting through the thick rain, moving rapidly toward the gardens.
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"They're coming, Ethan," I said, pulling the micro-drive from my pocket and handing it to him. "Richard brought three armed men. The police won't get here in time."
Ethan took the drive, his face hardening into stone. "There's an old logging road half a mile east through the woods. My truck is parked near the river bridge. If we make it across the state line, Sterling's legal team can file the evidence with the federal prosecutor in Boston."
