Then he collapsed beside Preston, both men lying still in the dissipating gas.
David turned away from the vault.
Lila was in Mia’s arms, still coughing but breathing. Alive.
Brian was bent over, hands on his knees, gulping air. Eve was beside him, her hand on his back.
“Don’t you ever,” Mia said, her voice shaking as she held Lila’s face in her hands, “ever do anything like that again. Do you hear me?”
“Mom,” Lila croaked. “We’re okay.”
“You could have died,” Mia’s voice broke. “You could have...”
She pulled Lila into another fierce hug.
David’s chest ached watching them.
Footsteps on the stairs made everyone turn.
Dan appeared, followed by several men in suits. Federal agents, David recognized immediately.
“We’ve got the harbor master,” Dan said, his voice carrying across the basement. “He’s talking. We now have everything we need to put Preston away for the rest of his life.” He looked at David, and for the first time in twenty-eight years, Dan’s face broke into a genuine smile. “It’s over, David. It’s really over.”
David couldn’t believe it.
After twenty-eight years of running, hiding, and hunting.
It was over.
“Our names?” he asked, his voice rough.
“Being cleared as we speak,” Dan confirmed. “You, me, Milly, Nolan. Full reinstatement and back pay. But we have to go in for debriefing.”
David felt his knees go weak.
It was really over.
One of the agents stepped forward. “Mr. Moore, we need you to come with us. There’s debriefing, paperwork, and testimony to prepare.”
David nodded. He’d known this was coming.
But looking at Mia, at Lila, and at Eve, he didn’t want to leave. Not now. Not when he’d just found them again. Not where there was still so much to say…
“I’m sorry, but I have to go,” he said, turning to face them.
Mia was still holding Lila, but both of them were looking at him.
They all walked out of the basement and the house into the air. A few black official SUVs were parked at the curb of the house that belonged to David’s father.
“Lila...” David swallowed hard. The pride and fear he’d felt watching her in that vault shone in his eyes. “That was both amazing and terrifying. I think you aged me by at least another ten years.”
Lila gave him a small smile.
It wasn’t much. But it wasn’t the scathing look or sneer she’d been giving him before.
Progress,David thought.
He looked at Mia. “There’s still so much I need to say. So much I need to explain...”
