“Tommy,” Frank breathed, gathering his grandson into his arms. “You scared me half to death. What are you doing out here?”
Tommy buried his face in Frank’s chest. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t know where else to go.”
Isabel knelt beside them, her face gentle with concern. “What happened, Tommy? Why did you leave the church?”
Tommy pulled back slightly, looking at each of them with tears in his eyes. “There was a man. He said he knew Grandpa from his old job. And he said he knew Mom, too.”
Frank felt a chill that had nothing to do with the evening air. “What did he look like, Tommy?”
“He was tall, and he was wearing a fancy suit even though it’s hot outside.” Tommy’s brow furrowed in concentration. “The only other thing I remember is that he had a watch that made a clicking sound.”
Frank and Isabel exchanged a look. Dave. It had to be.
“What did he say to you?” Frank asked, keeping his voice steady despite the fury building inside him.
“He asked if I liked living in Sapphire Bay and if we were planning to stay here forever.” Tommy’s voice quavered. “Then he said he had pictures of Mom from when she was little, and did I want to see them?”
Isabel’s hand found Frank’s shoulder, grounding him as rage threatened to consume him. Using Sarah as bait to lure Tommy away was beyond despicable.
“That’s when I got scared,” Tommy continued. “Because Mom always said not to go anywhere with strangers, even if they say they know us.” His face crumpled. “I ran away when Pastor John wasn’t looking. I didn’t know what to do.”
“You’re safe, and that’s all that matters,” Isabel assured him, gently brushing hair from his forehead.
Frank held Tommy tighter, his mind racing with the implications of Dave’s return. If Sterling was desperate enough to approach Tommy, the situation was even more dangerous than he’d feared.
“Let’s get you home,” Frank said, helping Tommy to his feet. “I’ll let Pastor John know that we’ve found you.”
Apart from the phone call to John, the walk back to the truck was silent. Tommy clung to Frank’s hand while Isabel stayedclose on his other side. As they emerged from the forest, the sun cast long shadows across the trail, and Frank couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched.
Isabel helped Tommy into the back seat of the truck, fastening his seatbelt with gentle hands. “If you want to take Tommy straight home, I can walk back into town from here. Kathleen will give me a ride home.”
“It’s okay,” Frank said quickly. “Please come with us. I don’t want either of you out of my sight right now.”
Isabel looked at him for a few seconds, then climbed into the passenger seat. “I’ll come home with you for a little while.”
The drive to Frank’s house was tense, broken only by Tommy’s occasional sniffles from the back seat. Frank kept checking the rearview mirror, alert for any sign they were being followed.
Once they arrived at his cottage, Isabel moved through the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards as she made everyone hot chocolate. Frank got Tommy settled on the couch with a blanket. The domestic normalcy of it struck Frank—how quickly Isabel had become someone he trusted, someone who felt like a natural part of their lives.
After Tommy had drunk his mug of hot chocolate, he’d fallen asleep on the sofa.
Frank and Isabel sat at the kitchen table, mugs of cooling coffee between them.
“You need to tell me everything, Frank,” Isabel said quietly, her eyes steady on his. “No more holding back.”
Frank nodded, realizing he’d reached the end of his ability to handle this alone. “Sterling Industries develop surveillance software for military applications,” he began, his voice low. “Satellite tracking, primarily. They use it for monitoring troop movements, identifying terrorist activities, and tracking persons of interest in conflict zones.”
Isabel listened intently, not interrupting.
“Three years ago, I discovered that Sterling had deliberately built backdoor access into the software. They could manipulate what the satellites relayed back to American intelligence—changing coordinates, altering images, even creating false readings.” Frank’s hands tightened around his mug. “In the wrong hands, it could compromise national security and leave us more vulnerable than ever.”
“And you reported this,” Isabel said.
Frank nodded. “I gathered all the proof we’d need to convict the people responsible. I went to my manager, and Sterling Industries launched an internal investigation. Multi-million dollar contracts were at stake. If anyone realized what was happening, the company would have folded. I knew something was wrong when that investigation failed to find any wrongdoing.”
Frank sighed heavily. “I went to the FBI with what I’d found. There was another investigation, and Sterling was suspended from government contracts pending the outcome. But Sterling’s legal and PR teams worked overtime to contain the damage. They buried evidence, intimidated witnesses, and spun a story about disgruntled employees making false claims.”
“And now there’s a trial approaching,” Isabel finished for him. “And Dave is trying to discredit you before you can testify.”
