Arron was moved to a new hospital—one that had an entire private wing and tighter security. Jennifer stayed by his side day and night, barely leaving the room.
But the longer she stayed, the more she realized she needed a story to explain why Arron had suddenly been transferred once he woke up. She rehearsed excuses in her head while pacing the room, trying to sound believable.
Then her phone rang.
She needed to meet with John.
Three hours away.
Against her better judgment, Jennifer left the hospital.
That was the moment everything started to unravel.
While she was gone… something happened to Arron.
---
Meanwhile, Mark and I were at school trying to act normal. We sat in homeroom when Beth rushed over, eyes wide.
"Katie—I need to talk to you. Now."
Before I could respond, she grabbed my hand and dragged me to the bathroom. She locked the door behind us.
"My dad overheard a conversation," she whispered. "John and my sister Jennifer. My dad thinks they had something to do with Arron going missing."
I froze.
Jennifer?
Arron's best friend?
Why would she ever hurt him?
"Are you sure they were talking about Arron?" I whispered.
Beth nodded quickly. "Yes. My dad said Jennifer didn't tell anyone she was in town. She didn't stop to see us or even call. He waited in the hallway until she left… and he swears they were talking about Arron."
My heart dropped into my stomach.
Beth started crying, and I hugged her tight.
Then I broke down too.
Two best friends, crying in a school bathroom, terrified of the truth ripping our families apart.
When we got to class, Mark was waiting for me.
"Everything okay?" he asked softly.
"I'll tell you later… after I talk to Courtney," I whispered.
---
At work, Courtney got another call from Detective Steve—her dad's best friend.
"Courtney," he said, "we need you to come down to the station. We think we found one of the men who took Arron. We need you to identify him."
"I'll be there on my lunch break," she said, her stomach twisting.
---
Meanwhile, miles away, Jose woke up tied to a metal chair.
His wrists were bleeding.
His vision blurry.
Blood was splattered across the floor and walls.
Eric was nowhere in sight.
The last thing Jose remembered was meeting someone who demanded higher pay for moving Arron. Then everything went black.
He remembered waking up hanging by his wrists, a rope tied to a steel beam. Eric hung next to him.
A woman's voice echoed in the dark.
"You know too much. And we need to teach you how to keep your mouths shut."
Then Jose passed out again.
When he came to, Eric was being tortured to death.
He watched.
Helpless.
Jose was next—
but the woman wanted to find out how much he knew before she killed him.
---
At noon, Courtney arrived at the police station where Steve was waiting.
"I'll stay with you the whole time," he promised. "Just… prepare yourself. Whoever did this was vicious."
Courtney nodded, though her hands trembled.
They walked into the coroner's area, separated by a large two-way glass. Steve pressed a button.
"She's ready," he said.
The medical examiner pulled the sheet back.
Courtney sucked in a sharp breath.
What was left of Eric's face barely looked human.
She forced herself to stand straight.
"Yes," she whispered. "That looks like Eric."
Steve hit the button again.
"Thank you," he told the examiner, who covered the body back up.
Courtney staggered backward, her stomach flipping.
If someone had done that to Eric…
What were they planning for Jose?
And more importantly—
was Arron next?