My Neighbor Asked Me to Watch Her Daughter for One Hour… She Didn’t Come Back Until Sunrise
Chapter 8
The church became a fortress.
Father Thomas locked every door.
Marcus moved the furniture against the entrances.
Evan connected the flash drive to an old laptop.
Claire sat beside Sophie.
Daniel stood frozen near the altar.
His entire understanding of his life had collapsed in less than an hour.
His wife hadn’t died in an accident.
She had been investigating Hawthorne.
And Claire had known.
“Her name was Emily,” Daniel whispered.
Claire nodded.
“She helped Evan.”
“How?”
“She worked in accounting for one of Hawthorne’s contractors.”
Daniel looked at her.
“She discovered irregular payments.”
“To officials?”
“To everyone.”
Claire continued.
“Evan was already suspicious. Emily found the missing records.”
Daniel’s voice broke.
“And Hawthorne killed her.”
Evan looked down.
“We don’t know if he personally ordered it.”
Daniel stared at him.
“But someone did.”
“Yes.”
Daniel walked away.
Lily followed him.
“Daddy?”
He knelt.
“I’m okay.”
“You’re crying.”
Daniel wiped his face.
“Sometimes adults cry too.”
“Is Mommy part of this?”
Daniel couldn’t answer.
Then he hugged her.
Across the church, Sophie was watching.
She walked over.
“Your mommy was brave too.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
Sophie held out her rabbit.
“Mom said she wanted to be brave like your wife.”
Daniel looked at Claire.
Claire nodded.
“She admired Emily.”
A loud crash came from outside.
Everyone froze.
Marcus looked through a window.
“They’re surrounding the church.”
Evan closed the laptop.
“How much did you copy?”
“Enough.”
Father Thomas looked worried.
“Enough for what?”
“To expose them.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Then send it.”
Evan shook his head.
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
“Because the files are encrypted.”
“Can you decrypt them?”
“No.”
Everyone looked at Sophie.
The little girl stared at them.
“What?”
Evan crouched.
“Sophie, do you remember when your mother put this bracelet on you?”
She touched it.
“Yes.”
“She told you never to take it off?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember what she said?”
Sophie thought.
“She said it knows the truth.”
Evan smiled sadly.
“That’s right.”
Daniel looked confused.
“How does a six-year-old unlock it?”
“She doesn’t.”
Evan looked at Claire.
“Claire does.”
Claire reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a small silver pendant.
Daniel recognized it.
It was the necklace Emily had worn in an old photograph.
“How do you have that?”
Claire looked at him.
“Emily gave it to me.”
She opened the pendant.
Inside was a tiny electronic chip.
Evan connected it to the laptop.
A password screen appeared.
Claire typed.
The system unlocked.
Thousands of files appeared.
Shipping records.
Bank transfers.
Government documents.
Photographs.
Names.
Dates.
Daniel stared.
Then he saw something.
A folder labeled:
CARTER, EMILY
His hands went cold.
“Open it.”
Evan hesitated.
Daniel’s voice hardened.
“Open it.”
The folder contained photographs of Emily.
Her car.
Her office.
Daniel’s house.
And one photograph of Daniel holding Lily as a baby.
Taken from across the street.
Daniel’s stomach turned.
“They were watching us.”
Evan nodded.
Then Daniel saw another file.
OPERATION SUNRISE
He clicked it.
A document opened.
At the top was a date.
Four years ago.
Underneath:
Target: Emily Carter
Daniel stopped breathing.
There were instructions.
Monitor.
Isolate.
Recover documents.
Neutralize if necessary.
He scrolled.
At the bottom was a signature.
Richard Hawthorne.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Then another line appeared.
Secondary target: Daniel Carter.
Claire covered her mouth.
Daniel whispered:
“They were going to kill me too.”
Before anyone could answer, the church windows shattered.
Everyone ducked.
Marcus shouted:
“DOWN!”
The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the church.
Then a voice came through the speakers.
Richard Hawthorne.
“Daniel.”
Daniel looked toward the doors.
“You have something I want.”
Hawthorne continued.
“You’ve already lost one family member.”
A pause.
“Don’t make me take another.”
Daniel looked at Lily.
Then Sophie.
Something inside him hardened.
He walked toward the center of the church.
“You’re not taking anyone.”
Hawthorne laughed.
“Then watch the sunrise.”
Daniel looked at the clock.
4:17 a.m.
Only two hours remained.
