Chapter 8 - The Frozen Truth
Inside the small, concrete vault, sitting in the corner on a wooden pallet wrapped in a thin, frost-covered wool blanket, was a woman.
She was shivering violently, her skin deathly pale, her lips blue, her dark hair frosted white around her forehead. But her dark eyes—the exact same fierce, protective eyes as Juny—lifted as the bright flashlights illuminated the cold room.
"Sarah!" Cade gasped, rushing into the vault and dropping to his knees beside her.
He immediately stripped off his heavy winter coat, wrapping it tightly around her trembling frame, lifting her weak body into his arms.
"My... my babies..." Sarah Cross whispered, her voice barely a raspy, frozen croak. "Juny... Miles... please... don't hurt my babies..."
"They are safe, Sarah!" Cade shouted gently, holding her cold hands against his chest to warm them. "They are safe! Juny kept Miles safe! They are at the Harbor Grand Hotel right now, warm and fed! I am Cade Whitlock. I'm here to take you home!"
Tears spilled from Sarah's eyes, freezing instantly against her pale cheeks. "Juny... she... she took care of him?"
"She was incredible, Sarah," Cade said, tears pricking his own eyes as he lifted her into his arms. "She was the bravest little girl I've ever seen. But you don't have to worry anymore. It's over."
Nico and the medical team rushed into the vault with a heated stretcher and thermal blankets. Within minutes, Sarah was loaded into an emergency transport vehicle, surrounded by doctors, her vital signs stabilizing as warm IV fluids restored her body temperature.
As the ambulance sped toward Brierport Memorial Hospital under police escort, Cade stood in the falling snow outside the warehouse.
The state police captain walked up to Cade, holding a pair of heavy steel handcuffs and a tablet containing the recovered financial logs.
"Mr. Whitlock," the captain said, looking at Cade with immense respect. "We have enough evidence here to charge Arthur Sterling with kidnapping, attempted murder, maritime fraud, and corporate extortion. Warrants are being served at his North Ridge estate right now."
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Cade looked up at the clearing night sky, where the dark storm clouds were finally parting to reveal the first faint, golden light of dawn over the harbor.
"Make sure he doesn't get bail, Captain," Cade said quietly. "Because if he gets out, he'll have to answer to me."
