My daughter came out of my body without ever leaving her amniotic sac.

I landed hard on the cold tarmac, but my arms were wrapped tightly around the blue blanket.

Leo was in my arms. Safe. Unharmed. Warm.

He clung to my neck with his tiny fingers, buried his face into my shoulder, and sobbed uncontrollably. "Mommy! Mommy!"

"I have you, baby," I sobbed, kissing his wet forehead over and over, rocking him against my chest. "Mommy’s got you. You're safe. You're safe."

Behind us, the violent struggle on the runway reached its conclusion.

Reid had Richard Sterling pinned against the fuselage of the plane, his heavy hand clamped tightly around the attorney's collar, his eyes burning with lethal fury. Sterling was gasping for air, his face bruised, his expensive suit ruined by tarmac grease and rain.

"Who paid you?!" Reid growled into Sterling’s face, pulling him forward and slamming him back against the metal hull. "Who gave you the order to target my family?!"

"It was Aegis!" Sterling sputtered, coughing blood onto the white paint. "Aegis Global! They financed Julian’s appeals... they promised me ten percent of the liquidated trust assets if we forced a settlement!"

Three federal tactical vehicles burst through the perimeter fence, their heavy tires screeching as they surrounded the aircraft, floodlights illuminating the tarmac like a stadium. Dozens of armed federal agents spilled out, weapons raised.

"Federal agents! Put your hands in the air! Drop to the ground now!"

Sarah lay sobbing on the pavement, her hands over her head, completely broken. The pilot of the aircraft immediately cut the engines, raising his hands through the cockpit window in surrender.

Agent Miller rushed up to Reid, pulling him back from Sterling as other agents handcuffed the lawyer and forced him to his knees.

"We have the aircraft secured, Mr. Vance," Agent Miller said breathlessly, placing a hand on Reid’s shoulder. "Your son is safe. It’s over."

Reid turned away from the arresting officers, his breath coming in heavy, ragged gasps. He walked over to where I was kneeling on the wet runway, holding Leo tightly against my chest.

Reid dropped to his knees in the pouring rain, wrapping his massive arms around both of us, burying his face into the side of my neck. I could feel his shoulders trembling—the immense, weight-of-the-world pressure finally shattering into tears of pure relief.

"He's okay," I whispered into Reid’s ear, holding Leo between us. "He's okay, Reid. We saved him."

Reid pulled back slightly, his dark eyes brimming with tears as he cupped Leo’s small, flushed cheek. "Hey, big guy," Reid murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Daddy’s here. Daddy’s got you."

Leo reached out his tiny hand, touching Reid’s wet nose, letting out a small, hiccups-filled laugh. "Daddy bear."

Despite the rain, despite the flashing sirens and the cold wind, a breathless laugh escaped my lips.

Agent Miller stepped over, holding an open umbrella over our heads. "Mr. and Mrs. Vance... we just received a radio call from the federal courthouse in the city."

Reid looked up, wiping rain from his brow. "What happened?"

"Upon receiving the evidence of the break-in, the Swiss bank transfers, and this kidnapping attempt," Agent Miller announced with a firm nod, "Judge Harold Vance signed a permanent dismissal of all appeals. Furthermore, Julian Vance has been transferred to a maximum-security facility in Colorado with zero visitation rights for the remainder of his life. Aegis Global Health is currently under federal asset freeze and international criminal investigation."

Reid stood up, helping me and Leo to our feet.

"Is it finally over?" I asked softly, looking out into the night where the red and blue lights flickered against the storm.