Chapter 5 - The Trap is Set
By 4:00 AM, Dr. Thorne’s living room had transformed into a war room.
Using an encrypted line provided by Ethan’s personal security director in London—a man named Vance whom Ethan had managed to contact via a secure web portal—they mapped out the entire operation. Vance was already aboard a private jet flying toward Milfield with a team of former military contractors, but they were still four hours away.
They had to survive until dawn on their own.
"Aunt Sarah just texted," Emma announced, showing her screen. The text read: Hey sweetie, late surgery ran over. Heading to the 24-hour diner for coffee before coming home. Love you!
"She's safe," Emma breathed, relief washing over her. "Arthur doesn't have her. He was just monitoring her schedule through the hospital's public roster."
"Good," Lily said, rolling out a floor plan of the Milfield Public Library on the table. "That means Arthur is operating blind. He knows our names, but he doesn't know where we are right now."
Lily turned to Ethan. "Mr. Reynolds, can you access the Reynolds Trust digital ledger from a public terminal?"
"Yes," Ethan replied, pulling a small silver USB drive from his pocket. "This drive contains my private cryptographic key. Without it, Arthur can't transfer a single share. But if I insert this key into a terminal connected to the municipal network, the transaction attempt becomes a matter of public record."
"Which means," Emma realized, "if Arthur forces you to transfer the funds, the record will show it was done under duress at a public library terminal!"
"Exactly," Lily said. "We text Arthur. We tell him we’ll meet him in the library's local history wing at 7:30 AM—thirty minutes before the library opens to the public, when only the maintenance staff and the head archivist are inside. We tell him Ethan will sign the transfer if he returns our backpacks and signs a full legal release."
"Arthur will bring muscle," Dr. Thorne warned.
"He'll bring his two personal security guards," Ethan agreed. "Men named Miller and Burke. Heavy hitters, but not bright. They'll expect two frightened teenage girls and a broken man."
"They won't expect the archivist," Lily grinned.
"Why the archivist?" Emma asked, puzzled.
"Because Mrs. Gable, the head archivist, is Aunt Sarah’s best friend, and she’s been trying to get Hillrest Manor designated as a historical landmark for twenty years," Lily explained. "If we tell her Arthur Reynolds is coming to sign over the house deeds to the city archive, she’ll have local journalists there before Arthur even puts his coat on."
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Ethan chuckled softly, shaking his head in admiration. "Lily, when this is over, I'm paying your full college tuition at whatever university you choose. You have a terrifyingly brilliant mind."
Lily blushed slightly, but her focus remained razor-sharp. "Save the tuition money for now, Mr. Reynolds. We still have to get through the next three hours."
