The chase

Nowhere Is Safe

Tricia gripped the strap of her bag tightly as she stepped out of the motel and into the cold night air. The letters were tucked safely inside, along with Maya's journal. She finally had a lead.

The oak tree. That's where Maya had hidden the truth.

She pulled her hood over her head and kept her head down as she walked. The motel was on the outskirts of town, a good distance from where she needed to go. Taking a taxi was too risky. If they were tracking her, she couldn't make it easy for them.

Her eyes darted around. Every streetlight felt like a spotlight. Every shadow felt like it was watching.

She knew now, someone wanted her gone.

And she wasn't sure how much time she had left.

The Feeling of Being Watched

She stuck to the backstreets, walking fast, resisting the urge to check over her shoulder. Don't look paranoid. Don't let them know you're afraid.

But then she felt it.

That prickling sensation on the back of her neck.

She wasn't alone.

Her heart pounded as she crossed the street, pretending not to notice. But in the reflection of a darkened store window, she caught a glimpse of a man following her. Dark hoodie. Hands in his pockets. Face obscured.

It was him.

The same man who had attacked her in the alley.

Tricia forced herself to stay calm. Think, think.

If she ran now, she'd make herself a target. If she stopped, he'd know she had spotted him. She had to be smart.

She turned the next corner and ducked into an abandoned construction site. If she could lose him here, she'd have a chance of getting to the oak tree unnoticed.

She pressed herself against the cold concrete wall, listening. Footsteps approached, slow and deliberate.

Then they stopped.

Silence.

Tricia held her breath.

A voice, low, menacing, cut through the quiet.

"You can't run forever, Tricia."

Her blood ran cold.

Who was he? How did he know her name?

She turned and sprinted through the site, weaving between stacks of wood and metal beams. Behind her, the footsteps followed, closer, faster.

She reached the fence, grabbed onto the metal bars, and climbed.

The second she dropped to the other side, she bolted into the night.

She needed to get to that tree.

Because now, there was no doubt, someone was hunting her.

And if she didn't find the truth first, they would make sure she never found it at all.

A Friend or a Foe

Tricia ran. Her lungs burned, her legs ached, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop.

The oak tree was still miles away, hidden in the old neighborhood park where she and Maya had spent their childhood. But after what had just happened, she knew she couldn't go there yet. Not until she was sure she wasn't being followed.

She ducked into a small gas station, pushing through the glass door. The fluorescent lights made her squint as she moved to the back of the store, pretending to browse the shelves. Her heartbeat was still wild in her chest.

She needed a plan. She needed help.

Daniel.

Her fingers hovered over her phone. Could she trust him?

Maya's letter said Daniel had been part of the secret. That he had been talking to her parents, keeping her in the dark. But Daniel had also warned her to run. He had seemed genuinely afraid for her.

What if he was her only chance?

Her hands shook as she typed out a message.

MEET ME. ALONE. I NEED ANSWERS.

She sent it before she could second-guess herself.

Within minutes, her phone vibrated.

DANIEL: Where?

Tricia hesitated. Then she texted the address of a small diner a few blocks away. Somewhere public, where he couldn't try anything.

And then she waited.

The Meeting

The diner was nearly empty when she walked in. She chose a booth in the back, away from the windows.

Fifteen minutes later, Daniel walked through the door. He looked… tense. His eyes scanned the room before he spotted her.

"Tricia," he said, sliding into the booth across from her. "Are you okay?"

She didn't answer. She placed Maya's letter on the table between them. "Read it."

Daniel's face paled as his eyes moved over the words.

"You've always trusted your family. But Tricia, they aren't who they say they are. Neither is Daniel."

He exhaled sharply and placed the letter down. "Tricia, listen,"

"No." Her voice was steady, but inside, she was unraveling. "You knew. You knew my past was a lie, and you kept it from me."

Daniel's jaw tightened. "It wasn't my secret to tell."

She laughed bitterly. "But it was okay to lie to me? To watch me search for answers while knowing the truth?"

His fingers tapped anxiously against the table. "I was trying to protect you."

"Protect me?" She leaned forward. "Maya is dead, Daniel. Someone attacked me tonight. And you're telling me you kept quiet to protect me?"

Guilt flickered across his face. "I didn't think it would go this far."

Tricia's stomach churned. "Then tell me the truth now. Who's after me?"

Daniel hesitated. And that was the moment she knew.

He wasn't on her side.

Her breath caught as a realization slammed into her. He had led her attacker here. To an empty diner. Where she was vulnerable.

She glanced at the entrance just as the door opened again.

A man walked in.

The same man who had attacked her in the alley.

Tricia's blood ran cold.

She turned back to Daniel, her voice barely a whisper. "You set me up."

Daniel didn't deny it.

Instead, he whispered, "I told you to stop digging, Tricia. I begged you."

Her heart pounded. She slid her hand under the table, gripping the knife from the diner's cutlery set.

She wasn't going down without a fight.

A breakthrough 

Tricia tightened her grip on the knife beneath the table, her pulse hammering in her ears. Her attacker was walking towards them, his dark hoodie casting shadows over his face.

She glanced at Daniel, he wasn't trying to stop the man. He led him there, definitely. 

"You betrayed me." She whispered. 

Daniel exhaled, his reaction torn. "You were never supposed to know, Trish."

Her stomach twisted, but she didn't have much time to process the hurt. The man was almost at their table.

Move. Now!

In one fluid motion, she grabbed the scalding cup of coffee in front of her and threw it at the man's face. He roared in pain as the liquid burned his skin, giving her just enough time to bolt from the booth.

Daniel cursed, reaching for her but she was faster. She grabbed a chair and shoved it into his path before dashing towards the kitchen. The diner's staff yelled in confusion, but she ignored them pushing through the back exit into a dimly lit alley.

She had seconds before they recovered and came after her. She sprinted down the alley, her mind racing. She needed to disappear, again.

But, she also needed to figure out what Maya had hidden. She had a lead, the oak tree.

It was her only chance.

The trap

She reached the park twenty minutes later, her breath ragged from running. The old oak tree stood tall in the moonlight, just as she remembered. 

She dropped to her knees, frantically digging at the base of the tree. Her fingers clawed through damp earth until they hit something solid. 

A small, rusted metal box.

Her heart pounded as she pried it open. Inside was a USB drive wrapped in plastic and an old, crumbled photograph. 

She pulled out the photo first, and froze.

It was a picture of a little girl. Her.

But standing beside her wasn't her parents, it was a woman she doesn't recognise. 

And behind them, scrawed in ink were five words that sent ice through her veins.

"Find her before they do"

She barely had time to react before she heard it. 

A footstep behind her.

Too late.

A heavy arm wrapped around her from behind, yanking her up. A cloth pressed against her mouth.

The sharp, sickly-sweet scent of chloroform filled her nose.

She thrashed, kicking and clawing, but darkness was already creeping in.

The last thing she saw before blacking out was the USB drive, still clutched in the trembling fingers.

And then, everything went totally blank.

A race against time

Darkness.

Tricia's mind swam in a haze, her body sluggish and unresponsive. The scent of chemicals still lingered in her nose, her throat dry as sandpaper. Slowly, awareness crept back in.

She was alive.

But she wasn't safe.

Her wrists ached. She tried to move them, but they wouldn't budge. Tied. Her ankles too. She was bound to a chair, her body slumped forward.

She forced her eyes open.

A dim light flickered overhead, barely illuminating the small, windowless room. The concrete walls were bare, the air damp and suffocating. There was a table in front of her, metal and rusted, and sitting across from her,

Daniel.

Her breath hitched. He was leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, his face unreadable.

"You don't know when to stop, do you?" he said finally, his voice oddly calm.

Rage burned through her. "Go to hell, Daniel."

He exhaled, rubbing his temples. "You think I wanted this? I warned you, Tricia. I told you to stop."

Tricia clenched her jaw. "So, what now? You hand me over to whoever's pulling your strings?"

Daniel didn't answer.

That's when she noticed something, his hands were shaking.

He was nervous.

Scared.

Before she could press him, the door creaked open.

The man from the alley walked in. His face was no longer obscured by a hood. He was in his forties, with sharp, calculating eyes and a scar running down the side of his jaw.

"She's awake," he said, his voice smooth, controlled.

Tricia glared at him. "Who are you?"

The man smirked. "You can call me Carter."

The name meant nothing to her.

Carter pulled out the metal chair beside Daniel and sat down. "I have to admit, I underestimated you. We thought Maya was the real problem, but you," He leaned forward. "You're persistent."

Tricia kept her expression blank, even as fear coiled in her gut. "If you wanted me dead, you would've killed me already. So what do you want?"

Carter smiled. "Smart girl." He nodded toward Daniel. "Your friend here vouched for you. Said you weren't a threat."

Tricia shot Daniel a look. He wouldn't meet her eyes.

Carter continued, "That USB drive, where is it?"

Tricia's stomach dropped.

She had been holding it before she blacked out. Did they take it?

She feigned confusion. "USB drive?"

Carter sighed, pulling a knife from his pocket and lazily twirling it between his fingers. "Tricia, I don't have time for games. That drive contains information that doesn't belong to you."

"Then who does it belong to?" she shot back.

Carter tilted his head. "People who don't like loose ends."

Her pulse pounded. Whatever was on that drive, it was dangerous.

And Maya had died for it.

She couldn't let them have it.

She swallowed hard. "I don't have it."

Carter's smirk faded.

The knife in his hand slammed into the table, the blade embedding deep into the metal.

"Wrong answer."

Tricia flinched, but she didn't break.

Carter leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You think you're scared now? Wait until they come for you. I'm your best option, Tricia."

A chill ran down her spine.

They.

Who was he talking about?

Carter stood, rolling his sleeves up. "I'll ask one more time. Where is the drive?"

Tricia's mind raced. She had to think fast.

She took a slow breath and forced a smirk onto her lips. "If I didn't have it, you would've already killed me. Which means…" She tilted her head. "You're afraid of what I might do with it."

Carter's expression darkened.

"Let me make something clear," she continued. "I may not know who you work for, but if you kill me now, that drive will end up in someone else's hands. Someone who won't hesitate to expose whatever you're hiding."

It was a bluff. But she had no other choice.

Carter stared at her for a long moment. Then, to her shock, he laughed.

He shook his head. "You really are your mother's daughter."

Tricia froze.

Her mother?

"What," she started, but before she could finish, Carter turned to Daniel.

"Keep an eye on her," he ordered. "We'll deal with this soon."

And then he was gone, leaving her alone with Daniel.

Silence hung between them.

Tricia's voice was barely a whisper. "What did he mean? About my mother?"

Daniel hesitated. Then, finally, he met her eyes.

"You're not who you think you are, Tricia."

The room spun.

Everything she knew, everything she had been fighting for, was unraveling.

And now, she was in more danger than ever.

The Truth Unveiled

Tricia's world was spinning.

"You're not who you think you are."

Daniel's words echoed in her mind, louder than her pounding heartbeat. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay composed despite the ropes digging into her wrists.

"You don't get to say that and just sit there," she hissed. "Talk. Now."

Daniel exhaled, rubbing his face with his hands. "It's complicated."

"Try me."

He hesitated, his fingers drumming against the table. "Everything you've been chasing, everything Maya tried to uncover, it's about you, Tricia. You're the secret."

She shook her head. "That makes no sense. How can I be a secret?"

Daniel looked away, guilt flashing in his eyes.

And then it hit her.

The photograph.

The woman standing beside her as a child. A woman she didn't recognize.

Tricia's voice was unsteady. "My parents… they're not really my parents, are they?"

Daniel's silence was the only confirmation she needed.

A sharp pain shot through her chest. Had her entire life been a lie?

Before Daniel could respond, the door creaked open again.

And Tricia's breath caught.

A woman stepped inside.

She was tall, poised, and eerily familiar. Dark hair slicked back, sharp features, piercing gray eyes. There was something coldly elegant about her presence, something commanding.

She moved slowly, deliberately, like she already knew she had won.

Daniel stiffened but said nothing.

Tricia, however, couldn't stay silent.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

The woman smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Oh, Tricia… after all this time, you still don't remember me?"

Tricia's blood ran cold.

Remember?

A memory flickered, hands lifting her as a child, a lullaby in a language she didn't recognize, the warmth of a hug that wasn't her mother's.

The realization slammed into her like a freight train.

"You," she whispered. "You're the woman in the photo."

The woman inclined her head. "Very good." She took a step closer. "I am Lana Hathaway. Your real mother."

The words sucked the air from Tricia's lungs.

No. It couldn't be true.

Lana watched her carefully, as if studying her reaction. "I knew you wouldn't remember much. They did a good job erasing your past."

Tricia's throat was dry. "What are you talking about?"

Lana exhaled softly, as if this conversation was long overdue. "Your so-called parents? They took you from me. Stole you from the life you were meant to have."

Tricia's stomach twisted. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It will."Lana glanced at Daniel, then back at Tricia. "You were born into something bigger than you realize, Tricia. You come from a family of power, of influence. But my enemies, they wanted to control me. And when they couldn't, they took the only leverage they could find."

Tricia shook her head. "No. My parents… they raised me. They love me."

Lana's expression darkened. "They raised you to be their pawn. To keep you away from the truth."

The weight of it all crashed down on her. Maya had figured it out, that's why she was killed.

And now, Tricia was next.

She forced herself to stay focused. "So what now? You expect me to believe you, just like that?"

Lana sighed. "I don't expect you to believe me. But you need to understand, you've been living in a lie. And the people you thought you could trust? They were never on your side."

Tricia's eyes flicked to Daniel. "Even him?"

Daniel stiffened but didn't speak.

Lana smiled faintly. "Ah, yes. Your dear friend Daniel. Let's just say… he had his doubts."

Tricia turned to him, fury boiling in her veins. "You knew all along"

Daniel swallowed hard. "I didn't know everything."

"But you knew enough," she spat. "And you still lied to me."

Lana watched the exchange with mild amusement. "You're stronger than I expected. Good." She stepped forward, placing a hand under Tricia's chin, tilting her face upward. "I have plans for you, my daughter."

Tricia yanked away from her touch. "I'm not your daughter."

Lana merely chuckled. "We'll see."

Then she turned to Daniel. "Cut her loose. We have work to do."

Daniel hesitated.

Lana's eyes narrowed. "Now, Daniel."

He exhaled sharply, pulling out a knife and slicing through the ropes.

Tricia rubbed her wrists, her mind racing. This was it. The moment she had been searching for.

She had found the truth.

But she wasn't sure if she'd survive it.