PART 2

The diner had been closed for almost twenty years.

Its faded neon sign buzzed weakly above broken windows.

Sarah checked her phone.

11:47 PM.

The parking lot was empty.

Almost.

An old black pickup truck sat beneath a dead streetlight.

Its engine was still running.

She tightened her grip on the pepper spray inside her pocket.

“Sarah?”

A man’s voice came from the shadows.

He stepped into the light.

Late sixties.

Gray beard.

Army jacket.

Kind eyes that somehow looked terrified.

“My name is Henry.”

“You sent the messages?”

He nodded.

“I promised your mother I’d protect Lila.”

Sarah’s stomach tightened.

“So she’s real.”

Henry looked surprised.

“You didn’t know?”

“My mother hid an entire sister from us.”

He sighed heavily.

“She had no choice.”

Sarah folded her arms.

“Then explain.”

Instead of answering…

Henry handed her an old photograph.

Three little girls stood beside a lake.

One was Sarah.

One was Matt.

The third child…

looked almost identical to Sarah.

Same smile.

Same eyes.

Same tiny birthmark beneath her left eyebrow.

Sarah felt dizzy.

“I don’t remember this.”

“You were six.”

“What happened?”

Henry looked around nervously before lowering his voice.

“Someone tried to take Lila.”

Sarah frowned.

“What?”

“They believed she belonged to them.”

None of it sounded real.

“Who?”

Before Henry could answer…

Headlights suddenly flooded the parking lot.

A black SUV screeched to a stop.

Henry’s face turned white.

“They found us.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Get in your car.”

“No.”

“Sarah!”

Three men climbed out of the SUV.

None of them spoke.

One simply held up Sarah’s photograph.

Another pointed directly at her.

Henry grabbed her arm.

“Run.”

“What is happening?”

“They think your mother left something with you.”

“I don’t have anything!”

Henry looked at the emerald necklace hanging around her neck.

His expression collapsed.

“Oh no…”

Sarah instinctively touched the pendant.

“What?”

“Take it off.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s not jewelry.”

He swallowed hard.

“It’s the key they’ve been searching for… for twenty-five years.”

At that exact moment…

One of the strangers shouted,

“There she is!”

And all three men started running toward them.