A bruised little boy burst into our Nashville police station screaming for help—and the man chasing him stopped dead when he saw me behind the desk.

Tommy called for backup.

Real backup.

Not the corrupt kind from our department.

He called the FBI.

The number he had kept all these years, just in case.

Agents arrived within an hour.

They secured the property.

Took Ryan and the wounded man into custody.

Paramedics checked on Daniel and Evan.

Daniel was dehydrated and malnourished.

He had several old injuries that had never healed properly.

But he was alive.

And he was going to be okay.

Evan was bruised and scared.

But physically, he would be fine.

An FBI agent named Carter took my statement.

He was professional.

Sympathetic.

He told me they had been investigating Webb and his organization for years.

But they had never been able to get enough evidence.

Until now.

"The journals you found," he said. "They're the break we've been waiting for. Names, dates, locations. Everything we need to take down the entire operation. Including the corrupt officials."

"What about Webb?" I asked. "Where is he?"

Agent Carter shook his head.

"We don't know yet. But we're looking. He can't run forever. Not with the resources we're going to throw at him."

He was right.

Webb was done.

His organization was crumbling.

The journals Daniel had risked everything to keep were going to bring them all down.

But I couldn't celebrate yet.

Not while Webb was still free.

Not while my family was still in danger.

I went to the ambulance where Daniel was being treated.

He was sitting on the back, an IV in his arm.

A blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

He looked up when I approached.

And he smiled.

A real smile.

The same smile I remembered from childhood.

"Hey, big brother."

I sat down next to him.

"Hey yourself."

We sat in silence for a moment.

Just enjoying each other's presence.

"I knew you would find me," Daniel said. "I never doubted it. Not for a second."

"I never stopped looking. Not even when everyone else said you were dead."

He nodded.

"I know. Mom told me. Through Evan. The boy would tell me things. About how you were still searching. About how Mom still set a place for me at the table every holiday."

His voice cracked.

"I almost gave up so many times. Almost let them win. But then I would think about you. About Mom. About how you were still out there fighting for me. And it gave me strength."

I put my arm around his shoulders.

He leaned against me.

Just like he used to when we were kids.

And he was scared of the dark.

"It's over now," I said. "You're safe. We're going to get you home. Back to Mom. Back to your life."

He was quiet for a moment.

"Evan. What's going to happen to him?"

I looked over at where Evan was sitting with a social worker, drinking hot chocolate.

"He's going to be okay. His mom is on her way. She's been worried sick about him. And once this is all over, she's going to take him home. Away from Ryan. Away from all of this."

Daniel nodded.

"He's a good kid. Brave. Saved my life, really. If he hadn't run to the police station..."

He didn't finish.

He didn't have to.

We both knew what would have happened.

"He told me you taught him things. What to do. Where to go."

"I had to. He was my only hope. The only one who could get word to you. I taught him everything I could. About the police station. About you. About how to recognize a good cop."

He smiled.

"Told him to look for the officer with the kind eyes. The one who would help him."

I felt tears in my eyes.

"He found me."

"He did."

Just then, a car pulled up.

A woman jumped out.

She was frantic.

Scared.

"Evan!"

Evan looked up.

His face lit up.

"Mom!"

He ran to her.

She dropped to her knees and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Crying.

Kissing his face.

Telling him how much she loved him.

How sorry she was.

Daniel watched them.

"She didn't know, you know. About any of it. Ryan manipulated her. Lied to her. Made her believe Evan was just a troubled kid. Made her believe I was just a figment of his imagination."

"I know," I said. "Sarah talked to her. She's been cooperative. She's going to testify against Ryan. Against Webb."

"Good."

The woman—Lila—looked up.

She saw us sitting on the back of the ambulance.

She stood up, holding Evan's hand.

And she walked toward us.

"Officer Marlow?"

"Just Jake."

She nodded.

Tears in her eyes.

"Thank you. For saving my son. For everything."

She looked at Daniel.

"And you. I'm so sorry. I had no idea. If I had known—"

Daniel held up a hand.

"It's okay. You didn't know. Ryan is good at what he does. He manipulates people. Makes them believe what he wants them to believe. None of this is your fault."

Lila cried harder.

Evan squeezed her hand.

"It's okay, Mom. Daniel says it's okay."

She looked down at her son.

And then back at us.

"I'm going to make this right. I'm going to testify. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure Ryan and Webb and all those other men go to prison for the rest of their lives."

Daniel nodded.

"That's all we can ask."

Just then, Agent Carter approached.

His face was serious.

"We got a problem."

My stomach dropped.

"What kind of problem?"

"Webb. He knows we're coming. He's making a run for it. We have intelligence that he's heading for the airport. Private jet. He's planning to leave the country tonight."

I stood up.

"Then let's go get him."

Agent Carter shook his head.

"This is FBI jurisdiction now, Jake. You've done more than enough. You found your brother. You saved the boy. Let us handle Webb."

"He took my brother from me for nine years," I said. "I'm not going to let him just fly away. I'm going with you."

Agent Carter looked at me.

He saw the determination in my eyes.

He knew he wasn't going to change my mind.

"Okay. But you follow my orders. No cowboy stuff. We do this by the book."

"Deal."

I looked at Daniel.

"I'll be back. I promise. I just need to finish this."