Chapter 10 - Marcus’s Offer
I watched Marcus’s recorded interview from my hospital room.
He sat across from Owen wearing an orange uniform.
His face appeared thinner.
His voice remained confident.
“I can give you my father.”
“In exchange, Claire signs an agreement recognizing my parental rights.”
Owen leaned back.
“You imprisoned her for six weeks.”
“I was under my father’s influence.”
“You threatened to cut the baby from her body.”
“I was frightened.”
“You planned her death.”
“Those documents were prepared by Lionel.”
Marcus had always believed responsibility was something he could assign to the nearest person.
Owen asked where Richard was.
Marcus smiled.
“First, I speak to Claire.”
I refused.
The prosecutor refused the custody condition.
Marcus changed the demand.
He wanted a reduced sentence and placement in protective custody.
Federal authorities agreed only to consider cooperation.
Marcus revealed that Richard planned to leave the country aboard a cargo ship departing from Savannah.
Lionel Crane was traveling with him.
The gold key would be used to unlock an offshore account before departure.
Agents prepared an operation.
Marcus insisted on going.
He claimed Richard would recognize any message not delivered personally.
Owen believed it could be a trap.
It was.
At the port, Marcus slipped away from the transport team during a staged confrontation.
A guard had been bribed.
Lionel drove the escape vehicle.
Richard watched from a nearby warehouse.
All three men disappeared into the shipping yard.
The cargo ship left without them.
Security cameras captured Marcus changing clothes inside a maintenance building.
He had planned the escape before offering cooperation.
A phone was found inside the transport van.
A message had been sent to my hospital room.
Hope belongs to me.
I requested immediate relocation.
Hospital security moved us to an undisclosed wing.
Only Natalie, Owen, and two nurses knew the room number.
At 3:00 a.m., one nurse entered carrying medication.
She had treated me earlier.
May you like
I trusted her face.
Then I saw the gold key hanging beneath her uniform.
