Chapter 36: Broken

"That's far enough, Falk," Greta said.

Troy stopped at the shore end of the dock.

The planks ran forty feet out over black water, and Greta stood at the end of them with Hazel on her hip and the speedboat rocking behind her.

Dane sat at the wheel.

His right arm hung in a cast, and with his left he held a phone on a mount.

The red dot was lit.

"Da!" Hazel screamed, and held out both arms.

Troy's throat closed.

"Give her to me," he said. "The judge vacated the order. The deputies are twenty minutes behind us."

"Judith's orders were clear." Greta's voice was calm. "If the hearing goes wrong, the child goes to Switzerland. Tonight."

"You're a fugitive the second that boat leaves."

"I've been one since Friday. I don't care."

Behind Troy, a car door slammed.

Molly came down the bank at a run, and Celia behind her, and Celia's voice cracked across the lake.

"Hazel!"

Greta shifted the baby out over the water.

"One more step, and she goes in."

Celia stopped where she was, with her hand over her mouth.

Troy raised both hands, palms out, slowly.

"I'm not moving."

"Good boy."

"Greta. Let me say one thing."

"Say it from there."

"She's not a vote. She's a baby."

"You took my job, my badge and seventy-one thousand dollars," Greta said. "I'm taking one thing back."

She stepped backward into the boat, one foot on the gunwale.

Dane swore under his breath and pushed the throttle with his good hand.

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