I turned to Dave, my eyes pleading for answers, my voice barely above a whisper. "Dave, you have to tell me the truth," I said, my words tumbling out in a rush. "Karen won't tell me everything, but I need to know. I need to understand what's going on." Dave's expression turned serious, his eyes filled with a deep concern.
"What do you want to know?" Dave asked, his voice measured, his tone cautious.
"Everything," I replied, my voice firm. "About Rachel, about the accident, about why she's been hiding. About why the police are looking for her." Dave took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling.
"Okay," Dave said finally. "But you need to prepare yourself. It's not pretty. It's not something you'll easily forget." I nodded.
"Go on," I urged.
"Rachel was involved in a car accident," Dave began. "But it wasn't just any accident. She intentionally knocked down a minister of the state." My eyes widened.
"Intentionally?" I repeated.
"Yes," Dave confirmed. "And that's not the worst part. When it happened, Rachel didn't show any remorse. She just got out of the car and walked away." I felt like I'd been punched in the gut.
"That's impossible," I whispered. "Rachel would never do something like that." But Dave's expression remained grim.
"It's true," Dave said. "I remember the news reports. The minister died at the scene. Rachel was arrested and charged with murder." I felt like my world was crumbling.
"Why didn't she show any remorse?" I asked.
"That's the worst part," Dave said. "Rachel claimed she did it on purpose. She said the minister was corrupt and deserved to die." I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"That's not the Rachel I know," I protested.
"I know," Dave said. "But that's the truth. And it gets worse. Rachel's been in prison for years, but she's been plotting her escape. And now she's out." I felt a chill run down my spine.
"What does she want from me?" I asked.
"I don't know," Dave admitted. "But we need to find out. We need to protect you." I nodded.
"Thank you, Dave," I said. "For telling me the truth." Dave's expression softened.
"I'm sorry it had to be like this," Dave said. "But you deserve to know." I took a deep breath.
"We need to tell Karen," I said. "We need to come up with a plan." Dave nodded.
"Let's do it," Dave said. "We'll face this together." But as we stood up to find Karen, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Rachel was watching us.
We walked into the living room, where Karen was pacing back and forth.
"What did you tell him?" Karen asked Dave.
"The truth," Dave replied. "About Rachel, about the accident." Karen's expression turned grim.
"What do we do now?" Karen asked.
"We need to protect him," Dave said. "We need to find out what Rachel wants." Karen nodded.
"I'll start digging," Karen said. "See if I can find any information." Dave nodded.
"I'll talk to some contacts," Dave said. "See if anyone's seen Rachel." I felt a surge of gratitude.
"Thank you," I said. "Thank you for standing by me." Karen and Dave exchanged a glance.
"We're family," Karen said. "We'll get through this together." But as we hugged, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Rachel was closing in.
"I think I have an idea," I said, turning to Dave and Karen. "I can text Ghost, I've got her number." Dave's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?" Dave asked. "You've been in contact with Rachel?" I nodded.
"Yes, I've been texting her," I admitted. "She's been helping me understand her motives." Karen's expression turned skeptical.
"Are you sure we can trust her?" Karen asked. "Rachel's involved in some serious stuff." I hesitated.
"I'm not sure," I admitted. "But I think she's our best bet right now. And I have an idea." Dave leaned forward.
"What is it?" Dave asked. I took a deep breath.
"I can text Ghost, ask her to meet me today," I said. "Maybe she'll reveal something important." Karen's eyes widened.
"That's risky," Karen warned. "What if Rachel shows up?" Dave nodded.
"We need to be careful," Dave said. "But it's worth a shot. What's the plan?" I thought for a moment.
"I'll text Ghost, ask her to meet me at the park," I said. "We can have Dave and Karen nearby, just in case." Karen nodded.
"Let's do it," Karen said. "But be careful what you say. We don't know what Rachel's motives are." I nodded.
"I'll be careful," I promised. I pulled out my phone and began typing.
"Hey Ghost, it's me," I texted. "I need to see you today. Can we meet at the park?" I sent the text and waited.
After a few minutes, my phone buzzed.
"Hey, what's up?" Ghost replied. "Park sounds good. 2 pm?" I looked up at Dave and Karen.
"She agreed," I said. "2 pm at the park." Dave nodded.
"Let's get ready," Dave said. "We'll be nearby, watching. Karen, can you get the surveillance equipment?" Karen stood up.
"I'll get the cameras and earpieces," Karen said. "Just in case. We'll be able to hear everything." I felt a surge of nerves.
What would happen at the meeting? Would Ghost reveal something important?
Dave stood up.
"Let's review the plan," Dave said. "We'll have Karen watching from a distance, monitoring the cameras. I'll be nearby, keeping an eye out for... Ghost." I corrected him.
"You mean Rachel?" I asked. Dave nodded.
"Yes, Rachel," Dave confirmed. "We'll make sure she doesn't hurt you." I felt a shiver run down my spine.
But to me, she was Ghost, not Rachel. And I had no idea what she was capable of.
I walked into the park, my heart racing with anticipation and nervousness. The sun cast long shadows across the grass, and the sound of children's laughter carried through the air. I scanned the area, searching for the familiar figure of Ghost. And then, I saw her - sitting on a bench, her eyes fixed on the ground, her shoulders slumped in defeat. I took a deep breath and approached her, my feet crunching on the gravel path.
As I sat down beside her, she looked up, a hint of a smile on her face. But I wasn't having it. I was angry, hurt, and confused. My emotions swirled like a tornado, threatening to consume me.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded, my voice shaking with rage. "Why didn't you tell me you're my mom?" Ghost's expression changed, her eyes filling with guilt, her face pale.
"I was going to," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was going to tell you, but I didn't know how." I laughed, the sound bitter.
"How?" I repeated. "How could you not know how? You're my mom! You're supposed to be honest with me." Tears began rolling down my cheeks, hot and salty.
"I was trying to protect you," Ghost said, her voice cracking. "I didn't want you to know the truth about me. About my past." I shook my head, my vision blurring.
"You were trying to protect yourself," I accused. "You didn't care about me. If you did, you would have told me the truth." Ghost reached out, her hand trembling.
"No, baby," she said. "I do care about you. I love you." But I pulled away, my heart aching.
"Don't call me that," I snapped. "You don't get to call me that. You lost that right when you lied to me." Ghost's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you." But I wasn't ready to forgive. I was still reeling from the shock.
"Why did you do it?" I asked. "Why did you pretend to be someone else?" Ghost took a deep breath.
"I was in witness protection," she explained. "I had to change my identity to stay safe. But when I saw you, I knew I had to be in your life. So I created a new persona - Ghost." I shook my head.
"That's not good enough," I said. "You should have told me. You should have trusted me." Ghost nodded.
"You're right," she admitted. "I should have. But I was scared. I was scared of losing you." I looked at her.
"I don't know if I can trust you," I said. "I don't know if I can ever forgive you." Ghost's face crumpled.
"I understand," she whispered. "But please, don't give up on me. I'll do anything to make it right." I stood up.
"I need time," I said. "I need time to think." Ghost nodded.
"I'll give you all the time you need," she promised. "But please, be careful. There are people looking for me." I looked at her.
"Who?" I asked. But before she could answer, Dave appeared.
"Time to go," Dave said. "We've got company." I looked around.
The park was filling with people, but one figure stood out - a woman with a determined look on her face.
"Who is that?" I asked. Dave's expression turned grim.
"That's the detective investigating your mom's case," Dave said. "We need to get out of here." I felt a surge of fear.
What did the detective want? Did she know about Ghost's true identity?