Somewhere in the forest
Emily didn't know what she had expected when she turned the key and then opened the door to the dugout. But it was not what she finally found. Conrad Grayson sat sunk down on a cot. Only the chains, which held his arms above his head and were fastened in the stone wall, prevented him from falling forward. He was blindfolded, and his mouth was sealed with an adhesive tape. Shocked by the sight, she approached him reluctantly as she felt her heart beat faster full of nervousness and fear. She saw blood dripping from a wound on his head. Was he already dead or just unconscious? Had her father lied to her? Had Conrad been murdered, then dragged here that she should find him? Her hand trembled as she put it on the spot on his neck where one could feel the pulse and was relieved when she felt a faint throb under her fingertips. He was alive!
Quickly she left the dugout again and reached for her cell phone. She had to inform Nolan and Charlotte and tell them that she had found Conrad. But when she was about to dial the number, she realized that she had no reception. Softly cursing, she walked a few steps back and forth, holding the phone upwards. But the connection remained dead. Where had she landed that she couldn't even make a phone call? She didn't know how long Conrad would hang on, and she couldn't stay forever in the forest. It would become dark real soon, and it would be even harder to find them here. There was only one way left. She had to activate the tracker and hope it worked. It was not the first time that the small device had saved her life, she recalled. And even though she had wanted to warn Nolan and Charlotte about what they would find here, it remained her only chance. Determined, she pressed the button and was relieved, when she noticed that the little lamp on the device lighted up, indicating that the tracker had started with the localization of her whereabouts.
Beach House, Hamptons
"Emily is... who?!" Daniel blurted out. He cast a bewildered look at Nolan, who nodded confirming.
"It's true what Charlotte says. I just wish you would have learned it under different circumstances." He gave her a reproving look. "But since the cat is out of the bag now, it's time to take action." He cleared his throat. "Since she hasn't reported back for hours, we just have to start with the search somewhere." He went down the stairs of the porch and looked around as no one followed him. "Are you coming?"
Charlotte looked at her brother anxiously, who was still standing numb and motionless, staring at an imaginary point on the ground. "Is everything okay?" She asked softly, slightly touching his arm. "I'm sorry, Daniel! I didn't mean to burst out with it like that. I just found out recently myself. I've only told you because I wanted you to assess the situation better in which she is now."
He raised his head and looked at her. "She's... Amanda Clarke?" He tried to process the information. "But why... did she claim to be someone who... she isn't...?" He asked haltingly.
Charlotte shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "So far we haven't talked about it." She made a helpless hand movement. "So much has happened that we first had to take care of..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "First, David threatened Dad to destroy him," she started with her list. "Then Dad tried to rape Mom, and shortly thereafter he disappeared without a trace and we..."
"What are you saying?" Daniel interrupted. "Dad tried to rape Mom?!"
"Oh, I forgot, you don't know yet," she said, clearing her throat.
"No," he said bitterly. "But, apparently, I'm the only one who doesn't know what's really going on here." He quickly looked over at Nolan, who lowered his head in guilt. "So I suppose you all knew that Emily is Amanda Clarke?"
"It's really not the time right now to discuss these things," Nolan evaded the question.
"When is the right time according to you?" Daniel asked scoffing and folded his arms in front of his chest. "I think it's long overdue that I finally learn the whole truth!"
"Not now!" Charlotte tossed in. "We need to find Emily first. I'm not so sure that David won't harm her. I overheard the conversation between Dad and David. So much hate and resentment! He is capable of anything!" She looked at Daniel who had reached for his phone. "What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously.
"I'm calling the police!" he said resolutely. "If he is as dangerous as you say, then we can't do anything against him without help."
"It's just our assumption that he abducted Conrad and Emily," Nolan pointed out. "We have no proof of our surmise. And the police will hardly do anything with mere speculation." He rolled his eyes.
Slowly, Daniel lowered his phone. "But we can't just simply stand around here and wait!" He blurted exasperated. "We have to do something!"
"Guys, wait!" Nolan reached for his cell phone when he heard a buzz. "I picked something up!" He said excitedly, looking at the display with a frown. "This is a map." He raised his head and looked at the two of them. "This is the tracking device!" He breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally! Now we can locate her..."