<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The old man kept his hand low, blocking the younger man\u2019s view of the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But his eyes stayed on the photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A young woman smiled from the worn picture, holding a baby wrapped in a red blanket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His chest tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He knew that smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had spent years trying to forget it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The younger man noticed the silence stretching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat are you hiding?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The old man picked up the photo slowly and looked at the girl under the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His voice softened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere did you get this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The girl swallowed hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy mom gave it to me,\u201d she whispered. \u201cShe said if I got scared, find the man with grey eyes in the old bar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The old man stopped breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The younger man stood suddenly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s confused. She belongs with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The locals by the bar shifted, not threatening, but ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The old man didn\u2019t move his eyes from the child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s your mother\u2019s name?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The girl\u2019s lips trembled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnna.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The name cut through him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The daughter who had disappeared eight years ago after telling him she was running from a man who smiled in public and hurt people in private.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The old man looked at the photo again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the red blanket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then at the girl\u2019s frightened face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s your name, sweetheart?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEllie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His rough hand closed around the edge of the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was the name Anna had chosen before she vanished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The younger man stepped back toward the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The old man finally stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The whole bar rose with him in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He placed himself between Ellie and the man in the white shirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he said, with a voice so calm it made the room colder, \u201cYou\u2019re going to sit down and tell me where my daughter is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The old man kept his hand low, blocking the younger man\u2019s view of the floor. But his eyes stayed on the photo. A young woman smiled from the worn picture, holding a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n