Page 241 of Rangers Unexpected Return

She'd known she might never come back.

The recording continued.

"My name is Emily Ross."

"I'm nineteen years old."

"And if this tape is playing..."

"I'm probably dead."

Nobody breathed.

Emily took a shaky breath.

"I need somebody to believe me."

Another pause.

"There is a little girl here."

"I call her Emma."

The room went silent.

Then Emily said the one sentence that changed everything.

"That's not her real name."

I looked at Rylie.

She looked back at me.

Emily continued.

"She won't tell me her real name."

"She says..."

Emily's voice broke.

"...if anybody learns who she really is..."

"They'll kill her."

The tape clicked.

Stopped.

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Trigger finally whispered...

"Oh, God..."

Emily hadn't been hiding Emma because she knew who she was.