Damien proposes that they buy false identities on the dark web and flee to a place like the Bahamas to start a new life. Simone is hesitant, wanting to wait for Moody to find the British man from the bus. Damien argues that even if Moody finds him, they would still face the risks of a trial.

Lucy emerges from her bath and furiously rejects Damien’s idea, insisting that their only option is to find the real kidnapper and prove their innocence. In her anger, she reveals more disturbing details of her captivity. The argument leaves Lucy distraught, and she confesses to Simone that she has only been pretending to be fine. The family is left at an impasse, torn between Damien’s plan to disappear and Lucy’s determination to seek justice.

The narrative shifts to the kidnapper’s perspective. In a bar in Terlingua, the kidnapper searches for their target. They observe the patrons, considering it a perfect place to find a young woman with her guard down. The kidnapper spots a woman with suspicious body language leave through a side door but doesn’t get a clear look at her face. Before leaving, the kidnapper follows another woman with similar hair as a practice run. The search for the target continues.

Simone discovers that Lucy snuck out of the house. Confronted, Lucy admits to going to a local bar for a glass of wine to cope with her stress. She tells Simone that she felt like she was being watched the entire time she was there and adds that if she ever found the kidnapper, she might kill him.

Later, Damien shows Simone a news report announcing that he is also considered missing and that a $20,000 reward has been issued for information leading to the family’s arrest. The increased danger convinces Damien that they must leave immediately. He persuades a reluctant Simone to at least take the necessary photographs for the false identities, even if they don’t use them right away.

The family remains in a stalemate at Moody’s house, having not yet sent the photos for the false identities. They lie low, reading books and watching movies to pass the time. Simone receives a text from Moody assuring her he is still pursuing leads on the British man. Meanwhile, they check the news and notice that the stories about their case are becoming less frequent.

The kidnapper identifies a house in Terlingua where every shutter is closed despite lights being on inside, a detail they find suspicious. Circling the property, the kidnapper finds the patio doors locked. They observe as a female hand emerges from the shadows to briefly open and then close the door.

Convinced that this is the right place, the kidnapper goes to a hardware store and buys rope and duct tape, concealing them among other purchases. Returning to the house, the kidnapper hears a young woman’s voice and is certain it belongs to the target. They watch a shadow in a bedroom and conclude that she is sleeping alone.

At four in the morning, Simone receives a text from Moody with bad news. The British man from the bus has been identified as Max Pearson. He is an inspector at the summer voice camp, but he has been interviewed by police and has an airtight alibi. He is not the kidnapper. With their best lead gone, Lucy accepts that they have no choice but to follow Damien’s plan to flee.

The conversation turns personal, and Lucy confesses she didn’t want to leave home to live at school because she feared Simone would fall apart without her. As they talk, Lucy makes a pointed and cryptic statement: “[P]arents have to let their children go” (264).

Later that night, the family hears voices outside and realizes the police have found them. They rush to hide in a shed in the garden as officers surround the area, shouting that they have intelligence on the fugitives’ location. From inside the shed, Simone peers out and sees that the police are not at their rental but at Moody’s own house next door. After searching Moody’s property and finding nothing, the police leave. The family narrowly escapes capture but is now terrified that Moody betrayed them.

Believing Moody has turned them in, and that their capture is imminent, the family fully commits to Damien’s escape plan. A heartbroken Lucy silently agrees to have her picture taken for the false identity documents. Damien photographs her and Simone against a blank wall. Following the instructions from his dark web contact, Simone uploads the photos to a draft email, which the forger can access without leaving a digital trail.

The family receives confirmation that their new identities will be ready for pickup at Galveston Port the next morning. They immediately reserve tickets on a cruise ship to the Bahamas. At 3:30 am, they board a bus out of Terlingua, wearing simple disguises. During the ride, Simone asks Lucy about her earlier comment about “letting go,” but Lucy is evasive and claims she meant nothing by it.

After a long bus ride, the family arrives at Galveston Port. Damien goes into a storage facility, meets a man by a designated locker, and pays him cash in exchange for a brown envelope. Inside are three sets of forged documents, including passports with new names. Simone’s new identity is Sarah. With the false papers in hand, they walk toward the passport control building to board their ship.

As they approach the border office at the port, Simone, Damien, and Lucy notice two officers outside armed with machine guns. To avoid drawing attention to themselves as a group, they decide to split up and enter separately, joining different queues to have their documents checked.

Inside the border office, Simone nervously presents her fake passport, stating her reason for travel is vacation. To her immense relief, the official stamps her passport without issue. Lucy and Damien also pass through their respective checkpoints successfully. The family reunites on the tarmac, shocked that their plan worked, and boards the cruise ship.

Aboard the ship, the family settles into their cabins, but Simone soon realizes that the vessel has not departed, despite the scheduled time having passed. An announcement blames the delay on a signaling issue. Simone joins Damien on the deck and, in a symbolic gesture, throws her burner phone into the sea. Suddenly, the ship is flooded with the lights of police boats, and officers swarm the lower deck. An officer informs another guest that they are there to remove a passenger. Simone and Damien realize their escape has failed; they have been betrayed and trapped.

As police move toward them, Damien reveals something he learned during his interviews: The authorities offered a plea deal: If Simone pleads guilty to all charges, they will drop the case against Lucy. Simone instantly believes that this is what Lucy meant by her statement about parents letting their children go. To give her daughter freedom, Simone decides to sacrifice herself. She apologizes to Damien for ever doubting his love for Lucy.

Just as the police reach them, Lucy appears. Simone urgently explains the deal, telling Lucy that she must accept it so she can be free. A devastated Lucy protests as the police formally arrest Simone. Before being led away, Simone tells her daughter that she doesn’t regret anything because it was all worth it to save her.

The kidnapper returns to the house in Terlingua to find it empty. On their phone, they watch a news report about the family’s capture, with a headline stating: “MOTHER IN POLICE CUSTODY. DAUGHTER REMAINS FREE.” (287) The kidnapper concludes that it will now be much easier to abduct her. The plan is back on.