Chapter 3 - The Ghost on the Line
Claire stared at the glowing screen as her hands shook uncontrollably.
The phone vibrated again, demanding an answer.
She had buried her twin sister’s empty casket seven years ago.
She pressed the green button and slowly brought the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" Claire whispered, her voice cracking with fear.
"Claire, listen to me very carefully," a rushed, terrified voice spoke on the other end.
It was Maya.
It was undeniably the voice of the sister she had mourned for nearly a decade.
"Maya, how is this possible?" Claire choked out, tears finally spilling down her cheeks.
"There is no time to explain, Claire," Maya interrupted frantically.
"Julian is tracking the boy's location right now," she warned.
Claire looked down at the child who was watching her with solemn blue eyes.
"Is he really your son?" Claire asked.
"Yes, his name is Leo," Maya confirmed through the static of the call.
"Julian kept me locked in a private medical facility for seven years," Maya confessed quickly.
"I managed to get Leo out, but I could not escape with him," she added.
Claire's mind spun wildly as the horrific truth set in.
"Where are you right now?" Claire demanded.
"I am running toward the old harbor, but Julian's men are everywhere," Maya panted.
"You have to get Leo to Detective Hayes at the central precinct," Maya instructed.
"Hayes is the only cop in this city that Julian does not own," she said.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the phone speaker.
Claire heard the sound of shattering glass and heavy footsteps on Maya's end.
"Maya! What is happening?" Claire screamed into the phone.
"They found me," Maya cried out in absolute terror.
The line went completely dead.
Claire lowered the phone, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
She looked at Leo, who was staring at the phone with wide, fearful eyes.
"They caught my mom, didn't they?" Leo asked quietly.
Claire wiped her tears and forced a brave, determined expression onto her face.
"We are going to get her back, Leo," Claire promised fiercely.
She took the old ribbon from his hand and noticed something strange about the fabric.
There was a hard, rectangular lump sewn perfectly into the hem of the ribbon.
Claire used her car keys to tear the old fabric open.
A tiny, black microchip fell perfectly into the palm of her hand.
"What is that?" Leo asked, leaning in closer.
"This is exactly what your father is willing to kill for," Claire realized.
May you like
Suddenly, the rusted dumpster beside them groaned under a massive weight.
Claire looked up just in time to see a suited man dropping down from the fire escape directly above them.
