Chapter 3 - The Blackout
I rolled across the marble floor and took cover behind the heavy granite kitchen island.
Two more suppressed shots hit the cabinets above me, raining splinters onto my shoulders.
I was completely blind in the darkness, but I knew the layout of my own home flawlessly.
I fired twice blindly toward the hallway to force the shooter back into cover.
I used the brief pause in gunfire to crawl toward the service elevator shaft.
I needed to get back to the second floor before they reached my bedroom.
I pried the elevator doors open with my bare hands and climbed the maintenance cables.
The physical exertion caused my exhausted, sleep-deprived muscles to burn in agony.
I hauled myself onto the second-floor landing and drew my weapon again.
I sprinted down the dark corridor toward my master suite.
The door to my bedroom was wide open.
I rushed inside, frantically sweeping my gun across the room.
The yellow lion pajamas were lying on the floor, but the bed was empty.
Lily was gone.
My heart hammered violently against my ribs as I searched the closets and the bathroom.
There was no sign of the little girl or her battered gray rabbit.
My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket, illuminating the dark room with a harsh white light.
I pulled it out and stared at the screen.
It was a text message from an unknown, encrypted number.
The message contained a single photograph of Lily and Elena, bound and gagged in the back of a van.
May you like
A second text arrived immediately after.
The message ordered me to come to the abandoned shipyard on Pier 4 alone, or they would both die.
