Chapter 4 - The Anonymous Caller
I dropped the plastic phone onto the mattress as if it had suddenly caught fire.
My heart hammered violently against my ribs as I rushed to the dirty window, peering cautiously through a crack in the blinds.
Four large, unmarked black sedans were blocking the only exit out of the dusty motel parking lot.
Several men wearing dark tactical gear were silently stepping out of the vehicles, holding heavy weapons at their sides.
I scooped Tanya into my arms, desperately looking around the cramped room for any possible means of escape.
The small window in the tiny bathroom was barely large enough for a person to squeeze through, but it was our only option.
I ran into the bathroom, climbed onto the porcelain sink, and forced the rusted window open with all my remaining strength.
I carefully lowered my granddaughter down into the narrow alleyway behind the motel, instructing her to stay completely silent.
I grabbed the heavy ledger and my purse, shoving them through the gap before squeezing my own shoulders through the tight frame.
I fell hard onto the discarded cardboard boxes below, scraping my hands and knees on the rough concrete.
Before I could even gather my bearings, the front door of our motel room splintered open with a massive, terrifying crash.
I grabbed Tanya's small hand and sprinted down the trash-filled alleyway as fast as my bruised legs could carry me.
We ran blindly through the industrial maze, eventually hiding behind a rusted dumpster as heavy footsteps echoed nearby.
I pulled out the burner phone again, ignoring the threatening messages, and dialed the private investigator's number from the business card.
A gruff, commanding voice answered on the second ring, sounding completely unfazed by my frantic, breathless tone.
I quickly explained who I was and that Katherine had left his contact information hidden inside her secret financial ledger.
Marcus Thorne calmly instructed me to stay exactly where I was and describe my surroundings in careful detail.
He informed me that he had already been monitoring the situation and was currently less than two blocks away from my position.
I peeked around the rusty dumpster, spotting the armed men systematically searching the alleyways with bright flashlights.
Suddenly, a heavily armored grey van roared around the corner, its tires screeching loudly on the broken pavement.
The side door slid open abruptly, and a tall man with a scarred face yelled for us to get inside immediately.
I didn't hesitate for a single second, throwing my purse and the ledger inside before climbing in with Tanya.
The van sped away before the armed men could even raise their weapons to fire.
I collapsed onto the metal floor of the vehicle, holding my precious granddaughter tightly as Marcus navigated the dark streets.
He explained that Katherine had hired him months ago when she first suspected Bradley was laundering cartel money through her design business.
My daughter had meticulously built a flawless case against them, which was why they needed her dead before the federal audit began.
Marcus turned on a small overhead light, revealing that he was heavily armed and covered in dirt from a recent struggle.
He handed me a cold bottle of water, assuring me that the corrupt local police would never find his secure underground facility.
May you like
Tanya suddenly pointed a trembling finger at the private investigator's scarred face.
She quietly whispered that this was the scary man who had visited their house the night Mommy fell down the stairs.
