Chapter 3 - The Bloody Veil
I stared at the crimson drops staining the white marble floor.
"Evelyn, get the detectives," I shouted, my voice cracking with terror.
"Something happened to Sarah."
The cathedral was emptying rapidly as guests fled from the federal agents securing the building.
I followed the trail of blood droplets leading away from the altar.
It went down a narrow stone corridor toward the bridal preparation suites.
The federal investigator, Agent Miller, drew his weapon and stepped in front of me.
"Stay behind me, Clara," he ordered.
We reached the heavy oak door of the bridal suite.
Miller kicked it open, his gun sweeping the empty room.
Dresses were torn from their hangers and makeup was smashed across the vanity mirrors.
A frantic struggle had clearly taken place here.
Hanging from the shattered mirror was Sarah's white bridesmaid veil.
It was completely soaked in dark, wet blood.
I covered my mouth to muffle a scream.
"They took her," I sobbed, gripping the doorframe to keep from collapsing.
"Adrian signaled his mother to secure the evidence, and Sarah was holding the bouquet."
Agent Miller began speaking rapidly into his radio, calling for a lockdown of the surrounding blocks.
Evelyn put a comforting arm around my shoulders.
"We will find her, Clara," Evelyn promised.
"Adrian's people cannot get far with the police surrounding the cathedral."
Suddenly, my cell phone vibrated violently in my hand.
The caller ID showed an unknown, restricted number.
I answered the call and put it on speaker for the investigator to hear.
"Clara," a deep, mechanical voice rasped through the speaker.
"If you want to see your sister alive again, you are going to walk out of that church right now."
"What did you do to her?" I demanded, tears streaming down my face.
"She is fine for now," the voice replied calmly.
"But if you hand over the master ledger to the authorities, she dies."
"Go to the alley behind the church and get into the black sedan waiting there."
"Come alone, or we send her back to you in pieces."
The line went dead.
Agent Miller looked at me and shook his head.
"You cannot go, Clara," he warned.
"It is a trap to eliminate you before you can testify."
"I have to save my sister," I argued, pulling away from Evelyn.
"I have an idea," Miller said quietly, pulling a small GPS tracker from his pocket.
"Slip this into your shoe, and we will follow you from a safe distance."
I nodded, sliding the tiny device under the sole of my heel.
I slipped out the back door of the cathedral and walked into the dark alley.
The black sedan was idling silently in the shadows.
The rear door clicked open automatically.
I climbed inside, expecting to see one of Celeste's hired thugs.
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Instead, I found myself staring down the barrel of a suppressed pistol.
The person holding the gun was Agent Miller.
