Chapter 5 - The Deal
The silence in the mansion was absolute, amplifying the ticking of a grandfather clock in the foyer.
Emma was gone.
The only leverage Daniel had was a piece of paper, and Thorne now held the ultimate trump card.
“We have to find her,” Rachel said, her voice remarkably steady.
Daniel was already moving toward a heavy oak door down the hall.
“My security team is pulling traffic cam footage, tracking the ambulance’s GPS, everything.”
He pushed the door open, revealing a command center that rivaled a military bunker.
Monitors covered the walls, displaying live feeds, maps, and scrolling data streams.
Three men were typing frantically at workstations.
“Status,” Daniel demanded.
“The ambulance disabled its transponder two blocks from the hospital, sir,” one of the men reported.
“Traffic cams lost them in the financial district.”
Daniel slammed a fist onto a desk, the sudden violence startling Rachel.
“Find them.”
He turned away, running a hand through his hair.
For the first time, Daniel Moretti looked vulnerable.
He was a man used to controlling everything, and now he was entirely powerless.
Rachel approached a workstation, studying a map of Thorne’s known properties.
“If Thorne is using your freight company as a front, he needs access to deep-water ports and unmarked warehouses.”
Daniel looked at her, his eyes narrowing.
“Go on.”
“St. Catherine’s is in the city center. If he disabled the tracker near the financial district, he’s heading toward the water.”
Rachel pointed to a cluster of buildings near the harbor.
“Does Thorne own any property here?”
Daniel nodded slowly.
“He owns a defunct marine research facility. He claimed he was converting it into a specialized clinic.”
“That’s where he took her.”
Daniel turned to his men.
“Mobilize everyone. We’re hitting the harbor clinic.”
“Wait,” Rachel interjected.
“If you go in guns blazing, Thorne will kill her. He has nothing left to lose.”
“I’m not leaving my sister in the hands of a murderer.”
“I know. But you need a distraction.”
Rachel took a deep breath, terrified of the plan forming in her mind.
“I’ll go.”
Daniel stared at her as if she had lost her mind.
“Absolutely not.”
“Thorne wants the authorization document. He wants me dead because I know too much.”
Rachel met his gaze unflinchingly.
“I’ll offer him a trade. Me and the document for Emma.”
“Are you insane? He’ll kill you both.”
“Not if you’re already inside while I’m keeping him focused on me.”
Daniel paced the room, the tension radiating from him in waves.
He knew she was right.
A frontal assault was too risky.
They needed a Trojan Horse.
“If I agree to this,” Daniel said, stopping in front of her, “you follow my instructions exactly.”
“I will.”
Daniel reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a small, sleek earpiece.
“Put this in. I’ll be listening to everything.”
He then handed her a tiny, GPS-enabled panic button disguised as a lapel pin.
“If things go wrong, press this, and we breach immediately.”
Rachel secured the earpiece and pinned the button to her cardigan.
“I’m ready.”
Daniel looked at her, a strange mixture of respect and fear in his eyes.
“Why are you doing this, Rachel? You owe me nothing.”
“I owe Emma. I let those machines into the hospital. I have to fix it.”
An hour later, Rachel stood alone outside the rusted gates of the marine research facility.
The fog rolling off the harbor was thick and freezing.
She held the printed authorization document in her hand, the paper damp with her sweat.
She walked through the pedestrian gate, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm.
The main building was dark, except for a single light burning on the second floor.
She pushed open the heavy front doors.
The lobby smelled of saltwater and decay.
“Dr. Thorne!” she called out, her voice echoing in the empty space.
A figure emerged from the shadows at the top of the stairs.
Aris Thorne looked immaculate, even in the gloom.
“Ms. Morgan,” he said, his voice smooth and cultured. “I must admit, I didn't expect you to walk right into the lion’s den.”
“I have what you want,” Rachel said, holding up the document.
“And I want Emma Moretti.”
Thorne smiled, descending the stairs slowly.
“A noble gesture. But what makes you think you’re in any position to negotiate?”
He reached the bottom of the stairs, and two armed men stepped out from the darkness behind him.
They aimed their weapons directly at Rachel’s head.
“Because,” Rachel said, her voice trembling slightly, “if you don't let her go, Daniel Moretti will burn your entire world to the ground.”
Thorne chuckled.
“Daniel Moretti is a thug with a fancy suit. He doesn't scare me.”
Thorne snapped his fingers.
One of the armed men grabbed Rachel roughly, twisting her arms behind her back.
“Search her,” Thorne ordered.
The man patted her down, finding the earpiece instantly.
He crushed it beneath his boot.
Thorne leaned in close, his breath smelling of expensive scotch.
“Did you really think I wouldn't anticipate a wire, Ms. Morgan?”
He snatched the document from her hand.
“Thank you for delivering this. Now, you and Emma can both disappear into the harbor.”
Thorne turned to his men.
“Take her down to the holding tank with the other one.”
May you like
As they dragged her away, Rachel desperately reached for the lapel pin, but the guard’s grip was too tight.
She was completely cut off, entirely alone.
