Chapter 8 - The Hostage
"Where is he?" I screamed, frantically searching the empty bathroom attached to the sterile hospital suite.
Carter burst into the room behind me, his weapon drawn as he rapidly checked the shadowy corners.
"The security cameras on this floor were wiped exactly ten minutes ago," Carter said, his jaw tight with anger.
My phone violently vibrated in my pocket, shattering the terrifying silence of the empty medical room.
I answered the unknown number immediately, my hands shaking so badly I could barely hold the device to my ear.
"Hello, Maisie, I hope you enjoyed ruining my son's lovely engagement party," a cold, aristocratic voice purred.
It was Mara, Tristan's ruthless mother.
"Where is my father, Mara?" I demanded, fighting back the desperate tears threatening to spill from my eyes.
"He is currently enjoying the damp air at the old abandoned shipyard on the edge of town," she replied sweetly.
"If you want to see him breathe his last pathetic breath, you will bring that flash drive to warehouse number four."
She abruptly hung up the phone, leaving me staring blindly at the dark wall of the hospital room.
Carter immediately began mobilizing his private corporate security team, heavily arming every single guard available.
"We are not letting them take anything else from you, Maisie," Carter promised fiercely.
Thirty minutes later, our armored convoy aggressively pulled into the desolate, rusting shipyard overlooking the black ocean.
The air smelled strongly of salt and decay as I walked alone toward the gaping doors of warehouse number four.
Carter and his heavily armed team remained hidden in the shadows, waiting for my absolute signal to strike.
Inside the massive warehouse, Mara stood elegantly in a designer coat, surrounded by dozens of armed cartel mercenaries.
My father was bound tightly to a heavy metal wheelchair in the center of the room, looking pale but furiously defiant.
"Hand over the drive, you pathetic gardener's daughter, and I might let him live," Mara demanded impatiently.
I slowly pulled the flash drive from my pocket and took three deliberate steps forward.
That was when I noticed the glowing red timer strapped directly beneath my father's metal wheelchair.
May you like
Mara smiled wickedly and proudly revealed a small remote detonator in her heavily manicured hand.
"Surprise, Maisie, you really thought I would let either of you walk out of here alive?"
