Chapter 1 - The Empty House
I stared at the bloody initials on the torn fabric.
D.C.M. stood for David Charles Monroe.
He was the wealthy investment banker my daughter had married three years ago.
I had always thought he was a quiet, harmless man.
Now, looking at the agonizing cuts carved into Emily’s back, I realized how little I knew about him.
I turned to Dr. Mercer and told him to lock the hospital wing down.
No one was allowed in or out of this room without my direct authorization.
I needed to find David before whoever did this realized Emily was still breathing.
The drive to their suburban estate took less than twenty minutes.
The massive house sat in complete darkness at the end of a long, tree-lined driveway.
I pulled my government-issued sidearm from my shoulder holster and chambered a round.
Thirty years of combat training kicked in as I quietly breached the front door.
The living room was completely destroyed.
Expensive furniture was flipped over, and bullet holes riddled the expensive paintings on the walls.
There had been a massive struggle here, but there was no blood on the floor.
I moved silently up the grand staircase toward the master bedroom.
The door was slightly ajar, and a faint blue light flickered from inside.
I pushed the door open with the barrel of my gun.
David was tied to a wooden chair in the center of the room.
His expensive dress shirt was torn, perfectly matching the scrap Emily had been holding.
He was bruised and battered, but he was alive.
I rushed forward and grabbed him by his hair, pressing the gun to his temple.
I demanded to know what he had done to my daughter.
David looked up at me with eyes completely hollowed out by terror.
He choked back a sob and shook his head frantically.
He whispered that I didn’t understand what was happening.
I pulled the hammer back on my pistol, demanding the truth.
David looked past me toward the dark hallway.
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He told me to run, because the men who took Emily weren't just random criminals.
They were from my old military unit, and they were already standing right behind me.
