Chapter 2 - The Missing Prisoner
Mark stared at the glowing computer monitor with his heart pounding heavily in his chest.
He paused the security footage and zoomed in closely on the small red device.
It was definitely military-grade tracking hardware, the kind used by highly organized criminals.
A sickening wave of guilt washed over him as he realized Victoria had been trying to save Sarah.
He had completely misjudged the woman he loved and handed her directly over to the police.
Mark grabbed his car keys and sprinted out to his luxury sedan in the driveway.
He drove far above the speed limit through the dark city streets toward the local police station.
The rain began to pour heavily, matching the absolute panic building inside his mind.
He slammed on the brakes in front of the precinct and ran into the brightly lit lobby.
Mark frantically approached the front desk and demanded to see Victoria immediately.
The desk sergeant looked at him in total confusion and asked for the suspect's full name.
Mark practically screamed her name and explained that two officers had arrested her an hour ago.
The sergeant typed rapidly on his old keyboard and frowned deeply at the computer screen.
He looked up at Mark and stated that they had not dispatched any officers to his estate tonight.
Mark felt the air completely leave his lungs as the terrifying reality set in.
He argued that he had watched them put her in handcuffs and drive away in a squad car.
The sergeant firmly confirmed that there was absolutely no record of a Victoria being booked into their system.
Mark stumbled backward, realizing that the men who took his fiancé were dangerous imposters.
Someone had brilliantly used his own angry phone call to intercept the police dispatch.
His smartphone suddenly buzzed in his pocket with a new, encrypted text message.
Mark pulled it out with shaking hands and opened the unknown message.
The text was from Victoria's personal phone number, but it was incredibly brief.
The message read that the fake cops were just a distraction to get him out of the house.
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Mark dropped his phone onto the tile floor as sheer terror gripped his entire soul.
He had left seven-year-old Sarah completely alone in the massive, vulnerable mansion.
