Chapter 6 - The Setup
I drove recklessly, weaving dangerously through traffic to catch up to the GPS signal.
The flashing dot on my screen finally stopped moving at an abandoned rest stop near the border.
I pulled my truck off the highway and parked behind a crumbling brick building.
Richard's silver sedan was parked near the dark tree line, its engine still running.
I pulled a heavy tire iron from under my seat and quietly approached the car.
The windows were heavily tinted, making it impossible to see inside.
I gripped the metal bar tightly, ready to smash the glass and save my daughter.
I crept up to the driver's side and yanked the heavy door open.
The car was completely empty.
There was absolutely no sign of Richard, and no sign of Chloe.
Sitting carelessly on the driver's seat was Chloe's backpack.
I unzipped it frantically, finding the small GPS tracker tossed inside like garbage.
Next to the tracker was the black burner phone I had seen earlier at the recital.
The screen suddenly lit up with an incoming phone call.
The caller ID simply said "Unknown."
I answered it and held the phone to my ear, my hand shaking violently.
"Listen to me very carefully, Harrison," a deep, metallic voice echoed through the speaker.
"If you want to see your daughter alive again, you will do exactly what I say."
"Who are you?" I demanded, angry tears completely blurring my vision.
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"I am the man who left the handprints on her back," the voice replied calmly.
"And Richard is currently bleeding out in the trunk of your truck."
