Chapter 1 A Sudden Ransom
1340 Words
I stared at the blank sheet of paper lying before me and then looked up in confusion at the man glaring at me from across the room.
"Sign your name and date on this paper, leave your fingerprint, and you'll get to see your daughter again."
As someone with a master's degree in finance, I knew exactly what it meant to sign a blank piece of paper. It could bind me to unimaginable debt, send me off to some dark corner of Mexico, or cost me my vital organs.
But at that moment, I didn't care. These people had my Angela. I'd do anything and give everything if it meant she'd return to me safe and sound.
That horrifying call had come that afternoon from an unknown number, just as I was about to head out to pick Angela up from school.
Being a stay-at-home mom kept me busy. My days were filled with tidying up, doing endless loads of laundry, vacuuming, driving a long way to the grocery store, prepping meals, and packing nutritious lunches for Angela. By the time I'd finished all that, it was time to pick her up. Once she was home, my world revolved entirely around her, leaving little room for the mundane chores.
But that was happiness—my perfect life. I never regretted stepping away from my career a decade ago, even though I had been the CFO of a multinational corporation back then.
My husband gave me security, and I was lucky enough to find someone I could build a family and raise children with—a partner for life.
Until today, I had been a blissfully happy woman living a peaceful, perfect life.
But that call shattered it all, or rather, peeled away the layers, exposing the dirty, naked truth underneath.
"Your daughter is with us. If you want to see her alive, be at the location we send you by four o'clock. No cops." A man's gruff voice rasped through the phone.
For a moment, I didn't react. It felt too surreal.
"Mommy, why aren't you coming to get me?"
Angela's voice broke through, thick with tears.
"Angela! Baby! Where are you? What's happening?" I cried out, my heart freezing in my chest.
"Enough. You've heard her. Do as we say, or else..." The man sneered.
"Don't hurt my child! What do you want?" I screamed into the phone, trembling, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably.
"You'll find out soon enough," the man said coldly.
"Hello? Hello!" I tried to say something else, but the man had already hung up.
My hand shook as I gripped the phone, shock and fear numbing my thoughts. Who would take Angela just to demand my signature?
Could it be a human trafficking ring? Or a rival from my husband's business?
My mind was spiraling when my watch buzzed, snapping me out of the panic—it was my alarm, set for the last possible moment to leave and pick up Angela.
I forced myself to stay calm. Calling the police wasn't an option. I immediately dialed my husband, but the call wouldn't go through. He was probably in one of his endless meetings because his work always kept him busy.
Moments later, a text came through. The kidnappers had sent the location to my phone.
I didn't even bother to change clothes or shoes. I ran to the garage, hands trembling as I started the car. The GPS showed it was a twenty-minute drive.
Even though I was doing everything I could to stay in control, my entire body was shaking. I gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my hands hurt painfully. I kept telling myself not to crash, that I had to stay focused and save Angela. All the while, I kept yelling at Siri to dial my husband's number.
"The phone you are calling is currently switched off. Please try again later," Siri's emotionless voice repeated.
By the time I reached the location, my husband still hadn't answered.
In front of me was an abandoned warehouse, covered in dust and littered with trash. I had no idea this place even existed so close to our community.
I swallowed my fear and stepped into the eerie desolation, eyes scanning every corner for any sign of Angela. My heart pounded as I walked deeper into the wasteland, my pulse deafening in my ears.
After a short while, I spotted a man standing at the entrance of one of the warehouses, his expression menacing. He sized me up, a nasty grin spreading across his face.
Swallowing the bile rising in my throat, I stared him down. "Where's my daughter?" My voice shook despite my attempt to sound strong. 'Hold it together. You have to get her back," I told myself.
Without a word, he turned and walked inside. I hesitated before following him into this less shabby warehouse.
The warehouse was dark, lit only by faint rays of sunlight sneaking in through broken windows.
My heart pounded, and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Inside stood several other burly men, none of them looking remotely friendly.
Fear gripped me. I had lived a sheltered life, far removed from the worlds of gangs and kidnappings. These were things that happened in soap operas or news stories but not in my world. Never did I imagine I'd one day be face-to-face with such darkness.
I tried to steady myself, praying no one could see how terrified I was. 'Oh God, please don't let them see me falling apart,' I silently prayed.
The man, who was clearly in charge, eyed me with a smug grin. "So, you're Angela's mommy?"
"Yes! Where's my daughter?" I demanded.
"Whoa, whoa, pretty lady. Relax. Sign this first."
He tossed a blank sheet of paper onto a grimy, broken table. The men around him laughed.
"What am I signing?" I clenched my fists tighter.
"Just put your name and date here. Leave a fingerprint, and you'll see your daughter."
I swallowed hard. Summoning every bit of courage I had left, I said, "I need to see Angela first."
"Hmph!"
The man snapped his fingers, and a few men emerged from the second-floor balcony.
There she was. Angela, her hair a mess, face streaked with tears, was held carelessly by one of the men.
She saw me and screamed, "Mommy! Mommy, help me! These are bad people!"
My heart shattered. Seeing her terrified look, I was heartbroken.
"Don't touch my baby! I'll sign, I'll sign!" All my worries and fears vanished in an instant. I rushed to the table and grabbed the pen, my hand shaking so badly that I could barely hold it. Without hesitation, I scrawled my name in the corner of the paper.
As soon as I finished, I tried to rush to Angela, but the man signaled his men, and two of them grabbed me. Their iron grips held me in place, and I couldn't move.
"Boss, she signed it. What's next?"
The leader picked up the paper with a satisfied smirk, talking into his phone.
It seemed they were working for someone else. But who? And why?
"I signed it. Now give me my daughter!" I yelled, somehow finding a shred of bravery I didn't know I had.
"Boss, this woman's a real looker. Think we can have a little fun with her?" the leader leered at me, his eyes making my skin crawl.
However, his boss seemed to have scolded him. Then, his face darkened, and he hung up angrily.
He looked back at me with a predatory gaze that made me tremble in fear.
"What a shame," he said.
He whistled, and the man holding Angela roughly tossed her to the ground before descending the stairs with the others.
As soon as they were gone, I bolted up the stairs, scooping Angela into my arms. "Baby, don't be scared. Mommy's here. I found you."
"Mommy..." Angela sobbed, clinging to me.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. Everything's okay now. We're going home."
- Writer
