Chapter 11
338 Words
The Ransom
The ballroom erupted into chaos.
Guests screamed as security officers rushed in every direction. Evans stood frozen for only a second before his expression turned colder than ice.
"Lock every exit," he ordered. "No one leaves until they've been questioned."
Lucas immediately relayed the command.
Within minutes, the hotel's surveillance team pulled up the CCTV footage.
The screens showed the lights going out for exactly twelve seconds.
When they came back on, two men dressed as hotel staff were wheeling a laundry cart toward the service elevator.
Ami was hidden inside it.
"They planned this," Lucas said.
"They knew exactly when the power would fail."
Evans' phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
He answered without hesitation.
A distorted voice echoed through the speaker.
"If you want your wife back alive, come alone."
Evans' eyes darkened.
"What do you want?"
"One hundred million dollars."
"I'll pay."
The caller laughed.
"This isn't about money, Evans."
The line went dead.
Lucas looked worried.
"It's a trap."
"I know."
"What are your orders?"
Evans stared at the phone for a long moment.
"Find them before tomorrow morning."
"Search every warehouse, every abandoned building, every property Richard Sterling owns."
Lucas hesitated.
"You really think your uncle is involved?"
"I trust no one anymore."
Meanwhile...
Ami slowly opened her eyes.
She was tied to a wooden chair inside an old warehouse.
Rain pounded against the rusty roof.
A single light bulb swung above her.
The masked man entered carrying a bottle of water.
"Drink."
She turned her face away.
"I won't."
He sighed.
"If you collapse, my boss will blame me."
Before Ami could answer, another man walked in.
"No talking to the hostage."
The first man nodded and stepped back.
Ami noticed something strange.
The second man had a tattoo of a black wolf on his wrist.
She silently memorized it.
If she escaped...
It might be the clue Evans needed.
Far away, Evans stood beside his car, staring into the dark night.
For the first time in years...
He was afraid.
- Writer
