The Trap
1628 Words
Mrs. Sterling Fox sat inside Mr. Adams's vehicle, a tablet glowing between them as streams of encrypted numbers moved rapidly across the screen.
"We've got eight hours," Mr. Adams said, glancing at his watch. "Sixteen hours have already gone."
Sterling leaned closer to the screen.
"Then we don't waste another minute."
Mr. Adams pointed at a series of symbols.
"This is where we're stuck. Every time we break through one layer, another encryption wall appears."
Sterling studied it carefully.
"Who designed this?"
"We don't know."
Sterling smiled faintly.
"Good."
Mr. Adams looked at her.
"Good?"
"That means whoever built it thinks they're smarter than everyone else."
She picked up the tablet.
"Those are usually the easiest people to beat."
Mr. Adams smiled.
"That's the Sterling Fox I remember."
Neither of them knew that while they were trying to save a business project, something far more dangerous was already happening inside the hospital.
Something that had been carefully planned.
---
Inside the hospital, two security officers escorted Drake and Aura through the corridors toward the children's examination room.
Aura held Drake's hand.
"Are you scared?" she whispered.
Drake shook his head.
"No."
Aura looked at him.
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Drake frowned.
"Okay... maybe a little."
Aura smiled.
"I'll stay with you."
Drake squeezed her hand.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
They entered the examination room.
A man in a white coat stood waiting for them.
His name was Dr. Samuel Redar.
He smiled.
"Hello, children."
Aura looked around the room.
"Is this where the doctor checks us?"
"That's right."
Samuel pointed toward two examination beds.
"Why don't you both lie down there? We'll begin with your examination."
Aura looked at the beds.
"Examination?"
Samuel nodded.
"Just a routine checkup."
Drake climbed onto one bed.
Aura moved toward the other.
Then Samuel casually said,
"Let's begin the autopsy."
Aura stopped.
She turned around.
"What's an autopsy?"
Samuel's expression froze for half a second.
Then he forced a smile.
"Oh... nothing you need to worry about."
Aura tilted her head.
"Okay."
She climbed onto the bed.
Samuel turned away.
His smile disappeared.
He knew exactly what was about to happen.
Because this was never a medical appointment.
It was a trap.
Tabitha Neobon had already paid him.
She had instructed him to convince Sterling that the children needed to come to the hospital.
She had also arranged everything else.
The access cards.
The security blind spots.
The armed men.
And the escape route.
Everything had been planned.
Even Samuel's role.
He was to act like an innocent doctor who had been caught in the middle of a robbery.
Then the doors exploded open.
BANG!
Two heavily built men dressed entirely in black stormed into the room.
Their faces were concealed.
Weapons were visible beneath their clothing.
"EVERYBODY DOWN!"
Panic erupted instantly.
A nurse screamed.
Someone dropped a tray.
Metal instruments crashed across the floor.
"ON YOUR KNEES!"
The second man raised his weapon.
"NOW!"
People scrambled to the floor.
Some immediately obeyed.
Others froze, unable to comprehend how armed men had entered the supposedly secure hospital.
Samuel dropped to his knees.
He raised his hands.
"Please!"
His voice trembled convincingly.
"Take whatever you want! Money, equipment—anything!"
He pointed toward the children.
"Just leave the kids alone. They're only children!"
One of the men slowly turned toward him.
"Leave the kids?"
He laughed.
"Those are exactly who we came for."
Drake's face went pale.
Aura immediately ran to him.
She wrapped both arms around his arm.
"Drake..."
"I'm scared," he whispered.
One of the men walked toward them.
Drake tried to move backward.
"Stay away!"
The man grabbed him.
Drake screamed.
"Let me go!"
The man's grip tightened.
"Let... me... GO!"
Drake struggled desperately, kicking and pulling at the man's arm.
But the man barely moved.
Aura stared at her brother.
Fear filled her face.
"Let him go."
The second man looked at her.
Then he laughed.
"What are you going to do about it, sweetheart?"
He crouched slightly.
"You're just a little girl."
Aura said nothing.
The man's smile widened.
"Don't worry."
He stood.
"You've got today."
Aura's eyes narrowed.
"Today?"
"Tomorrow..."
He shrugged.
"You'll be gone."
A wave of horror moved through the room.
They were talking about killing a child.
Drake continued struggling.
"Aura!"
Aura looked at him.
Something changed inside her.
She stepped forward.
"I said..."
Her voice trembled.
"Let him go."
The man laughed.
"Or what?"
Aura's hands began shaking.
Her breathing became heavier.
"LET..."
Her eyes suddenly began to glow.
"...HIM..."
A brilliant orange light appeared in her lenses.
"...GO!"
The room erupted.
CLANG!
Metal instruments suddenly flew off the tables.
Everyone screamed.
Surgical trays shot through the air.
A metal bowl slammed into one of the armed men.
Another instrument struck his shoulder.
The men staggered backward.
"What the—?!"
More equipment lifted from the tables.
Then—
BOOM!
An invisible force slammed into both men.
They were thrown backward and crashed against the wall.
The entire room fell silent.
Aura stood completely still.
Her orange eyes burned brightly.
Drake stared at his sister.
The nurses stared.
The other patients stared.
Even Samuel couldn't hide his shock.
"What..."
He swallowed.
"What in the world is she?"
The armed men struggled to their feet.
Their protective clothing had absorbed most of the impact.
One of them looked at the other.
"We weren't told about this."
The other shook his head.
"Neither was I."
Aura's glowing eyes suddenly faded.
She stumbled slightly.
Drake ran toward her.
"Aura!"
She caught herself.
"I'm okay."
They hugged tightly.
Aura looked at him.
"Are you hurt?"
Drake shook his head.
"No."
He looked at her.
"Are you?"
Aura smiled weakly.
"No."
For one brief moment, it seemed as though everything was over.
It wasn't.
One of the armed men reached inside his clothing.
Samuel's eyes widened.
He knew exactly what was coming.
"Wait..."
The man pulled out a strange crystal.
It was small.
Clear.
Almost diamond-like.
But something about it felt unnatural.
Aura suddenly staggered.
Her smile disappeared.
Drake looked at her.
"Aura?"
She grabbed her head.
"I..."
Her knees weakened.
"I don't feel good."
Samuel covered his nose and mouth.
The armed man activated the crystal.
A faint vapor began spreading through the room.
People started collapsing.
One by one.
A nurse fell.
Then another person.
Then someone near the door.
Drake coughed.
"Aura..."
Aura tried to remain standing.
Her vision blurred.
The crystal continued glowing.
She looked toward it.
"What..."
Her legs gave way.
She collapsed onto the floor.
Drake fell beside her.
"Aura!"
He tried to lift her.
But he couldn't.
The armed men walked toward the twins.
Samuel slowly stood.
Unlike everyone else, he wasn't affected.
He had known about the gas.
It was part of the plan.
He looked at Aura lying unconscious on the floor.
"Interesting."
He stared at her.
"So that's what Tabitha was talking about."
One of the men looked at him.
"What now?"
Samuel pointed toward Aura.
"The girl."
Then he pointed toward Drake.
"Take the boy into the woods."
The man nodded.
"And the girl?"
Samuel's expression became cold.
"She doesn't leave alive."
Drake's eyes widened.
"No!"
He crawled toward Aura.
"Don't touch my sister!"
One of the men grabbed him.
Drake fought desperately.
"NO!"
The men lifted both children.
They began carrying them toward the exit.
Then Samuel suddenly raised his hand.
"Wait."
The men stopped.
"What?"
Samuel looked at Drake.
"Leave the boy."
The men exchanged confused glances.
"That wasn't Madam Tabitha's instruction."
"I know."
Samuel lowered his voice.
"Tabitha doesn't understand the hospital's procedures and security structure."
He looked toward the unconscious people scattered around the room.
"If both children disappear, Sterling will know immediately that this was a setup."
The men remained silent.
Samuel continued.
"But if one child remains..."
He pointed toward Drake.
"...everyone will believe the gas attack was simply an attempted kidnapping."
One of the men frowned.
"And what about you?"
Samuel smiled faintly.
"I'll remain here."
He pointed toward the floor.
"I'll pretend the gas affected me too."
He looked toward the door.
"Someone will eventually come in. They'll find the boy here. They'll assume the attackers fled before they could take him."
The armed men considered the plan.
Finally, one nodded.
"Fine."
Samuel looked toward Aura.
"Take the girl."
They carried Aura out.
Drake screamed.
"AURA!"
Aura remained unconscious.
"NO!"
Drake fought against the man's grip.
"TAKE ME TOO!"
The man carried him back toward the examination room.
Then he dropped him gently onto the floor.
Drake immediately crawled toward the doorway.
"Aura!"
The doors closed.
Outside, the two men hurried through the hospital corridors with Aura.
Moments later, they reached the exit.
A black vehicle waited outside.
The rear door opened.
They placed Aura inside.
One man looked around.
"Let's go."
The vehicle sped away.
Back inside the examination room, Drake remained on the floor.
His eyes were filled with tears.
"Aura..."
His voice was barely audible.
"Aura..."
He didn't know where she had gone.
He didn't know whether she was alive.
He only knew that his sister was no longer beside him.
Samuel watched the door for several seconds.
Then he muttered,
"Well..."
He carefully lowered himself onto the floor.
"I suppose it's time for me to pretend again."
He closed his eyes.
He went completely still.
Like everyone else in the room, he appeared unconscious.
But outside...
The black vehicle carrying Aura was already disappearing into the streets of Crete.
And miles away, Mrs. Sterling Fox was still sitting beside Mr. Adams, completely unaware that her world had just changed forever.
The Dragon's chosen daughter was gone.
And the person who had betrayed her mother was still standing safely within the Fox family's walls.
Tabitha Neobon.
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