Chapter 8 - THE TRAP
Police surrounded my house before sunrise.
I wasn’t supposed to go.
I went anyway.
Cole was furious.
“You’re making my job harder.”
“That’s my house.”
“And those are armed suspects.”
“You said armed?”
Cole swore under his breath.
“Stay in the car.”
Officers moved along the fence.
The front door was open.
Lights were on inside.
Then a gunshot cracked through the morning.
I ducked automatically.
Police shouted.
Another shot.
Glass shattered upstairs.
Cole shoved me lower.
“Stay down!”
“What’s happening?”
“Mercer fired.”
“At who?”
“We don’t know.”
Then Maria’s voice came through my phone.
She had called me from the apartment.
“Mr. Carter, Emma is gone.”
My blood froze.
“What?”
“She is gone!”
I sat up.
“What do you mean gone?”
“The bedroom window is open.”
“No.”
“I went to check Lily. When I came back—”
“No, no, no.”
A text appeared on my phone.
From Emma.
DAD DON’T COME INSIDE.
Then another.
VANESSA HAS ME.
I stopped breathing.
“How the hell—”
Cole saw the message.
His face changed.
“We thought Vanessa was inside before your daughter disappeared.”
I looked at him.
“Then who’s inside?”
His radio crackled.
“Suspect coming out!”
A man stepped through my front door.
Jason Mercer.
Hands raised.
No Vanessa.
Cole’s jaw tightened.
Mercer smiled.
Actually smiled.
Police forced him onto his knees.
Then my phone rang.
Vanessa.
I answered.
“Where is my daughter?”
Her voice was calm.
Terrifyingly calm.
“Drive.”
“What?”
“Get in your car and drive away from the police.”
“If you hurt her—”
“She’s fine.”
Emma screamed in the background.
“Dad!”
I nearly lost control.
“Emma!”
Vanessa cut her off.
“Listen carefully.”
“What do you want?”
“What I was promised.”
“Money?”
“Partly.”
“What else?”
“You.”
I looked at Cole.
He was trying to signal me to keep her talking.
Vanessa continued.
“You ruined everything.”
“You pushed my baby toward a staircase.”
“She was never supposed to get hurt.”
“You don’t get to say that.”
“Get in your car.”
“No.”
A sound.
Emma cried out.
I snapped.
“Stop!”
Vanessa said quietly, “Next time I won’t miss.”
Cole whispered, “Keep her talking.”
I climbed into my car.
“Fine.”
Cole grabbed my arm.
I pulled away.
“She has Emma.”
“I know.”
“Then get out of my way.”
I started the engine.
Vanessa said, “Good.”
“Where am I going?”
“Route 16.”
“That’s outside town.”
“I know.”
I drove.
Police followed at a distance.
Vanessa noticed.
“I told you no cops.”
“I can’t control them.”
“Then lose them.”
“I’m not playing games.”
“Oh, Daniel.”
She laughed.
“You’ve been playing my game for almost a year.”
The line went dead.
Seconds later, a location pin appeared.
An abandoned storage facility outside the city.
May you like
Under it:
COME ALONE OR EMMA DIES.
