Chapter 7 - THE WHITE CAR
Alexander dropped the ledger into Noah’s hands.
“Copy every page.”
Cross stepped forward.
“You are not going anywhere.”
Alexander reached beneath the consultation desk and pressed a hidden switch.
A glass security wall descended from the ceiling.
It separated Cross and his officers from the rear half of the boutique.
Mrs. De Los Santos slammed her palm against the glass.
“Open this!”
Alexander ignored her.
He looked at Elena.
“There is a delivery garage below the store.”
“The elevator is behind the consultation room.”
Elena ran.
Noah followed with the ledger and memory card.
Alexander entered a code.
The private elevator opened.
They descended into the basement.
Elena’s hands shook.
“My daughter is nine years old.”
“She must be terrified.”
Noah looked at the friendship bracelet.
“She was terrified upstairs too.”
“But she still left us a message.”
“She is thinking clearly.”
The elevator opened into a concrete garage.
A white sedan sped toward the exit ramp.
“There!” Elena shouted.
Alexander ran to a black company vehicle.
They climbed inside.
He accelerated after the sedan.
The white car broke through the parking gate and turned onto Fifth Avenue.
Traffic scattered.
Elena gripped the door handle.
“Do not lose them.”
Alexander pressed harder on the accelerator.
Noah opened the blue ledger in the back seat.
Names and numbers covered every page.
He photographed them with his phone.
“There are police officials, judges, customs agents, and politicians in here.”
Elena looked back.
“Send it to someone.”
“There is still no signal.”
Alexander turned into a narrow side street.
“The jammer should stop working once we are several blocks away.”
Noah watched his phone.
One signal bar appeared.
He immediately uploaded the photos to a secure cloud account.
Then he sent Daniel’s video to three news stations.
“Done.”
A police cruiser appeared behind them.
Its lights flashed.
Alexander checked the mirror.
“That was fast.”
Elena looked ahead.
The white sedan had stopped at a red light.
Vincent sat behind the wheel.
Valentina was in the back seat.
She slapped both hands against the window.
“Mom!”
Elena unfastened her seat belt.
Alexander grabbed her arm.
“Do not jump out.”
The light changed.
Vincent accelerated.
The police cruiser behind them struck Alexander’s vehicle.
Metal screamed.
Their car spun across the street.
Noah hit the side window.
Elena’s shoulder slammed against the dashboard.
The white sedan disappeared around the corner.
The police cruiser stopped beside them.
Captain Cross stepped out.
He had followed them.
He approached with his weapon raised.
“Give me the ledger.”
Noah looked at his phone.
The upload bar showed ninety-eight percent.
Cross opened the rear door and pulled him out.
The phone fell onto the road.
The upload reached ninety-nine percent.
Cross raised his boot.
Then a small hand reached from beneath the damaged car and grabbed the phone.
Elena stared.
It was not Valentina.
It was another child.
May you like
A boy no older than twelve looked up at her and whispered,
“Your daughter told me to find you.”
