Chapter 10 - THE HOUSE ACROSS THE RIVER
The signal led to a vacant townhouse overlooking the Chicago River.
Victor’s men entered quietly.
The building was empty.
But the surveillance room was still running.
Monitors showed different parts of Blackwood Mansion.
The nursery.
The foyer.
Victor’s office.
The kitchen.
Even Lily’s bedroom.
Lily stared at the screens in horror.
“He watched everything.”
Victor noticed one monitor showing the mansion’s service entrance.
The feed had been recorded for months.
Cole searched the archived footage.
Then he stopped.
“There.”
A man wearing a security uniform entered the mansion three months earlier.
Victor recognized him.
Adrian Cross.
His head of internal security.
Victor felt another betrayal settle into place.
Adrian controlled guard rotations.
Camera maintenance.
Access codes.
He could have disabled the foyer cameras.
He could have arranged Serena’s escape.
He could have helped kidnap Ethan.
“Find Adrian.”
Cole made the call.
Adrian had disappeared thirty minutes earlier.
Then Lily noticed another screen.
“Victor.”
A live feed showed Serena.
She was sitting in a dark room.
Her hands were tied.
Blood marked one side of her forehead.
She looked terrified.
A speaker activated.
Michael’s voice filled the surveillance room.
“Found my little window?”
Victor looked around.
Michael was still watching them.
“You wanted me to.”
“Good.”
Michael sounded pleased.
“You’re learning.”
The screen changed.
Ethan appeared.
He was asleep on a small bed.
His injured arm was secured against his chest.
Lily stepped toward the monitor.
“Ethan.”
Victor’s jaw tightened.
“He needs medication.”
“I know.”
Michael replied.
“I’m not Serena.”
“I don’t hurt children for entertainment.”
Serena screamed from the other screen.
“You said you would protect me.”
Michael laughed.
“You nearly destroyed everything because a baby annoyed you.”
Serena began crying.
Victor felt no sympathy for her.
But Lily noticed something.
Behind Serena was a concrete wall marked with faded yellow numbers.
She leaned closer.
“Victor.”
“What?”
“I know that place.”
“Where?”
“The old Blackwood rail depot.”
Victor stared at her.
“My father took me there once.”
“The storage tunnels have numbers painted on the walls.”
Cole checked archived property maps.
There were six underground chambers.
One matched the markings.
Michael had accidentally shown them his location.
Victor looked at the clock.
Three hours until midnight.
He made his decision.
“We’re not waiting.”
Lily grabbed his arm.
“Bring Ethan home.”
Victor looked at her.
“I will.”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“Bring yourself home too.”
Victor stared at her for a moment.
Something unspoken passed between them.
Then he left.
But ten minutes after Victor’s convoy disappeared into the night, Lily received a message.
It came from Serena’s number.
LILY.
May you like
IF YOU WANT ETHAN ALIVE, DO NOT LET VICTOR ENTER THAT DEPOT.
IT’S A TRAP.
