Chapter 8
Only four men knew where I stopped for the teddy bear.
My driver.
My security captain.
Two senior guards.
I trusted all four.
That was the problem.
Trust creates blind spots.
I sent no accusations.
Just instructions.
Separate them.
Take phones.
No one leaves.
Linda smiled.
“Paranoia finally looks good on you.”
I ignored her.
Emily whispered:
“Daddy, there’s more.”
“What?”
“The locked room.”
I looked at her.
“We opened it.”
“No.”
She pointed toward the closet.
“Behind the clothes.”
My men searched.
A narrow panel opened into a second compartment.
Inside were bottled water, cash, a burner phone and a folded baby blanket.
Ryan went pale.
Linda did not.
I picked up the burner.
Marcus cursed.
“You said you destroyed that.”
Linda smiled.
“I keep insurance.”
Against everyone.
Of course.
The phone contained messages with Vale.
ROUTE CONFIRMED.
EMILY RESISTING.
BABY HEALTHY.
JAMES SUSPECTS NOTHING.
Then one message from a contact saved only as B.
GIFT READY.
My captain looked at me.
“The teddy bear.”
I scrolled.
B:
COLONEL STOPS AT BENNETT SHOP 17:10.
Linda:
TAG THE BAG. NOT THE BEAR.
My chest tightened.
Whoever B was had watched my movements in real time.
Then another message.
B:
IF THURSDAY FAILS, USE APARTMENT OPTION.
I looked at Linda.
“What is apartment option?”
She smiled.
“You’re standing in it.”
My guards immediately searched windows.
Hall.
Fire stairs.
Marcus suddenly looked frightened.
“What?”
No one answered.
He stared at Linda.
“You told Vale this place was only for Emily.”
She smiled.
“I told you what you needed.”
Ryan laughed bitterly.
Now he understood the pattern.
Everyone received a customized lie.
Then my captain shouted from the hallway.
“Colonel.”
I stepped out.
Inside the grandfather clock Ryan had crashed into was a transmitter.
Not ours.
Wired to the building entrance.
Someone had been monitoring every person who came through the door.
My captain looked at me.
“This wasn’t installed tonight.”
“How long?”
“Months.”
I looked through the bedroom doorway at Linda.
May you like
She was still smiling.
The abuse of my daughter had taken place inside a surveillance post built to study the Bennett family.
