Chapter 15
Grace spent a few more days in Flueca. One day, she came across an old beggar on the street. Feeling kind–hearted, she gave him some money.
The old man’s face lit up with gratitude. Then he started talking about his very sick granddaughter.
Grace felt a surge of pity. Using the translation app, she asked where the little girl was, thinking she might visit and help.
The old man, moved to tears, eagerly led the way. Despite his age, he walked briskly and soon left the bustling streets behind.
Grace followed, curious about where they were headed. But as she got closer, she suddenly felt dizzy, and everything went black.
When she woke up, she found herself in a dark, cramped room, barely able to move. She glanced around and listened closely–faint sobs of women, a wet floor, and cold water soaking her feet.
It hit her–she’d been kidnapped and was locked in some underground cell.
Grace had heard about shady businesses targeting lone travelers. She forced herself to stay calm and think of a way out. She tried reaching for her phone but realized her hands and feet were tightly bound.
Suddenly, the quiet room exploded with screams, followed by
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the harsh sounds of men yelling and laughing–a chilling mix.
Meanwhile, Lewis got a call from Theo at three in the morning.
“Mr. Morton, Ms. Parrish is missing!” Theo’s voice was urgent.
Lewis jumped up from his desk, grabbing his coat. “What do you mean she’s missing?”
“She left this afternoon and hasn’t come back. Her phone’s not answering, and the tracker we put on her is offline…” Theo trailed off.
“Call the local police right away. I’ll hop on the next flight.” Lewis kept his voice cool and steady to mask the turmoil inside.
After the last time Grace went missing, he told Theo to keep a close eye on her and even got her to agree to wear a tracker for safety.
If the tracker was offline, Grace must have been in a spot with a signal blocker or lost in a dead zone.
On his way to the airport, Lewis called his old business partner, Frank Donovan, in Flueca. They weren’t that close, but Lewis was willing to do anything if Frank could help.
Lewis touched down the next morning. With bloodshot eyes, he went straight to the police station with Theo.
Theo said, “Mr. Morton, I’ve told the cops, but they’ve got nothing. The crucial 24–hour window to find her is almost up, and I’m worried that-”
Lewis turned and silenced him with a glare. “Enough said.”
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Lewis pushed the door open, dropped Frank’s name, and was led to the chief’s office.
The chief got right to the case. “We’ve got some leads. Our team is on it. Please hang tight.”
Three hours later, Lewis was still pacing around the office, barely keeping it together. “Any news yet?” he asked again.
The chief just shook his head, looking defeated.
“Theo, give Rico a call,” Lewis ordered.
Rico Valdez was a notorious middleman and a bit of a madman, ready to take on any job, but never for cheap. Shortchange him by even a dime, and heads would roll- literally.
“Mr. Morton…” Theo hesitated. Getting involved with someone like Rico would risk Lewis’s future, but they were out of options.
Just as Theo was about to make the call, the police had news.
The chief hung up the phone, looking troubled. “We found the place, but the kidnappers rigged it with explosives. We can’t promise Ms. Parrish is safe,” he said, his voice tinged with sorrow.
Lewis, who had just started to relax, felt his legs buckle. He sank onto the sofa, his voice husky. “Take me there.”
On the outskirts, a swath of the forest had collapsed, revealing a hellscape. No one knew what horrors had once lurked beneath.
“The kidnappers would nab people and either sell them off to
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small border countries or harvest their organs. They targeted young women. Yesterday, we followed a lead, but they caught on and blew up the place. We’re still searching for survivors, but we haven’t found Ms. Parrish yet,” a police officer reported.
Seeing the wounded being carried out, Lewis couldn’t take it anymore and rushed over to help search.
“Sir, that’s against the rules,” the officer told the chief.
“Let him be,” the chief said, understanding Lewis’s pain. Losing a loved one was too much to stick to the rules.
As night fell, the search got tougher, but there was still no sign of Grace.
Lewis’s hands were blistered and bleeding, and he was covered in mud, a far cry from his usual polished look.
Everyone said there was little hope of finding her, and if Lewis kept going, he might break.
Theo tried to stop him several times, but Lewis pushed him away, cursing himself for not being there with her.
