Lex stepped out of the vehicle, weapon drawn. Behind him, the others fanned out. Victoria stood fifty yards away, framed by the burning house. Flames consumed his grandmother’s home. Decades of memories turning to ash.“Put the gun down, Lex,” Victoria said calmly. “You are not going to shoot me.”“Give me one reason why not.”“Because the house is not empty. There are three people inside. Tied up. Unconscious. You have about four minutes to save them before they burn alive. But if you shoot me, you will never know where exactly they are. The house is big. Multiple rooms. You will waste time searching while they die.”“You are bluffing.”Victoria held up her phone. Video feed showed three figures bound and gagged in what looked like the basement. Lex recognised them. Former members of Marcus’s organisation who had helped them.“Four minutes,” Victoria repeated. “Choose. Try to kill me and they die. Or save them and let me walk away. This time.”“This is a trap.”“Of course it is. But

The Sterling Industries charity gala was held at the Grand Meridian Hotel. Crystal chandeliers. Marble floors. A thousand of the city’s most powerful people dressed in designer suits and evening gowns.Lex arrived in borrowed formal wear. Marcus beside him, was also dressed for the occasion. They looked like they belonged. Two successful businessmen are attending a charitable event.No one recognised Lex. His face had not been in the news for months. To everyone here, he was just another guest. Anonymous. Invisible.Perfect.They moved through the crowd, scanning for Victoria. She would make an entrance. She always did.“Camera positions?” Marcus murmured.“Six media outlets. Plus security cameras throughout the venue. And our hidden cameras are in three locations. Everything is ready.”“And the dead man switch?”“Active. If we do not check in every thirty minutes, everything uploads automatically.”They reached the main ballroom. A stage at the far end. The microphone is set up for s

Lex opened the email, hands trembling. His heart pounded as if it might burst. Hope was crying in the video. Sophia was terrified. Victoria had them both.The email was short. Direct. Cruel."Lex,By now, you have seen the video. Good. You know I am serious. You know I have your family. You know what will happen if you do not obey.Here are your instructions. Follow them exactly. No mistakes. No variations. No heroics.Step One: Go to the address below. It is a warehouse in Seattle. Arrive alone at midnight tonight. Bring no weapons. Bring no phone. Bring no tracking devices. I will know if you do. And your family will pay the price.Step Two: Inside the warehouse, you will find a package. Open it. Follow the instructions inside. Do not open the package before you arrive. Do not try to examine it. Just bring it with you.Step Three: Wait for my call. I will tell you what to do next.You have twelve hours. The clock started when you opened this email. Every minute you waste is a minute

The gun clicked. Empty.Victoria laughed. “Did you really think I would kill you that easily? Where is the fun in that?”Lex’s leg burned where the bullet had entered. Blood spread across the concrete floor. But he was alive. For now.“The FBI is coming,” he gasped. “You have seconds before they breach that door.”“Let them come. By the time they get through this door, we will be gone. This building has tunnels underneath. Built during prohibition. Very useful for escaping.”Elena, the woman pretending to be Rebecca, grabbed Sophia. Dragged her toward a hatch in the floor. Sophia struggled, but her hands were bound. Her mouth was taped. She could only make muffled sounds.Hope was in a carrier strapped to Victoria’s chest. The baby was crying. Reaching for Lex. Breaking his heart.“You want your family?” Victoria asked. “Then follow me. Down into the tunnels. Away from the FBI. Away from help. Just you and me and the people you love. We will see who survives.”Outside, sirens wailed.

Winter came to Montana. Snow covered the mountains. The house stayed warm with a fireplace and family inside.Hope was one year old now. Walking. Talking a little. Saying mama and dada. Laughing at everything. She had no memory of the tunnels. The kidnapping. The violence. She was just a happy baby learning about the world.Lex’s leg had healed mostly. He walked with a slight limp but the doctors said that would fade with time. He did physical therapy every day. Pushed himself. Got stronger.Sophia had scars from the surgery but she was alive. Healthy. The nightmares came less often now. She was learning to sleep through the night again. Learning not to jump at every sound.Rebecca lived in a small cabin on their property. Close enough to help with Hope. Far enough to give Lex and Sophia privacy. She was a good grandmother. Patient. Kind. Teaching Hope songs and games.Maya and Mei visited once a month. Their security company was doing well. They had hired five employees. Opened an of