Page 29 of Salvation

“They’re fine. For now.” The distorted voice paused, and I heard muffled sounds in the background, like someone moving around. “But that could change if you keep stalling. Two hundred thousand.”

“I want to talk to them first.”

Another pause, longer this time. “Not happening. You’re not in a position to make demands.”

My free hand curled into a fist, nails digging crescents into my palm. “Then how do I know they’re alive?”

“Fair point.” The voice seemed to consider this. “I’ll send you a photo. One time offer. Then you deliver the money, and this ends happily for everyone.”

“When and where?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice level. Prospero came back into the room but didn’t say anything. I hoped he’d given the information to Shield and we’d have a location from this phone call.

“We haven’t seen any movement on your end to gather the cash, which means you’ll need more time. You have forty-eight hours. I’ll text instructions to your number.” A pause. “Don’t try anything stupid. We’re watching. And we’re not alone.”

“If you hurt them,” I said, each word precisely enunciated, “there won’t be a hole deep enough for you to hide in. I will find you. And I will end you.”

The digitized laugh came again, sending ice through my veins. “Big talk from a man who can’t even find his own family. Forty-eight hours. Be ready.”

The line went dead.

For a moment, neither of us moved. The silence in the room felt oppressive, broken only by our breathing.

“They’re still alive,” he said finally, his tone cautiously optimistic. “And we’ve got more time.”

I replaced the handset with deliberate care, fighting the urge to rip the entire phone from the wall. “What did you get?”

Prospero slid the pad toward me. “Background noise suggests some kind of mechanical system. Maybe a furnace or generator. And I caught what sounded like a train whistle, very faint. I asked Shield to trace them, but the call probably ended too soon.”

I stared at his notes, mind racing. “Industrial area near the train tracks.”

“Narrows it down.” Prospero nodded. “And the new deadline gives Shield more time to trace the photo when it comes in.”

I straightened, a cold clarity replacing the fog of exhaustion and despair that had clouded my thoughts. Two days. We had two days to find them before the kidnappers expected their money.

“Get Shield,” I said, already moving toward the door. “Tell Beast and Hawk to regroup. We need everyone back here within the hour.”

“Where are you going?” Prospero called after me.

I paused at the threshold, my hand on the doorframe. “To wake up every informant, snitch, and lowlife who might know something about abandoned buildings near the train tracks.” I glanced back at him. “We’ve got forty-eight hours to turn this city upside down. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Chapter Seven

Salvation

I stood in the doorway of the war room, watching as Beast spread a detailed map across the worn wooden table. The fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows across his face, deepening the lines of exhaustion and determination etched there. Around him, my brothers gathered, their expressions grim as they took in the layout of the industrial district where our family was being held. Hours of rage had been building in my chest, hardening into something cold and lethal. Now, finally, we had a location. And a plan.

“Here’s the drop point.” Beast’s finger jabbed at a spot on the map -- a closed gas station about two blocks from an abandoned warehouse near the rail yard. “Shield triangulated the cell tower pings and confirmed it with satellite imagery. High probability they’re holding Yulia and Clover inside that warehouse.”

I moved closer, scanning the blueprint that Shield had somehow acquired and printed out. The warehouse was two stories, with multiple entry points and a large loading dock facing away from the main road. Perfect for moving things -- or people -- without being noticed.

“We go in here, here, and here,” Beast continued, marking three entry points with a red marker. His movements were precise, calculated -- the strategist I’d trusted with my life for over a decade. “Drifter, you and Patriot take position in these unmarked vehicles. Set up surveillance two hours before the drop time. I want eyes on every approach.”

Drifter nodded, his usually relaxed demeanor replaced by focused intensity. “We’ll see them coming.”

“The rest of us prepare for extraction,” Beast said, looking around the table at each brother in turn. “We’ll have three teams. Assault, perimeter security, and extraction. Once we confirm Yulia and Clover are inside, we move fast and clean.”

My knuckles turned white as I gripped the edge of the table, leaning forward to study the building’s layout. “I’m leading the assault team.”

The room went silent. Beast’s eyes met mine across the table, concern evident in his gaze. “Salvation, I think --”

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