Chapter 4~ In 48 Hours

EMILY

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I noticed something was off.

The hallway was too quiet. People weren’t at their desks. No one was typing or answering calls. Instead, a small crowd had gathered near the break room, their eyes locked on the TV mounted on the wall.

I felt my stomach twist.

Something was wrong.

I walked toward them, weaving through the crowd until I could see the screen. It didn’t take long to understand what was happening.

It was a live news broadcast… and there he was – Detective Kent, tied up and gagged, along with his entire team. There were about six of them, all on their knees in some dark basement-looking place. A few of them had blood on their faces. Kent looked straight into the camera, and I could see the fear in his eyes.

“What the hell…” I whispered.

Everyone went silent when a masked man stepped into the frame. His face was completely covered in black hoodie, gloves, no skin showing. He stood tall, his voice calm but chilling.

“This message is for everyone watching,” the man said. “These men are now in my hands. No one moves, no one plays hero.”

He paused, then pointed straight at the camera.

“I want Emily Thompson.”

My heart stopped, and I could hear the gasps of every single soul in the room with me.

“You have forty-eight hours to bring her to me. Alone. No backup. No police. Or the world will watch them die, one by one. Slowly.”

The video was cut to black.

I felt a hundred eyes turn toward me. Some full of fear, others confusion, some even suspicion. I stood frozen, the words echoing in my mind: I want Emily Thompson.

Chief Ramos pushed through the crowd and came straight to me. “Emily,” he said, his voice low. “We need to talk.”

“I’m fine,” I replied, even though I wasn’t. My heart was racing, my mind already spinning with a thousand questions. “Do we know where they are?”

“No. Not yet. We’ve got teams tracing the broadcast location, but it was heavily encrypted. Whoever did this… they’re smart.”

“Matteo,” I muttered. “It has to be him. It's always him doing dirty stuff like this.”

Chief Ramos looked at me, then sighed. “You’re not going, Emily. That’s final.”

I crossed my arms. “They’re my team, Chief. Kent, Jason, Malik; they’re out there because you sent them instead of me.”

“And that’s why I’m not sending you in after them!” he snapped. “You think this is just another case? This is a trap. He wants you.”

“I’m not asking to walk in there like a hero, Chief,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “All I’m asking is that the FBI trail me from a distance. They don’t have to come close, I just need back up in case something goes wrong.”

But Chief Ramos didn’t budge. He crossed his arms and gave me that firm look, the one he used when he wasn’t going to change his mind.

“No, Emily,” he said firmly. “You don’t get it. These men aren’t the type you can play tricks on. They’re trained. They’re smart. If they even sense that someone else is following you, they’ll kill the hostages before you take your next breath.”

“I know the risk,” I said. “But if I don’t go, if I sit and wait like this, Kent and the others… they’re as good as dead too.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Chief snapped, his voice rising for the first time. “I’m responsible for all of you. I’m the one who sent Kent out there instead of you. I made that call, and now... now they’re trapped, and that blood’s on me.”

His voice cracked a little, and I could see it in his eyes; he cared more than he showed.

But I wasn’t going to back down.

“You’re right,” I said softly. “It was your call, but now it’s my turn. Those men were my partners, my friends. I’ve worked with Kent for six years, side by side. If I don’t do something, I’ll lose them. And I can’t just sit back and watch that happen.”

He turned away from me, walked a few steps, then ran a hand through his greying hair. “Do you even hear yourself, Emily? You’re walking into a trap.”

I took a deep breath. “Then let it be a trap I survive. But I won’t stay away, not when lives are on the line.”

He was quiet for a long moment.

Finally, he turned back to face me. “You really think you can save them?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I have to try.”

“You’re risking your life, and you know that.”

“I’ve done that before.”

He frowned. “Not like this.”

There was another pause before he spoke again.

“Twenty-four hours,” he said at last. “Let me see if our tech team can locate the signal. If we find them before then, you’re off the hook.”

“And if you don’t?” I asked.

He gave me a long look. “Then I’ll give you my blessing. But no backup, no wires, no trackers. You go in clean.”

My heart sank a little, but I nodded. “Deal.”

He sighed and looked older than I’d ever seen him. “God help us all if you’re caught.”

I gave a faint smile. “Then we better pray I don’t get caught.”