Chapter 22 The Kidnapping

​Alex's phone slipped from his hand. "No..."

​His heart pounded as he quickly picked it up and dialed Kendall's number again. Once. Twice. Three times. Each call went straight to voicemail.

​A cold chill ran down his spine.

​Inspector David Cole studied his expression. "When did you last speak to him?"

​"Less than an hour ago," Alex answered, his voice tight with worry.

​David turned sharply to one of his officers. "Alert every patrol unit. I want a team at Swan Group Headquarters immediately."

​"Yes, sir!" The officers rushed into action.

​Without wasting another second, Alex sprinted toward his Rolls-Royce. Moments later, he sped through the city streets, with David's police convoy racing close behind.

​Inside Swan Group Headquarters, Kendall stepped out of the executive elevator.

​His secretary hurried over. "Sir, the board members are waiting."

​Kendall gave a brief nod. "I'll be there in a minute."

​As the secretary walked away, a janitor pushed a cleaning cart past him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Swan," the man said politely.

​Kendall smiled in return. "Good afternoon."

​The janitor continued walking without drawing attention to himself. Then, almost inaudibly, he whispered into the tiny microphone hidden beneath his collar, 

"The target is alone."

​A calm voice replied through his earpiece: "Proceed."

​Back on the road, Alex tightened his grip on the steering wheel as the car cut through traffic. "They're after my father."

​Inspector David Cole, seated in the police vehicle behind him, spoke into the radio before replying. "And they're making sure you know it."

​"You think this is another distraction?" Alex asked.

​"Possibly," Inspector David Cole replied. "But we can't afford to ignore it."

​Inside Swan Group Headquarters, Kendall stepped into his private office and quietly closed the door behind him. As he walked toward his desk, something immediately caught his attention.

​His leather journal—the one he had taken from the safe the previous night—was lying open on the desk.

​His heart skipped a beat. He was certain he had left it behind at the mansion. His expression darkened.

​"I'm not alone," he murmured.

​A slow clap echoed through the silent office.

​Clap. Clap. Clap.

​Kendall spun around. A tall man dressed in a black suit stepped out of the shadows, his face hidden beneath a dark cap.

​"You've gotten old, Kendall."

​Kendall narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

​The man smiled faintly. "You don't recognize your old enemies anymore?"

​Before Kendall could react, the office door burst open and four masked men rushed inside. Two of them grabbed his arms and pinned him in place.

​"What do you think you're doing?" Kendall demanded, struggling against their grip. "Let me go!"

​The man in the black suit calmly walked closer. "We only need one thing."

​"What is it?"

​"The second key."

​Kendall frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about."

​The man let out a quiet chuckle. "I think you do."

​Meanwhile, Alex's convoy screeched to a stop outside Swan Group Headquarters. Before the Rolls-Royce had fully stopped, Alex threw open the door and sprinted inside.

​The receptionist jumped to her feet. "Mr. Swan—"

​"Where's my father?" Alex interrupted.

​"He went to his office."

​Without another word, Alex rushed toward the executive elevator, with Inspector David Cole and several armed officers close behind.

​On the top floor, the masked leader stared at Kendall. "This is your last chance. Where is it?"

​Kendall refused to answer.

​The leader sighed. "Pity." He gave a small nod.

​One of the masked men stepped forward and plunged a syringe into Kendall's arm.

​Kendall gasped. "What... did you..."

​Within seconds, his vision blurred and his legs gave out beneath him. Before he could collapse, the leader caught him.

​"Take him."

​The masked men lifted Kendall and hurried toward a hidden service elevator. Just as the elevator doors began to slide shut, Alex burst into the hallway.

​"Dad!"

​Alex's shout echoed through the hallway. The leader turned to face him, and even beneath the dark cap, Alex could see the smug smile on the man's face.

​The elevator doors slid shut.

​"No!" Alex slammed his hand against the call button. "Hurry!"

​But it was too late; the service elevator was already descending.

​Alex and Inspector David Cole rushed to the elevator doors. "It's locked!" David shouted.

​One of the officers immediately raised his weapon and fired at the control panel. Sparks flew. With a loud metallic groan, the doors finally slid open to reveal an empty shaft.

​"It has already reached the underground parking garage!" an officer yelled.

​Alex didn't wait for another word. He spun around and sprinted toward the emergency stairwell.

​Underground, a black armored van sat waiting with its engine running. The masked men quickly carried the unconscious Kendall inside, and the leader climbed in last.

​Just as the rear doors began to close, Alex burst through the stairwell exit. "Stop!"

​The van roared to life and sped out of the garage. Without hesitation, Alex jumped into his Rolls-Royce, with David and the police convoy following close behind.

​Moments later, a high-speed chase tore through the city streets. The armored van weaved through heavy traffic while police sirens wailed behind it.

​Inside the van, Kendall slowly regained consciousness, his vision still blurred from the drug. The leader calmly removed his cap, and for the first time, Kendall saw his face.

​His eyes widened in utter disbelief. "No... It can't be..."

​The man smiled. "I told you we'd meet again. You should have listened twenty-six years ago."

​Kendall stared at him, his voice barely above a whisper. "...Daniel?"

​The man laughed softly. "Not quite. You'll soon learn... Daniel Brooks died protecting me."

​Before Kendall could ask another question, the van disappeared into a long tunnel.

​Seconds later, as Alex and the police convoy reached the tunnel entrance—

​BOOM!

​A deafening explosion ripped through the roadway behind the van. The tunnel shook violently as massive chunks of concrete crashed onto the road, sealing the entrance beneath smoke, dust, and twisted debris.

​Alex slammed on the brakes. His heart sank as he stared helplessly at the collapsed tunnel.

​His father had just been taken.