Chapter 4

Sebastian fell silent.

The only sound coming through the speakerphone was his restrained breathing.

Nancy whispered something beside him.

After listening to her, he took a deep breath and said, "Dad, there's only a little bit left to finish with the police report. I'll head over as soon as we're done. You've all been waiting this long, so just wait a little longer."

I stared at the red numbers on the countdown.

Three minutes remained.

Walter was so furious that he threw the phone to the ground. The screen shattered into pieces.

Daphne ordered the SWAT team to prepare for a forced entry while helping Helen, who was close to passing out.

But we all knew what would happen if they stormed the building. The bomb would explode immediately.

I took a deep breath and pressed the communicator. "Joseph, let's talk. I'm Sebastian's wife. Whatever you want to know about Sebastian, I might know the answer."

After two seconds, Joseph finally replied, "I'll only allow you to enter the first-floor lobby alone. If you dare go upstairs, I'll detonate the bomb immediately."

There was no time left to waste. I put on the earpiece Daphne gave me and rushed inside.

But the first-floor lobby was empty.

I stood beneath the spiral staircase and shouted toward the upper floors. "Joseph, what exactly do you want to know from Sebastian?"

He said, "I want the autopsy report of the woman whose body was pulled from the river late last September."

I waited for half a minute before Daphne spoke through my earpiece, "I found it. Her cause of death was suicide. Sebastian was the medical examiner who signed the report."

I repeated what Daphne told me. The next second, I heard something crash through the communicator.

Joseph roared. "Impossible! My wife would never kill herself! Sebastian must have forged the report! Get Sebastian here right now!"

I froze.

Sebastian really had been away from home for half a month last September.

He told me the medical examiner's office had been extremely busy. Later, I happened to hear one of his coworkers mention that a new medical examiner wasn't familiar with the job yet, so Sebastian had to clean up her mistakes.

That new medical examiner had been Nancy.

I called Sebastian again.

This time, he answered quickly. "Fiona, I'm about to leave. We can go as soon as Nancy puts her shoes on."

At the same time, Daphne urgently spoke through my earpiece, "Fiona, one minute left! Fraser's eyes are unfocused, and his face is bright red. I don't know if they've drugged him or if he has a fever!"

I closed my eyes in despair. "It's too late."

Sebastian insisted, "We can still make it! Tell Joseph I'll be there in another ten minutes!"

I replied, "Sebastian, we only have 50 seconds left."

Just as I finished speaking, Fraser's weak voice came through the communicator. "Dad, I'm scared. When are you coming to save me? You promised we'd build a spaceship together tonight."

Sebastian hesitated for a moment.

Then panic filled his voice. "Fraser, don't be scared. I'm coming right..."

"Oops! My shoelace broke!" I heard rustling through the phone.

"Fiona, don't panic. The people your mom sent keep rushing us, but Nancy's shoelace broke. She almost twisted her ankle, so she needs to change shoes..."

I cut him off. "Sebastian, we only have 20 seconds."

After saying that, I hung up.

I looked toward the top floor. Then I ran upstairs.

Daphne kept calling my name through the earpiece.

But I didn't stop.

If I couldn't save Fraser, I would die with him.

-

Third-person POV

At the same time, Sebastian's car had just turned out of the neighborhood.

Nancy sat in the passenger seat, busy touching up her makeup.

Sebastian had barely stepped on the gas when a bright orange-red flash suddenly tore through the darkness ahead.

A deafening explosion followed. The entire ground shook like an earthquake.

Sebastian slammed on the brakes. A huge fireball was rising into the sky several blocks away.

Nancy screamed and grabbed his sleeve. "I'm scared!"

But Sebastian couldn't hear her anymore.

He stared ahead in complete shock.

The explosion had happened exactly where the navigation system showed the kidnapping location.

The next second, he threw open the car door and ran toward the fire. "Fraser!"