“Of course. He was expendable. Just like Mason was.” I drop the photo. “They use desperate men, promise them money, then kill them when they’re done.”
Alexi stands and walks to the maps spread across the conference table. “What about the traffic cameras? We tracked the SUV to the industrial district, but then nothing?”
“They switched vehicles. Probably had three or four cars staged along the route. By the time we figured out which one she was in, the trail was cold.”
“And her phone?”
“Turned off immediately after the last fake text. Either destroyed or in a Faraday cage. We can’t track it.”
“Bank accounts?”
“No activity since the withdrawals they made to stage her disappearance. They’re not touching her cards or accounts. They don’t need to.” I stare at the map, at all the red circles marking locations we’ve already searched. “They have everything they need. Her. The baby. Time.”
My phone buzzes on the desk. Unknown number.
I grab it. “What?”
“Mr. Volkov.” Dmitri’s voice is calm, pleasant, even. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Every muscle in my body goes rigid. Silas and Alexi both freeze, watching me.
“Where is she?”
“Safe. For now. I’ve been taking good care of your wife. Making sure she’s comfortable despite the circumstances.”
“If you’ve hurt her?—”
“Hurt her? No, no. I’m not a monster, Mr. Volkov. I’ve given her water and let her sleep. Even had a doctor check on the baby.” He pauses. “I didn’t know you were having a son? Congratulations.”
My hand tightens around the phone so hard the case cracks. “Let me talk to her.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible right now. She’s resting. The stress has been difficult for her, you understand. Being eight months pregnant and tied up in a warehouse isn’t ideal for the baby’s health.”
“What do you want?”
“What do I want?” His voice turns cold. “I want you to understand what it feels like to lose everything. To have your family ripped away. To be helpless while the people you love suffer.”
“You touch her and I’ll?—”
“Find me? You’ve been looking for three days and haven’t gotten close. My men are everywhere, Mr. Volkov. Watching. Waiting. You can’t move without me knowing.”
“Then why call? Why not just kill her and be done with it?”
“Because death is just the end. The suffering is the point.” He laughs. “Now comes the second layer,” he continues. “I’m going to send you something. A video. And when you watch it, you’ll understand that your wife has been suffering for three dayswhile you wasted time doubting her. While you searched in all the wrong places. While she begged for her baby’s life, you weren’t there to save her.”
My phone buzzes. Incoming email. Unknown sender.
“Watch it, Mr. Volkov. Watch what I’m going to do to your family. And know that you’re completely powerless to stop it.”
The line goes dead.
I open the email. There’s a video file attached. No subject line. No message.
Alexi and Silas crowd around me as I press play.
The video is grainy. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, but then I see her.
Savannah.
