“Change the pickup,” Thomas ordered. “Not the original site.”
The man frowned. “But she accepted—”
“She accepted theidea,” Thomas cut in. “Not the trap.”
A pause.
“She’s smarter than the average hostage,” Thomas continued. “And she knows exactly what she’s doing to him.”
The man hesitated. “To Trigger?”
“Yes,” Thomas said softly. “She’s betting that he won’t hesitate to burn everything down to get to her.”
He stood and walked to the window, staring out at the city.
“That kind of devotion,” he added, “is very dangerous.”
For everyone.
The phone buzzed again.
A single message this time.
I’m not afraid of you.
I’m afraid of what you’re doing to people who don’t deserve it.
Thomas stared at the words longer than necessary.
Then he laughed.
Not loud.
Not cruel.
Genuinely amused.
“You think this makes you powerful,” he said aloud. “But all you’ve done is step onto my board.”
He typed his response carefully.
Good.
Then we understand each other.
He sent it.
Outside, traffic flowed. People lived their small, unaware lives. Somewhere in the woods, a woman walked toward danger with her spine straight and her head high.
And somewhere else—
A Ranger was already moving.
Thomas’s smile faded just slightly.
Because for the first time since this began, the variables were no longer fully under his control.
And that?
