The car raced through the empty streets, tires screaming with every sharp turn. Fifteen minutes later, the abandoned warehouse loomed ahead at the edge of town.
Dr. Alexander Ashford stepped out of the car, pushing his glasses up with a single finger then fell in step behind Rowan and Kane, who were already moving to flank the side entrance.
The device to their left ear, patching into headquarters. They couldn't risk the kidnappers panicking before the police units were in position.
Rowan led the way inside, darkness swallowing the space as their flashlights swept across the walls, searching for any hint of movement.
"We know you're here. Step out!"
Somewhere behind them, a generator coughed to life with a rough whrrr-brrrm, followed by a deep, steady hum as the lights flickered on.
Their eyes narrowed against the brightness as the room flooded with white.
As their eyes adjusted to the dim light, boots scuffed closer across the concrete. Two men pushed Dominic forward—his hands bound, his mouth covered, terror etched across his face.
"Dominic!" Alex lurched forward toward his son.
"Hey!" the kidnapper barked, pressing the gun against Dominic's head. "Where's the money?"
Alex froze, at a loss for words, but Rowan stepped in. "You only sent the location," he said coolly. "How we supposed to know how much you wanted?"
"I wrote it down on the note how much I wanted! Don't play dumb with me!" the kidnapper snapped, his voice sharp with anger.
Beside him, his partner froze, guilt flickering across his face.
'Oh crap,' he thought. 'I dropped the first note… then rewrote it… and forgot the ransom part.'
He stayed quiet, pretending nothing was wrong, subtly inching away as if the mistake belonged to someone else.
Rowan and Kane exchanged a quick look. They had checked that note. There'd only been an address, nothing else.
And Lyra—where was she? Rowan's gaze swept the space, his pulse spiking when he didn't see her.
"Where's my wife?!" he demanded, his voice echoing through the warehouse.
"Oh, you mean his sister? Your wife? She's not with us," one of them replied nonchalantly.
The other snapped, "Give us the money, or he dies!"
Rowan quickly calculated his next move.
"Tell me where my wife is, I'll pay five times whatever you ask," he offered.
The kidnappers exchanged looks and one of them started laughing.
"Really?" he said, rubbing his hands. "How much did you ask for again?" he asked his partner.
"One million," the partner answered.
He paused, counting on his fingers, eyes wide as he did the math. "Times five… uh—" He frowned, then suddenly brightened. "Three million!"
"Three million? Wow, that's a lot!" they laughed.
Then one of them cleared his throat and tried to shift back into his tough kidnapper mode. "Three million!" he barked, pointing four fingers at Rowan.
His partner, grinning ear to ear at the thought of extra money, quickly added, "Yeah, yeah! Your wife, she's with Mr. Arden… Owen Arden! Now hurry up and pay!"
Alex and Rowan just stared at them, dumbfounded by how clueless the pair were. Kane turned away, drawing in a sharp breath as he struggled not to laugh.
Back at headquarters, Damian paced in front of the monitors, then froze.
The team had been watching the scene through a hidden camera clipped to Alex's jacket.
He scratched his head, muttering, "What on earth am I watching?" Then he quickly regained focus and barked, "Dispatch all units. Move now and get me a location on Owen Arden!"
Within minutes, the kidnappers were apprehended, and Dominic was safe.
Not far from the scene, a woman in a car noticed the police cars outside the building.
"Tch. Useless fools." Her fingers tapped once against the steering wheel before she pressed the gas and disappeared down the road.
"You're in luck, Owen—the perfect scapegoat. Who told you to make a scene at the party?" she chuckled.