“Emma, I know you’ve worked in this house your whole life. And Julia’s parents valued you highly. But I’m your boss now. Aren’t you afraid I’ll fire you for saying such things?”
“Mr. Sinclair, I’m not saying this to offend you. I just want you to think it over a thousand times. Won’t your conscience bother you later? And it’s a crime.”
“And your conscience won’t bother you if Nick dies? Do you really feel sorry for some stranger’s kid when Nick’s life is on the line? You’ve been his nanny since he was born.”
“Yes, you’re right, Mr. Sinclair. There’s no comparison. I’ll get Alex’s clothes ready.”
They fell silent for a moment, and then the screams of the girl locked in Alex’s room reached them. Michael and Emma rushed out. Alex peeked out from behind the curtain. What he had just heard was beyond comprehension. Where were they taking him? And why did he have to die for some kid named Nick?
And then Alex saw it. A large, landline telephone. The boy ran to it and quickly dialed Susan’s number. The seconds of waiting felt like an eternity. “Aunt Sue, please pick up,” the boy prayed.
“Hello?” he heard the long-awaited voice.
“Aunt Sue!” the boy whispered frantically. “Save me, help me! He’s locked me in a room. He wants to take me somewhere. I heard him say I might not survive.”
“Alex, is that you?!” Susan cried. “Where are you, honey?”
“I don’t know. It’s some kind of mansion.”
Just then, Michael appeared in the doorway. He was furious. Seeing him, the boy backed away and dropped the phone. Susan was shouting into the receiver, but no one could hear her anymore. Michael silently walked over to Alex, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him back to his room. The boy’s struggles and screams were useless. No one in this house could help him.
Meanwhile, Susan was pacing frantically in her apartment. She knew Alex was in trouble. But where was he? The boy hadn’t said. Paul returned home; Susan had called him right after talking to Alex.
“Okay, calm down!” Paul said firmly to his wife. “Let’s think. How can we find this Michael’s address?”
“We have to go to Family Services,” Susan realized.
“Don’t you get it? They’re in on it with him. It’s suspicious how quickly they handed Alex over. They won’t tell us anything. Worse, they’ll tip Michael off that we’re making noise. Then we’ll never be able to help Alex. What did he say? He could die?”
“Yes,” Susan cried. “Oh, God, Ellie, my dear friend, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t protect your son.”
“Stop that!” Paul exclaimed. “We need to go to the police. But what do we have on this Michael?”
“Nothing.”
“And the phone call… they’ll say it was a prank. Or that the father was disciplining him, and this was his way of getting back. But that’s not true.”
“I know it’s not true.”
Paul thought hard. An idea came to him. He had a friend, a brilliant programmer. Getting any information was a piece of cake for him. Family Services must have their records digitized. It wasn’t a sure thing, but it was worth a shot. When Paul called his friend, Vladimir, he was initially amused.
“Man, I’d get it if you were planning something bigger. But why do you need to get into the Family Services database?” Vlad laughed.
“It’s not a joke. A kid is in serious trouble. I’m afraid he won’t make it without our help.”
Paul explained the situation.
“Got it,” Vlad replied. “Come on over, we’ll get it done. In the meantime, I’ll make a couple of calls.”
“To whom?”
“You’ll see.”
By the time Paul arrived at Vladimir’s, a few tough-looking guys, friends of the programmer, had also shown up. Unlike him, they were former special forces. Luckily, the Family Services database had Alex’s file and his father’s address: an elite gated community on the outskirts of the city. The three men and Paul headed there immediately.
Emma closed the door and sighed. The situation with Nick weighed heavily on her. When this other boy appeared, she thought the problem would finally be solved. But how could you save one life at the expense of another? How could you live with yourself, knowing the price that was paid? Emma dialed the police and asked to be connected to a specific captain she had known a long time ago.
“Emma!” the captain exclaimed. “Long time no see! I never thought I’d hear from you again.”
“Kevin, there’s something you need to know…”
Emma told him the whole story about Michael’s sick son and the adoption of Alex. Michael had decided to fly out today, without waiting for the official documents from the clinic. The boy had almost escaped today, so Michael had given him a sedative and headed to the airport.
“Kevin, you have to stop him. I’m no angel, but I won’t be an accomplice to this,” Emma said in a low voice and hung up.
The doorbell was already ringing. On the doorstep stood several well-built men. How they had gotten past security was anyone’s guess.
“Where is he?” one of them, smaller than the others, asked.
“Who?” Emma asked, flustered.
“This Michael. Where’s Alex?”
Comments are closed.