Chapter 8 - THE EMPTY BED
Arthur called Maria immediately.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
By the third call, he was running toward the elevator.
Rebecca called mansion security.
“Status on Lucas Vance.”
Static.
Then:
“Ma’am, we have a problem.”
Arthur’s heart stopped.
“What problem?”
“The east wing alarm was triggered twelve minutes ago.”
“Where is Lucas?”
“We’re checking now.”
Arthur slammed the elevator button.
“CHECK FASTER!”
The ride down seventeen floors felt endless.
Then Arthur’s phone rang.
Maria.
He answered instantly.
“Maria?”
Her breathing was ragged.
“Arthur…”
“Where is Lucas?”
Silence.
“Maria!”
“They took him.”
The words broke something inside Arthur.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay.”
“Where?”
“Back stairwell.”
Arthur was already running into the street.
“Tell me exactly what happened.”
“The fire alarm went off. Security told us to move downstairs. I thought it was real.”
Arthur’s stomach twisted.
“There was smoke in the hall,” Maria continued. “Two men came through the service stairwell wearing fire department uniforms.”
Rebecca was beside him now, calling police.
“They separated me from Lucas. I fought one of them. He…”
Maria’s voice cracked.
“He shoved me down the stairs.”
Arthur closed his eyes for half a second.
“Where did they take him?”
“A black van.”
“Plate?”
“I couldn’t see.”
Then Maria said, “Wait.”
“What?”
“Lucas had his watch.”
Arthur stopped.
The smartwatch.
A birthday gift.
GPS enabled.
He opened the tracking app.
Signal unavailable.
Then it appeared.
Queens.
Moving east.
Arthur showed Rebecca.
She grabbed his arm.
“Do not chase them alone.”
“That’s my son.”
“And if you get killed, he loses both parents.”
Arthur stared at her.
“Track the location. I’m coming.”
Police units coordinated with Rebecca’s team.
The GPS moved toward an industrial district.
Then stopped.
An abandoned distribution warehouse.
Arthur arrived six minutes behind the first officers.
They found the black van outside.
Empty.
Inside the warehouse were zip ties, a folding chair and Lucas’s stuffed dinosaur.
Arthur picked it up.
His hands shook.
“Lucas!”
His voice echoed through the building.
Nothing.
Rebecca examined the floor.
“Tire tracks.”
A second vehicle had been waiting inside.
Arthur’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
Rebecca signaled for him to answer.
Arthur put it on speaker.
Daniel Mercer’s voice filled the warehouse.
“Arthur.”
“Where is my son?”
“I’m sorry things became theatrical.”
“I will kill you.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Daniel—”
“Listen carefully. Tomorrow morning, you’ll sign a resignation from Vance Meridian.”
Arthur’s face tightened.
“You’ll withdraw all objections to the trust transfer.”
“Where is Lucas?”
“And you will make a public statement acknowledging financial misconduct.”
“LET ME SPEAK TO MY SON!”
Silence.
Then a small voice.
“Dad?”
Arthur’s knees nearly gave way.
“Lucas.”
“I’m okay.”
“Buddy, listen to me. I’m coming.”
A man took the phone away.
Daniel returned.
“You have until seven tomorrow morning.”
“You hurt him and there is nowhere on earth you can hide.”
Daniel sighed.
“This is exactly why Elena said you were difficult.”
Arthur looked at Rebecca.
Her team was tracing the call.
“Put Elena on.”
“She’s busy.”
“With what?”
Daniel laughed softly.
“Becoming very wealthy.”
The call ended.
Rebecca shook her head.
“Burner phone. Signal bounced.”
Arthur looked down at Lucas’s dinosaur.
Something felt wrong.
He squeezed it.
A hard object shifted inside.
Arthur tore open a small seam.
Maria had sewn the dinosaur months ago after Lucas ripped it.
Inside was a tiny plastic device.
A second tracker.
Rebecca stared.
Arthur looked at the blinking green light.
Lucas had hidden it himself.
May you like
On the plastic, written in black marker, were two childish words.
FOR EMERGENCY.
