Chapter 3 - Gathering the Arsenal
The next morning, the storm had passed, leaving a gray, overcast sky hanging heavily over the cheap motel.
Daniel stood outside their room, shivering slightly as he dialed a secure number from memory.
He needed the one man in his organization who hated his mother as much as he did.
"Vance Security," a deep, gravelly voice answered on the third ring.
"Marcus, it’s Daniel," he spoke quietly, watching the parking lot for any suspicious vehicles.
There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Marcus finally sighed.
"You've been missing since yesterday afternoon, boss," Marcus said cautiously.
"Your mother is tearing the city apart claiming you've been kidnapped by corporate spies."
Daniel let out a bitter, humorless laugh that vanished into the cold morning air.
"I found Emily, Marcus," Daniel stated plainly.
He heard his head of security swear loudly in disbelief.
"She’s alive, and I have two eight-month-old sons," Daniel continued, his voice hardening with determination.
"My mother orchestrated the whole disappearance, and she sent her goons to kill us last night."
"What do you need me to do?" Marcus asked, his tone instantly shifting into combat mode.
"I need you to freeze all of Victoria's personal offshore accounts using the backdoor codes I gave you," Daniel ordered.
"Then, I need you to find a private doctor named Sterling and bring him to the old hunting cabin in upstate New York."
Marcus didn't ask questions; he simply confirmed the orders and hung up.
Daniel walked back into the motel room, feeling the first spark of real hope in almost a year.
Emily was feeding one of the babies with a bottle, looking up at him with cautious optimism.
May you like
"We are leaving in ten minutes," Daniel told her, grabbing their meager belongings.
"We are going somewhere my mother doesn't know exists, and then we are going to war."
