Chapter 6 - The Desperate Call
The men searched for an hour before the driving rain forced them back to the SUV. Once their taillights faded, we hiked three miles through the pitch-black forest until we reached a deserted truck stop on the highway.
We were freezing, exhausted, and hunted.
I walked up to a payphone by the restrooms. I dropped in a quarter and dialed a number I had committed to memory years ago. Detective Arthur Vance—David’s estranged father, and a state investigator who had never trusted Mark.
“Vance,” the gruff voice answered.
“Arthur. It’s Elena. Mark’s wife.”
Silence. Then, “Elena? The news is saying they found remains in the fire. They think you and the little one are dead.”
“We’re alive. Mark hired the Volkovs to kill us for the insurance money. I have proof on a flash drive. But they are hunting us, Arthur. We have nothing left.”
“Where are you?” Arthur’s voice was instantly commanding.
I told him our location.
“Listen to me carefully,” Arthur said. “I’m bringing an unmarked unit. Do not trust the local uniforms. I am going to set a trap for your husband, but I need you to be the bait. Can you do it?”
May you like
I looked over at Mia. She was shivering, wrapped in David’s jacket, her eyes hollow with trauma. I felt a surge of invincible, maternal fury.
“Tell me what to do.”
