Chapter 6 - The Ransom Call
As we sped toward the industrial district, my phone rang again.
This time, it was a voice-only call from a restricted number.
"Dr. Miller," a cold, metallic voice stated.
"I assume your parents relayed our invitation?"
"I have the memory card," I answered firmly, refusing to let my voice tremble.
"Excellent. You will come to Pier 44 alone."
"If we see the police, or if your boyfriend Daniel tags along, your sister will be mailed back to you in very small boxes."
The line went dead before I could respond.
"They want me to come alone," I told Daniel, gripping the phone tightly.
"Absolutely not," Daniel said immediately, his jaw set in a hard line.
"They will kill you the second you hand over that drive, Emily."
"I know that, which is why I am not handing over the real drive," I stated.
I opened my emergency medical kit and pulled out a small, encrypted USB drive I used for backing up standard patient charts.
Using a scalpel, I carefully pried the plastic casing apart and removed the generic memory chip.
I swapped it with the cartel's memory card, placing the fake chip into the diamond setting of Brooke's abandoned bracelet.
"It will pass a visual inspection, but the moment they plug it in, they will know it is fake," Daniel pointed out.
"I only need a few minutes of distraction," I explained, pulling out a vial of clear liquid from my kit.
It was a highly concentrated muscle relaxant used prior to major surgeries.
In the wrong dosage, it caused immediate paralysis of the vocal cords and limbs without affecting consciousness.
I loaded a syringe and carefully concealed it in the sleeve of my coat.
I was a surgeon.
I knew exactly where to strike to incapacitate a human body in less than three seconds.
"You drop me off two blocks away," I instructed Daniel.
May you like
"You contact your real FBI handlers and tell them where the cartel's money launderer is operating."
We were going to war, and I was armed with medical precision.
