Chapter 118

The captain’s team moved like a well-oiled machine. One of them moved through the house with the stealth of a ninja. She swept through the house looking for bugs and areas that could be compromised. Another went around securing the perimeter, ensuring the home was as safe as possible. The last set up tracking equipment.
“Our best bet to capture these depraved assholes,” the captain explained. “Is to track any incoming calls. You said the kidnapper hasn’t called back yet right?”
“That’s right,” Will answered.
“Perfect. Another thing, you need to keep completely out of sight.”
“Why?” Will was annoyed. “Now that you’re here, we should be out there trying to find them!”
“Listen. Right now, your uncle does know where you are,” he put his hands on Will’s shoulders and gave him a shake. “No one knows. Which means that they are looking for you. What do you think is going to happen when they find you?”
Will looked away, battling to keep his rage in check. Damnit!
“They’ll kill you,” Captain Whitlock continued. “This is a fight for power. Your uncle wants to be king, and he’ll do whatever it takes to take your crown.”
“This isn’t some medieval drama!” Will spat back at him.
“You don’t seem to get it. Robert is on some Game of Thrones shit. He wans the company, all of your money and power. He will kill you to get it. And anyone else that may stand in the way of his ascension. That means your daughter.”
“She’s a baby!” Will shouted.
“And she’ll be the heiress of Stewart Industries.”
“He wouldn’t dare touch her,” Will jerked away from Captain Whitlock, his blood boiling under his skin.
“You don’t know half the things he’s dared to do.”
At that moment, Will’s phone rang. The captain’s team sprang into action. The technician started up that device that would track the call, while another set up a device to record it. The last one urged everyone to remain quiet. The tension mounted with each ring. Sabrina’s hand curled around Alex’s in suspense and Spencer took slow deep breaths to keep himself calm.
“Answer it,” Captain Whitlock coached. “We only need thirty seconds for the trace. Don’t let on that you know it’s him. That is the most important. And agree to whatever he asks for. We’ll discuss a plan after.”
Will nodded and answered the phone.
“What?” he snapped.
“Hello, William,” a man greeted. His voice was pleasant and conversational as though this was a friendly, social call.
“Who is this? What do you want?” Will asked, looking at Captain Whitlock. The captain nodded, reassuring him. “Give Emma back to me!”
“Good,” Captain Whitlock mouthed.
“Listen closely to my instructions and I will return her… mostly unharmed,” he chuckled.
“You fucking bastard!”
“Temper,” the caller teased. “You better be nice to me, or my hand might slip.”
“Tell me what you want.” Will struggled to keep himself in check.
“Eyes on me,” Captain Whitlock he whispered. “Breathe.”
“That’s a good boy,” the caller said. “You’re going to sign a contract handing over all of your shares of Stewart Industries. Every last one. You’re going to hold a press conference announcing your decision to the world. Your empire will fall and a new one will rise from its ashes. When asked why you’re doing this, you will say that Conrad Stewart was involved in several fraud investigations, and you don’t want to be a part of it. Understood?”
“Yes,” Will said through clenched teeth. There’s no doubt now. It’s Robert.
“An hour after you’ve made your announcement, you’ll receive a message with a location.”
“Emma will be there? And her friend? I need confirmation that they’re okay,” Will demanded.
“You know about the other one?” the kidnapper asked. There was a hint of surprise, but his amused tone never faltered. “You are smart, aren’t you?”
“Let me talk to Emma!”
“Tell him you’re okay, sweetheart.”
“Will…” Emma’s voice was weak, and her breathing labored. “We’re okay.”
“Emma, I’m so sorry! I’m going to save you, okay?”
“It was her… She tricked me and took me to—” Will heard a soft thud and Emma yelped in pain.
“We talked about this,” the kidnapper cut her off. “You have until five this evening. I’d do it sooner if I were you. I’m losing patience.”
The line went dead.
“Got him,” Captain Whitlock declared.
“Emma. Jess,” Sabrina whimpered. “What are we going to do?
“I’ll rip him apart,” Will seethed. His voice was low and dark. His fists shook with the force of how tightly he clenched them.
“What’s the plan?” Alex asked.
“Are we going to go through with that press conference?” Spencer added. “That’s madness. We’d be playing right into his hands.”
“Yes, we are,” Captain Whitlock said. “You’ll have that press conference and say exactly what he wanted you to say.”
“No way!” Sabrina cried out.
“You said he’s some kind of drug lord! He’d use the company as some kind of front!” Alex said.
“Will isn’t going to actually give up anything. We’ll have the press conference and go through the motions. Robert Stewart is a fucking moron. When we retrieve his hostages, they’ll be able to identify him and the woman who helped him. And we have this recording. It’ll be enough to arrest him. Then… we’ll nail him for all of his crimes. He’ll sink faster than a ship with screen doors.”
“Okay,” Will agreed. “What do I do?”
“You can’t be serious,” Spencer said. “This will never work!”
“It can’t be that simple,” Alex added.
“It isn’t,” Captain Whitlock said. “The hostages are his only leverage, so I doubt he’d give them up that easily. The key to recovering them is the accomplice.”
“Grace,” Will lamented.
“That evil bitch,” Sabrina raged. “Just give me two minutes alone with her. Just two minutes and she’ll regret the day she ever even looked at Emma.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Captain Whitlock smirked. “There is no way those women will be at the place he sends you, or where we traced the call from. He’s already moved them, I’m sure of it. But he’ll keep them close by. It won’t be the obvious abandoned warehouse or something like that. I’ve already got people scouting the area.”
“Give me the info. I’ll send some as well,” Alex said.
“Good thinking,” Captain Whitlock smiled. “Speak with the technician. He’ll give you the info. Now,” he continued addressing the others. “He’ll keep somewhere that’s in plain sight. A small business, a vacation home, an office space, something like that.”
Will racked his brain for something like what the captain described. His mind was a labyrinth and right then nothing made sense. He could see his goal, but no path seemed to lead to her. The answer was somewhere there.
“I… don’t know any of his assets,” Will muttered.
“He’s not keeping them at his home,” Alex said.
“Our best bet is tail Grace,” Sabrina said. “That sadistic monster will want to stay nearby to watch Emma suffer.”
“That’s a good point. Alex, divert your people from watching the area where the phone call from and have them follow Will’s ex-wife.”
“Don’t call her that,” Will growled.
“You’re defending her?” Sabrina yelled.
“After all she’s done?” Spencer questioned.
“No. Don’t call her my anything. She isn’t my ex-wife. She’s nothing to me. Nothing but a scar from my past. Nothing but a mistake. A mistake I want to erase from my history.”
The tenderness his heart once held for Grace burned away. Every joyful memory she’d given him was now tainted. She had taught him how to love, yes. And he did love her with all the strength of his soul. But now, there was nothing. There wasn’t enough energy in him to hate her. Grace Cunning had died in his heart.
“Well, fucking finally!” Sabrina cheered.
“Are you okay?” Spencer asked. He could see the turmoil swimming in Will’s eyes.
“I will be. As soon as we get them back.”
“We will get them back,” Captain Whitlock clapped his hand on Will’s shoulder. “We’ll get them back and the people responsible for hurting them will pay.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” Will said. A plan began to formulate in his head. He’d shown enough weakness. It was time for him to put on his armor and go to war. “Come on. We have a press conference to prepare for.”