CHAPTER 113: DEALING WITH A PRO

A day had gone by from the time I set foot back in New York City. I was frantically restless and extremely bothered, staying the entire twenty four hours inside Michelle’s room and just clinging to her teddy bear while crying and waiting for the kidnappers call. 

Every minute that gone by seems like an eternal torture for me, tormenting not just my mind, but especially my heart. My anxiety for my daughter’s welfare was driving me crazier as time passed, which completely immobilized my brain to fully function and think properly. I wanted to act accordingly to what I wished to do, and that is to go at the station network and ask once again for the public’s help to locate the kidnappers’ whereabouts, but Lewis’ words kept me rooted at my feet. 

However I desired to have my precious baby back in my arms as soon as possible, I couldn’t just act irrationally without precautions. Lewis was right. One wrong move and we might jeopardize Michelle’s safety. We might anger the kidnappers and cause harm to Michelle instead if I pursued what I wish to execute. 

So I have no other option as of the moment but to wait. Wait for those sick and heartless people to call me and hear what their demands were. But until that time comes, all I could manage to do is to earnestly pray for my daughter’s safety and beg God to spare her from harm from those soulless men who took her. 

Dear Almighty God, please spare my precious beloved daughter from any harm that might come her way. She is all I got left in this world and I can’t afford to lose her, not after dad untimely left me. Please Sweet Lord, keep her safe. Keep my little angel safe and unharmed. I know this is too much to ask, but please give her back to me unbruised and well. Only you have the ultimate power to outrule those wicked men and I put all my trust in your hands. Please Dear God, protect my precious Michelle until she is back in my warm embrace. 

***

I didn’t dare to bother Penelope when she decided to seclude herself inside her daughter’s room. I knew how devastated she was the minute we learned about Michelle’s abduction, and as much as I desired to comfort her in her time of grievance and turmoil, I am highly aware that she needed time to be by herself. 

On the other hand while Penelope settles and finds refuge inside her daughter’s room, I busied and occupied myself contacting the sets of people who would eventually be of help to us in the process. I already managed to contact the computer geniuses who worked with us during the time of locating Nicole’s whereabouts. Any minute from now they will soon arrive and help in finding Michelle’s abductors. I also conversed with the chief of police who flew back with us the day before he left the mansion and promised to coordinate with us and assist us in any possible way. He sent some of his trusted officers today just in case the abductors drop a call to Penelope. 

Now all of us were just waiting patiently for the most anticipated call to happen. Eerie silence spread across the entire living room as we earnestly waited for the said call to occur. And just as if orchestrated by fate, the moment the phone started to ring was the precise time when Penelope appeared at the grand staircase and on her way down. 

“Everyone in position!” The assigned head of the police force immediately ordered and the rest scrambled in place as Penelope rushed towards the living room. She was about to answer the call when the police head swiftly grabbed her hand and instructed her. “Prolong the conversation as much as possible, Miss Hunt. In that way we may trace their location and track their whereabouts. Agree to whatever their demands are and give them the assurance that you will cooperate with them willingly. Do you understand, Miss Hunt?”

“Yes, yes! I perfectly understand!” Penelope exaggeratedly responded, looking anxiously at the phone that kept on ringing. There was worry visible in her eyes as her hands trembled in fright. 

“Alright. Answer it now, Miss Hunt,” The head ordered before freeing her hand and signaled everyone to remain silent. 

“Hello.”

“It seems you have been briefed for a while by the police before answering our call, Miss Hunt. Am I right?” A metallic and robotic voice of a man echoed at the four corners of the room as the call was on speaker mode. 

“Where is my daughter? What do you want from me?” 

“What most people would want from someone who is as filthy rich as you are of course.” 

“How much? Tell me how much and where do I need to send it!” 

“Patience, Miss Hunt, patience. We will come to that. But first you must listen to what I have to say and obey my every command to secure the safety of your beloved and dear daughter.” There was stillness at the other line for a while before the mysterious caller continued. “I am perfectly aware of how powerful the Hunts are and how enormously wealthy your family is, Miss Hunt. Almost all of New York City would be willing to risk their lives to be of service to you in exchange for something in return, just like how you triumphantly did it to your father’s murderer. But I suggest you don’t disclose this to the public this time, because the minute I discovered that you went on air and asked for the public’s aid, I will without a shadow of a doubt kill your daughter without any hesitation whatsoever.”

“No! Please don’t! I will keep this in private! I promised! Don’t hurt my daughter! I will do whatever it is that you ask of me, just don’t hurt Michelle! I will give you whatever it is that you want in exchange for my daughter’s freedom.”

“I know you will do anything for your daughter’s safety, Miss Hunt, in which I believe in what you just said. I will hold on to your promise that no airing will be made this time.”

“You have my word on it.” 

“And also, tell the police as well to stop trying to track our location, because they will never figure out our whereabouts. If you have the technologies to track people down, then we also have the means to be untraceable. I will not say that you shouldn’t inform the police, because I knew you already sought their help. But let me remind you of the consequences here, Miss Hunt. I have the ultimate ace. I have your daughter. One wrong move on your part, and it would be goodbye Michelle to you. Do you understand?” 

“Yes! Yes, I understand! Now tell me…” The line from the other end went dead. “Hello! Hello!” 

I abruptly held Penelope's body as she limped and succumbed to the floor, crying her heart out and calling Michelle’s name over and over again. Her wails were ear-piercing and extremely heartbreaking as I cradled her in my arms. 

“Everything will be alright, Baby. We will do whatever it takes to bring Michelle home, safe and sound. We will have her back soon enough, Penelope,” I whispered reassuringly, even though I know deep down inside of me that we have a little chance of retrieving Michelle easily.

With the way the caller spoke, he wasn’t merely a small-time outlaw or a juvenile delinquent in such a field. We are dealing with a smart-ass criminal, who knows his way profoundly. The rate of success in finding their whereabouts would be impossible, just as what he mentioned. It was like searching for a needle in bundles of hay. We are dealing with a pro and this enormously bent my positivities and faith.