"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I know where Ethan is, and I know who took him. And I know you're lost. Not because you're incompetent, Detective Miller, but because you've been blinded. The 'technical glitch' on the park's cameras wasn't a glitch. It was targeted electromagnetic interference. The car is an armored 2023 BMW 7 Series, license plate XJ9-741Z. Registered to Aegis Solutions. The kidnapper is Marcus Thorne, a former elite operative now linked to anonymous offshore funds."Daniel poured out the information in a steady stream, each piece of information a stake driven into the fog of ignorance.
Miller blinked, his face pale. He picked up a pen and notepad, his hands shaking slightly. "Aegis... Solutions? Impossible. They're one of the biggest..."
"No, Detective. Nothing is impossible. Especially when you're being paid to look the other way. I know you care. I see the coffee stain on your shirt, Detective. It looks bad. Go change your shirt. Then go to the industrial warehouse at 74 Miller Street, East Side. Their car's GPS is still active there. The kid is there. And Aegis Solutions is up to their necks in it."Daniel gave the exact address of the warehouse. He could see the disbelief mixed with a spark of hope in Miller's eyes.
"I... I can't just break into a warehouse with that information. I need a warrant..."Miller began to argue, the police bureaucracy taking over.
"You're not going to 'break in,' Detective. You're going to 'investigate' an anonymous tip. And when you get there, the facts will speak for themselves. I've already sent the full evidence to the FBI. They're on top of everything. But Ethan's time is running out. I trust you, Detective Miller. Don't let me down. And change your shirt. Seriously."Daniel ended the call without waiting for a response, leaving Miller in shock, the phone still in his hand.
Daniel then activated a new satellite connection, using ainvisible numeric keypad projected onto your desk, an impenetrable, encrypted network he had built himself. The data he had collected—the enhanced camera logs, the license plate decoding, the BMW's GPS history, Marcus Thorne's financial records, proof of Aegis Solutions' acquisition of the RF emitter, and even the transcript of conversations at the LAPD station—were packaged into a massive file and sent.
The voice on the other end was deep and firm, carrying unquestionable authority, but without the bureaucratic coldness of many other officials. It was the voice of FBI Director Vance, the only man in the entire agency Daniel trusted, the one he referred to in his mind as "Iron Fist," incorruptible, unyielding.
"Vance,"Daniel said bluntly.
"Ghost. What do you have for me this time? Your latest 'tip' dismantled a weapons smuggling ring we never even knew existed,"Vance's voice was calm, but with an undertone of urgency. He knew that when Ghost called, the world was about to change, and not for the better.
"I have a child abduction. Ethan, from Los Angeles. Case 385472-6. And I have proof that Aegis Solutions is behind it. Marcus Thorne is the operator. I sent all the documents. Are you seeing this, Director?"Daniel asked, watching the data transfer lights blink rapidly on an auxiliary panel.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, filled only by the barely perceptible crackle of a satellite line."I'm receiving them. The files are arriving now. They're heavy. Aegis Solutions, you say? That's... audacious, even for them."Vance's voice had a serious tone that Daniel rarely heard.
"It's not just audacity, Vance. It's a clean and precise operation. They used a military device to blind the park's cameras. Marcus Thorne is a former special operations agent for them. And his money trail leads to offshore accounts and shell companies. This is much bigger than a typical kidnapping. This is... a statement. Or a test. I don't know what they want with the child, but this is no ordinary ransom."Daniel laid out the facts, without emotion, but with the urgency of the situation permeating every word.
"Sending Aegis into the child abduction ring... that's corporate suicide. Unless... unless there's something more. Where is the child?"Vance asked, his voice now tense, the earlier calm replaced by a palpable urgency.
"An industrial warehouse at 74 Miller Street, East Los Angeles. Their armored car, a BMW 7 Series, license plate XJ9-741Z, is still there. Marcus Thorne is probably there too. I've already alerted Detective Miller of the LAPD. He's on his way."Daniel knew that Detective Miller would serve as a sort of bait or initial distraction, forcing a reaction from the kidnappers while the FBI mobilized.
"You're moving fast, Ghost. Too fast. This could escalate into something the LAPD won't be able to contain,"Vance said, the concern in his voice evident.
"They won't contain it. And that's why you're getting this, Director. I won't wait for bureaucracy or a tactical team. Ethan's life is at stake. I'll monitor everything. The drone is already in the air, positioned over the warehouse. It's ready for action. I'm giving you the target."Daniel let the implication of "action" hang in the air.
"Action? What are you planning, Ghost? Don't do anything reckless. This could trigger an international incident if Aegis... That's a company with very deep connections."Vance tried to argue, tension rising in his voice.
"I've already told you what I'm planning, Director. And the clock is ticking for Ethan. I need you to mobilize as many resources as you can, as quickly as possible. They have a child. There's nothing more important."Daniel gave no chance for further objections. He knew that Vance, the "Iron Hand," despite his caution, would act.
"Understood, Ghost. I'll move hell and holy water for this. Brace yourself. This could get ugly."Vance ended the call, the line returning to its silent hum.
Daniel, however, didn't wait for the FBI to mobilize. He was already on the move. As easily as he had accessed the Pentagon, he dialed another number, using aprecise command on your holographic keyboardthat simulated the sequence of a satellite phone. It was a number he had extracted from Marcus Thorne's communication history. It was an encrypted satellite number, used by the kidnappers.
The call rang a few times. Then a gruff, professional voice answered. "Please identify yourself."
"Marcus Thorne,"Daniel said, his voice now sharp, devoid of any warmth, cold as steel."Look to your right out the window. Do you see the drone?"
There was a moment of silence on the other side, a shuffling sound, as if someone were running to a window. Daniel, watching the drone's live feed on his screen, saw the figure of a tall man in a dark coat—Marcus Thorne—open a small crack in the warehouse's high window, looking skyward. His eyes widened. He had seen the RQ-4 Global Hawk, a speck barely visible to the naked eye, but unmistakable to someone trained in aerial surveillance.
"What... who are you?"Thorne's voice, previously rough, was now filled with a mixture of shock and panic.
"I'm the reason you're going to release this child. I'm Ghost. And I'm not kidding, Marcus. I have your addresses. All of you. I have your bank statements, I have your family names, your children's schools, your parents' hospitals, your lovers' names, the hiding places you think are safe. I know every secret. You have exactly thirty seconds."Daniel didn't give Thorne time to respond."Thirty seconds for Ethan to walk out that front gate. Alone. If he's not out there in thirty seconds, I won't bomb the warehouse. I'll bomb your families' homes. One by one. You hear me? Your families, Marcus. Not you. And I don't miss. I see everything."
Daniel cut the call, letting the threat reverberate in the air. On the drone's screen, he saw Marcus Thorne retreat from the window, his face pale with terror. The man turned abruptly, running into the warehouse, shouting orders to his accomplices. Time had begun. Twenty-nine seconds. Twenty-eight. Daniel watched, motionless, his eyes fixed on the image of the warehouse entrance, his breath held, the fate of Ethan and countless other lives hanging on the tenuous thread of his threat. Every second that passed felt like an eternity.
Twenty-nine seconds. Twenty-eight. Marcus Thorne's face, pale and distorted with terror, disappeared from the small crack in the warehouse window, and Daniel could see him, through the drone's feed, running frantically around the interior of the structure, gesturing to other figures. The virtual clock in the corner of Daniel's screen continued its merciless countdown. Twenty-five seconds. Twenty-four. The tension in Daniel's penthouse was palpable, though only the faint hum of the Lakeside Technology Center's servers filled the silence. Daniel sat motionless in his ergonomic chair, his eyes fixed on the image of the warehouse entrance, his body a statue of self-control, but every fiber of his being alert, ready for the final decision.