Chapter 18 - THE MISSING BRIDE
Police units searched every road around the estate.
The ambulance was found abandoned beneath an overpass twelve miles away.
The driver and paramedic had been restrained but left alive.
Olivia was gone.
There was blood on the stretcher.
There was also a note.
Daniel recognized Richard Mercer’s handwriting.
You cannot protect everyone.
Richard was already in federal custody.
He could not have personally arranged the abduction.
That meant another person was still following his orders.
Serena was taken to a guarded hospital room.
Thomas joined federal investigators at the Bennett Foundation.
Margaret stayed with Emma and Caleb in a secure location.
Daniel refused to leave the abandoned ambulance.
“She was bleeding heavily.”
The detective beside him nodded.
“She would need medical treatment.”
“Check private clinics.”
“We are.”
“Airports.”
“We have alerts at every airport and train station.”
Noah examined the ambulance’s rear door.
“There’s no forced entry.”
Daniel looked at him.
“You think she left voluntarily?”
“I think we should consider every possibility.”
“She was shot.”
“She also planned your psychological imprisonment.”
Daniel did not answer.
Trusting Olivia had nearly destroyed his family.
Distrusting her now might cost her life.
A crime scene officer found a second phone taped beneath the stretcher.
It contained one video.
Daniel pressed play.
Olivia appeared on the screen wearing a hospital gown.
A bandage covered her wound.
She looked pale but conscious.
“If you are watching this, Richard’s final contingency has already started.”
Daniel leaned closer.
“I knew he would try to remove me if the plan failed.”
She glanced toward someone outside the camera’s view.
“I arranged my own extraction.”
Noah exhaled.
“She left voluntarily.”
Olivia continued.
“I have one final piece of evidence against Richard.”
She held up an old ledger.
“It contains every illegal payment connected to his political network.”
“Where is she?” Daniel whispered.
The video continued.
“I cannot surrender it to the federal team because Richard has people inside the investigation.”
Thomas entered the ambulance.
When he saw the ledger on the screen, he stopped.
“That belonged to Arthur Mercer.”
Olivia looked directly into the camera.
“Daniel, I know you have no reason to trust me.”
She struggled to breathe.
“But if Richard’s network gets this ledger, everyone who testified tonight will be killed.”
A location appeared at the bottom of the screen.
Pier Seventeen.
Midnight.
The video ended.
Noah checked the time.
It was eleven forty-three.
Thomas reached for Daniel’s arm.
“It could be another trap.”
Daniel stepped out of the ambulance.
“It probably is.”
“Then don’t go.”
Daniel looked at the blood on his hands.
“I’m not going there to save my marriage.”
May you like
He took Noah’s spare weapon.
“I’m going there to end it.”
