Chapter 5 - The Trap is SprungThe rain was relentless, drumming against the roof of the armored SUV parked two blocks away from Warehouse 14. Hannah sat in the backseat, her hands clamped tightly over her stomach. Two of Daniel’s most trusted security operatives sat in the front seat, their eyes scanning the dark, abandoned docks.
Through the rain-streaked window, Hannah watched Daniel lead a team of silent, armed men toward the massive, rusting structure of the warehouse.
Minutes felt like agonizing hours. The silence in the car was deafening.
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed from the harbor, followed by the sharp, rapid crackle of gunfire.
"What was that?" Hannah gasped, sitting up.
The driver instantly started the engine. "We have a breach. Mr. Carver’s team has engaged. We need to pull back."
"No! Wait!" Hannah cried. "We can't leave them!"
Before the driver could shift the vehicle into gear, a massive black truck rammed into the side of the SUV. The impact shattered the passenger-side windows, sending glass spraying into the cabin. Hannah screamed, ducking down as the SUV spun on the slick asphalt and crashed against a concrete barrier.
Dazed and bruised, Hannah looked up to see masked men pouring out of the black truck. They quickly subdued her guards, pulling them from the vehicle.
The back door of the SUV was ripped open.
There stood Claire Whitlock, holding a heavy umbrella, her expensive makeup ruined by the driving rain. Her eyes were wild, manic, and filled with a terrifying hatred.
"Get her out," Claire ordered the men.
"Claire, stop!" Hannah cried, trying to shield her belly as two heavy hands dragged her out into the cold, wet night. "What are you doing?"
"You ruined my life!" Claire shrieked over the sound of the wind, stepping close to slap Hannah across the face. The blow stung, but Hannah held her ground, her jaw set. "You were a nobody! A pathetic, pregnant maid! And Daniel threw me away for you! My father’s business is ruined, the feds are freezing our accounts... all because of you and your stupid, dead husband!"
"Your father killed Aaron!" Hannah shouted back, rain soaking through her clothes. "He stole from Daniel, and he killed my husband!"
"And now, we are going to use you to get everything back," Claire sneered. "Daniel thinks he is so clever. But let's see how smart he is when we hold his precious new toy over the harbor."
They dragged Hannah into the dark, echoing interior of an adjacent warehouse. The air inside smelled of rot, rust, and salt water. Suspended over a deep, dark water basin was a rusted metal cage.
And inside that cage, bound and heavily bruised, was Caleb.
"Caleb!" Hannah cried.
May you like
"Hannah?" Caleb’s voice was weak, his face battered, but his eyes widened in horror. "No... why are you here? Go!"
"Shut up!" Claire snapped. She turned to one of her henchmen. "Call Daniel. Tell him if he wants his pregnant charity case and her brother alive, he signs over the harbor assets to my father tonight. Or they both go into the bay."
