C359 The Race against Time

Samantha's entire body trembled as tears streamed down her face. "Father... it's Jack," she cried. "It's him. It has to be him." Kelvin froze. "Jack?" he repeated slowly. "Ben's friend?" Samantha nodded frantically. "Yes. It's him. I'll explain everything when we get home. Please, Father, let's hurry. We have to inform Alicia." Without waiting for another word, she climbed into Sarah's abandoned car. Her hands shook so badly that it took her two attempts to start the engine.

Kelvin immediately got into his own vehicle and followed behind. The drive back to the Wood Residence felt endless. Samantha's mind was in complete chaos. Images of Sarah flashed through her head repeatedly. Sarah laughing. Sarah teasing Chris. Sarah talking about Faith. Sarah promising they would train together once the baby was born. Now she was gone. Every passing second made Samantha's heart sink deeper. By the time they reached the Wood Residence, her face was soaked with tears.

Inside the house, Tracy had been pacing back and forth for nearly twenty minutes. Ben sat quietly on the sofa. The moment he saw Sarah's car enter through the gate, relief washed over his face. "They're back," he said. Tracy immediately stood. "Thank God." However, the relief lasted only a few seconds. The moment Samantha stepped out of the car, everyone knew something was wrong. Her eyes were swollen. Her face was pale. She looked completely broken. Kelvin wasn't much better. His shirt was soaked with sweat.

Ben stood immediately. "Dad?" Tracy's heartbeat accelerated. "What happened?" For several seconds Kelvin couldn't speak. The words simply wouldn't come out. Finally, he took a deep breath. "Sarah..." his voice cracked. Tracy immediately grabbed his arm. "What happened to Sarah?" Kelvin closed his eyes. "Sarah has been kidnapped." Silence. Complete silence. The words echoed through the room. Tracy stared at him. Her mind refused to process what she had just heard. Then suddenly she exploded. Her eyes landed on Ben. "Do you see this?"

Ben froze. "What?" "Do you see the result of your stubbornness?" Tears immediately flowed down Tracy's cheeks. "You brought that Jack into your life!" "Now look what happened!" Ben's face turned pale. "Mom..." "Don't 'Mom' me!" Her voice shook with anger and fear. "First you gave him your sister's number." "And now Sarah is missing!" Ben lowered his head. He couldn't defend himself. Because deep down, he knew she was right. If he had never met Jack... Would this have happened? Samantha ignored the argument. Her hands were trembling as she dialed Alicia's number.

The call connected after several rings. Alicia had just arrived home. She had just come out of her car when her phone started ringing. Seeing Samantha's name made her confused. This was the first time Samantha had called her. She quickly answered. She expected another training discussion. Instead, the moment she answered, she heard sobbing. "Alicia..." The smile disappeared instantly. "Samantha?" "S-Sarah..." Alicia's heart skipped a beat. "What happened?" "Sarah has been kidnapped."

For a moment, the world seemed to stop. "What?" "She was kidnapped." Alicia froze the moment she heard those words. I had just stepped out of my car carrying a few documents when I saw her expression. My stomach tightened immediately. "Wife?" Alicia looked at me. Her face had turned pale. "Mike..." "What happened?" "It's Sarah." The documents slipped from my hands. "What happened to Sarah?" "Samantha says she was kidnapped." "Husband." I already knew what she was about to say. "I know." "No."

She shook her head. "I need you to go to the house and start tracing her phone." I frowned. "What about you?" "I'll search outside." "No." I immediately refused. "Absolutely not." Alicia's eyes widened. "Mike.." "No." I stepped closer. "You haven't even started combat training." "You are pregnant." "You can't run around the city chasing kidnappers." Alicia clenched her fists. "But Sarah.." "I know." "We'll find her." "But you are not going alone." For several seconds neither of us spoke. Finally Alicia lowered her head. "I can't sit still while my friend is in danger." Her voice had become soft. "I know."

I gently held her shoulders. "But you have to think about yourself too." She placed a hand on her stomach. For a moment, her eyes became conflicted. "But you know we recruited them so it is our fault as well. We have to find her." Then she looked at me with pleading eyes. "I'll be careful. Just find her phones location and send it to me." I knew that look. It meant she had already made up her mind. She started her car again and then looked at me "Husband please tell Chris as well. For a while I looked at her car leaving. Then without picking up the documents I rushed inside.

The atmosphere inside the Mooney Residence instantly changed the moment I entered. Mary stood up. "What happened?" "Why is Alicia leaving?" I looked around and finally said "Sarah has been kidnapped." "Alicia went to look for her." Georgia covered her mouth. "Alone?" Peter's face darkened immediately. Mark's expression became serious. "What exactly happened?" I quickly explained everything Samantha had told her. "She was kidnapped while she was driving home. Few days ago Samantha believed they were being followed so we think they were after Sarah and it probably Jack Harris.

Mark froze "So this is related to us? Are they using her as leverage ?" I looked at them again and then said "I have to hurry and locate Sarah number I will explain everything after." Without waiting for their response I rushed upstairs. Almost thirty minutes later, Alicia was driving through the city. She wasn't searching randomly. Instead, she was visiting every place she thought Sarah might have passed. Every traffic light. Every route. Every possible road. But there was nothing. No clues. No witnesses. Nothing.

As the city lights began appearing, panic slowly started creeping into her heart. Then suddenly. Her phone rang. The screen lit up. Sarah Wood. Alicia nearly slammed the brakes. Her heart jumped. "Sarah!" She answered immediately. "Sarah! Where are you?" "They told me you were kidnapped." For several seconds there was only silence. Then a male voice laughed. Alicia's blood turned cold. "Hello, Alicia." She immediately figured. "Jack." The laughter continued. "So you know who I am." "What have you done to Sarah?" "She's alive."

Alicia's grip tightened around the phone. "If you touch her..." "Then come save her." The line went silent. Alicia forced herself to calm down. "Where are you?" Jack laughed again. "Interesting." "No crying." "No begging." "You really are different." "Where are you?" Alicia repeated. This time her voice was colder. Jack finally gave an address outside the city. Then he added, "Come alone." Alicia froze. "Alone?" "Yes." "If I see anyone else..." His voice became deadly. "Sarah dies." Alicia's breathing became heavier. "Jack..." "Don't test me."

Alicia tightened her grip on the phone. On the other end, Jack's voice turned cold. "Also Don't bring your own car. If I see your car anywhere near this place, Sarah dies. Take a taxi and come alone. Leave your phone as well." The call ended. Alicia looked around frantically before spotting a taxi approaching. She stepped into the road and forced it to stop. The startled driver rolled down his window. Alicia pointed her gun at him. "My father is the Police Minister. Stay here and guard this car until his people arrive." Before the man could respond, she pulled him out and sped away.

For several seconds Alicia sat motionless. Her hands shook. Her heart pounded. Her thoughts raced. Sarah. Chris. The baby. Jack. The Harris Family. Everything mixed together. Then slowly, her hand moved toward her stomach. "My child..." Her voice was barely a whisper. "We have to be brave." Tears formed in her eyes. But she quickly wiped them away. Then suddenly another thought appeared. Gold and Diamond. Her eyes widened. Angus's words echoed inside her mind. "As long as Madam carries Gold and Diamond, we can always find her." Hope appeared instantly.

Without wasting another second, she opened her handbag. The golden dagger gleamed under the streetlights. Alicia held it tightly. "Grandpa..." She whispered. "I hope your tracker works." Then she placed the dagger beside her gun. Far away. Inside the Gupta Family compound. Victor sat quietly inside the ancestral hall. The room was illuminated by dozens of candles. Each candle represented a family member. Normally the flames burned steadily. Tonight... One candle flickered violently. Victor's eyes narrowed. He immediately stood. "No..." The candle continued shaking. Back and forth. Back and forth. Almost as if it were struggling against a storm. Victor's breathing quickened. "Impossible."

He moved closer. The name beneath the candle made his expression change completely. Alicia. His granddaughter's candle. Victor immediately turned around. "GUARDS!" The doors burst open. Several men rushed inside. "Sir!" "Call Angus immediately." Less than five minutes later Angus the Hammer arrived together with Lewis, Fraser and the others. They had barely sat down after returning from training. Now all ten men stood before Victor. Angus the Hammer frowned. "Boss?" Victor pointed toward Alicia's candle. The flame was still dancing wildly. Angus's expression changed instantly. "What happened?" Victor's voice trembled. "My granddaughter is in danger."

The room became silent. Lewis the Sniper looked at the candle. Fraser the Reaper stepped forward. Even Roy's expression became serious. Victor continued. "I don't know what happened." "But the ancestral flame would never react like this for no reason." Angus finally understood. This wasn't paranoia. This wasn't a guess. Something was truly wrong. He immediately turned toward his men. "Move." Nobody questioned him. Nobody hesitated. Everyone turned around instantly. As they rushed outside, Victor's voice stopped them. "Track Gold and Diamond." Angus the Hammer froze. Then slowly nodded. "Yes, Boss."

Victor's eyes remained fixed on the flickering candle. "Find her." "Before it's too late." Without another word, Angus and his team sprinted toward their vehicles. Moments later, ten engines roared to life. Headlights pierced through the darkness. The Hammer Squad moved with killing intent.