C449 Emmanuel Was Kidnapped

Charlie arrived at the Mooney residence and parked her silver car exactly where Hanna had instructed her. She remained inside for a moment, looking around carefully. The neighborhood was quiet. There were no suspicious vehicles nearby, and nobody seemed to be paying attention to her. Charlie took a deep breath. She still wasn't completely comfortable with what she was doing, but Hanna had made one thing very clear. If Charlie wanted her new cartel to survive, she needed Hanna. And for now, she had to follow orders. A few minutes later, another vehicle entered the area. It was a black car with darkened windows. Destroyer was behind the wheel. He was wearing a cap pulled low over his face, making it difficult for anyone outside the vehicle to identify him. He slowed down as he approached the Mooney residence. Everything was about to begin.

Inside Mooney residence, Alicia and I had left the house to meet with the Lions at Lucia Goods. Mark had also left for his office. That left only Peter, Mary, Georgia and Quinton at the residence. And Emmanuel. Our little boy was still asleep in his small bed. Nobody expected anything to happen. Then suddenly. BANG! A gunshot echoed through the quiet neighborhood. Peter immediately stood up. “What was that?” Another shot followed. Peter rushed toward the window. “What the hell is happening?” Mary, Georgia and Quinton followed him. Peter carefully looked outside. A black car was moving slowly along the road. The sound of gunfire came from its direction. “Stay away from the windows!” Peter warned. Everyone's attention was focused outside. Nobody noticed the figure quietly entering the house. The maid. She stood near the doorway for several seconds, frozen by what she was about to do. Her heart was pounding. She looked toward where Emmanuel was sleeping. Her daughter's face appeared in her mind. She knew what she was doing was wrong. She knew she was betraying Alicia. But she also knew that her daughter was being held somewhere by people who had threatened to hurt her.

The maid wiped the tears from her eyes. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. She carefully picked up Emmanuel. The baby remained asleep. She placed him gently inside a small fruit basket, covering him carefully so that he would not be immediately noticed. Then she carried him through the back door. She looked around nervously. Nobody had seen her. She hurried down the road, searching for the silver car. Then she saw it. Charlie was waiting. The maid approached the vehicle with trembling hands. She opened the door and carefully handed Emmanuel over. Charlie froze. The moment she saw the maid properly, she recognized her. She had seen her before. But there was something else. Charlie realized the woman also knew who she was. The maid stared at her. “Charlie Kinlore…” Charlie froze. The maid had heard the discussions about the Harris family at the Mooney residence. She knew exactly who Charlie was. For a moment, neither woman spoke. Then Charlie's phone vibrated. She looked down. A message from Hanna. "Bring him here." Charlie looked at Emmanuel. The baby was still sleeping peacefully.

For a brief moment, Charlie hesitated. Then she started the engine. The silver car pulled away. The maid remained standing beside the road, watching it disappear. She had just handed over her employer's child. But she had done it because she believed it was the only way to get her own daughter back. Destroyer's car continued moving through the neighborhood. He eventually stopped the distraction. A short time later, the black car slowed down again. Destroyer opened the door and helped a young girl out. The little girl looked frightened and confused. Destroyer left her safely on the side of the road before driving away. The maid saw her daughter. Her eyes widened. “My baby!” She ran toward her. The little girl immediately ran into her mother's arms. The maid dropped to her knees and hugged her tightly. Tears streamed down her face. Her daughter was alive. She was safe. For the moment, that was all the maid could think about.

Inside the Mooney residence, Peter, Mary, Georgia and Quinton eventually returned to the living room. They were still confused about what had happened. “Who was shooting?” Georgia asked. “I don't know,” Peter replied. “Maybe it was some kind of attack,” Quinton said. Mary looked around. Something felt wrong. The house was unusually quiet. Then the maid entered the living room. Her face was covered in tears. “Boss…” Peter turned toward her. “What happened?” The maid lowered her head. “Boss, I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry.” Peter frowned. “What were you not thinking straight about?” Georgia immediately approached her. “What is wrong? Talk to us. Why are you crying?” The maid could barely speak. She pointed toward Emmanuel. Everyone looked in the same direction. Mary's expression suddenly changed. “Emmanuel?” She rushed toward the baby's small bed. Peter and the others followed. Mary stopped near the bed. The small bed was empty. Her face went pale. “Where is Emmanuel?” Nobody answered. Mary looked around frantically. “My grandson…” Tears immediately began falling from her eyes.

Peter turned toward the maid. “What happened?” The maid broke down. “They took him.” Peter froze. “What?” “They said they would exchange him for my daughter.” Her voice broke. “I'm sorry, Boss. I'm so sorry.” Mary covered her mouth as she cried. “My grandson…” Quinton immediately pulled out his phone. He called Mark. Mark answered after a few rings. “Quinton?” “Mark…” Quinton's breathing was heavy. “Emmanuel was kidnapped.” Mark froze. “What?” “Emmanuel. They kidnapped him.” Mark's face changed instantly. “I am coming right away.” He ended the call. Quinton immediately called me. We were still at Lucia Goods. My phone rang. I looked down at the screen. “Dad.” I answered immediately. “Dad, what is it?” Quinton's voice came through the phone, shaky and breathless. “Mike…” I could hear the panic in his voice. “What happened?” “Emmanuel was kidnapped.” Everything around me seemed to stop. “What?” “Mike, they took Emmanuel. You need to come back immediately.” The document in my hands slipped from my fingers. It hit the floor. My chest tightened.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. Everyone noticed. Alicia immediately turned toward me. “Mike?” I looked at her. I could feel tears building in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “Alicia…” My voice shook. “Emmanuel was kidnapped.” Her face went completely pale. “What?” “We have to go back.” Alicia didn't ask another question. She immediately turned toward the Lions. “Everyone, we're leaving.” I looked down at the document lying on the floor. Our first government mission no longer mattered. Nothing mattered. Only one thing mattered now. Our son. And someone had taken him.