Chapter 5 - The Burner Phone
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Daniel dropped to his knees, his fingers hovering over the dark stain on the carpet. The blood was mostly dry, but it was enough to make his head spin with a sickening wave of vertigo.
“Emma, please God, no,” he choked out, the reality of the nightmare finally crashing down on him.
He frantically searched the small room. He tore the thin blankets off the bed, checked under the mattress, and kicked open the bathroom door. The bathroom was empty, but sitting perfectly centered on the cracked porcelain sink was a cheap, plastic burner phone.
Daniel picked it up. It felt cold and lifeless. He pressed the power button, and the small screen glowed to life. There were no contacts, no saved numbers, and no apps. Just one unread text message that had been received at 4:00 AM.
He opened the message.
“The debt is inherited. If he doesn't pay, the baby does. We have her.”
Daniel stared at the words until they blurred. Debt? What debt? His investment firm had lost millions in the recent market crash, but it was all corporate money, heavily insured and legally protected. He didn't owe money to anyone dangerous. He was a legitimate businessman.
Suddenly, Rachel’s strange reaction on the phone echoed in his memory. Did she find out?
He pulled out his own smartphone and dialed Rachel’s number. It rang four times before going to voicemail. He dialed again. Nothing.
He walked back out to the shattered doorway of Room 114 and looked around the desolate parking lot. The realization hit him like a physical blow. The GPS tracker, the strange timing of Rachel’s father getting sick, the collapsed investment deal. It wasn't just bad luck. It was a coordinated attack.
Daniel pocketed the burner phone and marched back to the manager’s office. The bearded man took one look at Daniel’s murderous expression and slowly backed away from the bulletproof glass.
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“Show me the security cameras,” Daniel demanded, his voice low and vibrating with absolute authority. “Show me the cameras for Room 114 at three in the morning, or I will come back there and tear this office apart with my bare hands.”
The manager swallowed hard, his hands shaking as he grabbed the computer mouse. “Okay, man. Okay. Just take it easy. Let me pull up the footage.”
