Chapter 17 - Finding Theo|
By 11:00 AM, Silas Vance and Odalys Crane were locked inside federal holding cells without bail.
I sat in the Chief Executive Office of Vance Dynamics—my new office—resting my feet on a comfortable ottoman while Nurse Priya, who had insisted on accompanying me as my private medical escort, checked my blood pressure.
“Your vitals are completely stable, Mara,” Priya smiled warmly. “Your baby girl is doing fantastic.”
“Thank God,” I breathed, placing my hands over my stomach.
The door opened, and Marcus Osei walked in, carrying a fresh cup of peppermint tea. He set it gently on my desk.
“We found Theo Bell,” Marcus revealed softly.
I looked up, my heart aching slightly.
“Where was he?”
“My tactical team tracked his signal to an abandoned warehouse near the industrial docks,” Marcus explained. “Silas’s syndicate handlers had locked him inside a storage shipping container. They were planning to burn it down at noon to destroy all evidence of the forged signatures.”
I gasped, covering my mouth.
“Is he okay?”
“He’s terrified, bruised, but alive,” Marcus said. “My men pulled him out ten minutes before the syndicate’s cleanup crew arrived. He’s in custody with Detective Ortiz now.”
A few minutes later, Amara Vale entered the office, carrying a tablet displaying a live interrogation feed from the precinct.
On the screen, young Theo Bell sat sobbing hysterically into his hands.
“I’m so sorry!” Theo wept into the microphone. “Silas threatened to murder my sister if I didn't steal Mara’s cryptographic key! He showed me photos of my sister leaving her college dorm! I had no choice!”
I closed my eyes as tears slipped down my face.
Theo hadn't betrayed me out of greed. He had been blackmailed by Silas’s ruthless syndicate.
“Tell Detective Ortiz to secure protection for Theo’s sister immediately,” I instructed Amara.
“Already done, Mrs. Vance,” Amara assured me. “Your father’s security team has already relocated her to a secure safehouse in Scotland.”
I looked at my father, overwhelmed by the incredible speed and terrifying reach of his shadow network.
“Dad,” I whispered. “How did you build all of this without me ever noticing?”
Marcus smiled gently, sitting on the corner of my desk.
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“A good mechanic never makes noise when the engine is running smoothly, my girl.”
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