Chapter 10 - The Ransom Note
"Who took him, Vanessa?" I demanded, stepping forward through the mud and standing over my daughter-in-law, my cane planted firmly in the earth.
Vanessa looked up at me, trembling violently, clutching the leather ledger against her chest like a shield. "I don't know! We went back to the car after the judge ordered the recess... and these men in suits were waiting in the back seat. They said Daniel didn't just steal money—he gave them the wrong drive-core. They said if I didn't get the real ledger from the house tonight, they'd put him in a pine box before sunrise."
Miller knelt beside her, checking her pulse and inspecting the fresh bruises on her wrists. "Colonel, she's in shock. But those zip-tie marks are fresh. She didn't orchestrate this part."
"No, she was just stupid enough to think she could play in the big leagues without knowing the rules," I said coldly, looking down at the terrified young woman. I reached out, taking the leather ledger from her trembling fingers and slipping it securely into my coat pocket.
"Where did they take him, Vanessa?" I asked, my voice dropping into a low, commanding register that brook no argument.
"The... the old naval munitions depot down by the harbor," she sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "They said if you want to see your son alive again, you have to bring the ledger and the biometric case... alone."
Miller stood up, shaking his head. "Colonel, that's a classic execution trap. You can't go down there alone. It's a federal jurisdiction black-site."
"It's not a trap, Sergeant," I said, a grim, dangerous resolve settling over my features as I turned toward the waiting state cruiser. "It's an invitation."
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I opened the back door of the cruiser and slid into the seat, looking back at Miller through the rain-streaked window.
"Call the Pentagon," I told him, tapping on the glass. "Tell Director Sterling that Colonel Vance is finally coming to clean house—and she's bringing company."
