Chapter 10 - Five MinutesThe timer reached four minutes.
Everyone moved at once.
Alex searched the walls.
Megan tried to wake Elias.
Daniel grabbed the files.
Noah stood frozen.
Jet barked repeatedly.
“What is this?” Alex shouted.
Elias only smiled.
“You wanted answers.”
“Where's the bomb?”
“Not a bomb.”
Alex stopped.
“What?”
“Evidence.”
The timer reached 3:42.
A mechanical click sounded.
One of the walls opened.
A projector turned on.
Images appeared.
A train yard.
Children being moved between vehicles.
Adults exchanging envelopes.
Then a familiar face.
Alex's commanding officer.
Megan whispered:
“No.”
Daniel cursed.
The video continued.
Police officers.
Judges.
Railway executives.
Business owners.
All meeting in secret.
Then the screen showed Thomas Warren.
Alex stepped closer.
His father was confronting Elias.
“You're using the children to blackmail their parents.”
Elias replied:
“They're useful because people will do anything for their children.”
Thomas shook his head.
“I'm ending this.”
The video cut.
Then another scene.
Thomas entering a building.
A man following him.
The man's face came into view.
Alex recognized him.
His own commanding officer.
The room fell silent.
Timer:
02:11
Megan looked at Alex.
“Your boss is involved.”
Alex shook his head.
“No.”
Daniel pointed to the screen.
“It's your father's final recording.”
The footage continued.
Thomas sat alone in his car.
He spoke directly to the camera.
“If I'm dead, the man who killed me is not Elias.”
Alex stopped breathing.
Thomas continued.
“It's someone close to Alex.”
The screen went black.
Timer:
01:45
Alex looked around.
“Who's controlling this?”
Elias laughed.
“You still haven't figured it out.”
Jet suddenly ran to Noah.
He grabbed the boy's sleeve with his teeth.
Pulled.
Noah followed.
The dog dragged him toward a second door.
Alex opened it.
Inside was a narrow escape tunnel.
“Everybody move!”
They ran.
Behind them came a deafening explosion.
The entire archive room collapsed.
Dust filled the passage.
Alex carried Noah.
Megan stumbled.
Daniel pulled her forward.
Jet disappeared ahead.
They emerged outside near the river.
The night was silent.
Then Alex's phone rang.
His boss.
“Alex, where are you?”
Alex looked at the burning tunnel entrance.
“With witnesses.”
“What witnesses?”
Alex didn't answer.
His boss's voice became cold.
“Listen carefully.”
“I'm listening.”
“Hand over the boy.”
Alex looked at Noah.
“No.”
A pause.
Then:
“You've got ten minutes.”
“To do what?”
“Decide whether you want to save him…”
Another pause.
“…or your mother.”
Alex's blood turned cold.
His mother was supposed to be asleep at home.
Alex called her.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
Then a text appeared.
A photograph of his mother's living room.
Someone was standing behind her.
May you like
The message contained only four words:
BRING US THE BOY.
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