Chapter 258
When they arrived at the last known location from Sanya’s tracker, William’s men were already scouring the old warehouse, scanning every corner. Rain’s heart pounded, almost loud enough to drown out the sounds around her, and she felt her face go pale as beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
’Please, Sanya, be safe,’ she silently prayed, gripping her phone tightly. The screen was dark and unresponsive, no longer showing Sanya’s location. Her worry for Sanya grew by the second, and despite her efforts to stay calm, her hand shook as she repeatedly refreshed the screen, hoping the tracker would come back online.
“Where is she?” William shouted, his voice echoing through the empty warehouse. Panic filled his eyes as he darted around, desperate. “We have to find her p>
“William, wait!” Rain called, her voice wavering as she tried to keep up. “The tracker just… it stopped working. I can’t get a signal p>
William whirled around, frustration etched across his face. “What do you mean, it stopped working? We were counting on that to lead us to her. You can’t just p>
Alexander stepped forward and placed a firm hand on William’s shoulder. “Panicking won’t help. The signal likely dropped because her phone was shut off or disabled. We need to stay calm and think p>
William threw his hands up in exasperation, his worry evident. “Think? How can we think when Sanya’s out there, and we have no idea where? She could be in serious danger p>
“Focus!” Alexander said sharply, trying to pull him back to the present. “Let’s start by searching this place thoroughly. If she was taken, this is one of the likeliest places they’d bring her p>
They approached the massive, rusted door, its hinges groaning as Alexander pushed it open. The interior was dim, illuminated only by slivers of light cutting through the cracks in the walls. Dust motes danced in the air, creating an eerie atmosphere as they stepped inside, their footsteps echoing against the concrete floor.
“Look for anything… clothes, signs of a struggle, anything that might tell us where she is,” Rain urged, her voice barely above a whisper.
As they moved deeper into the warehouse, the silence grew heavier, wrapping around them like a suffocating blanket. William’s breathing was rapid, and Rain could see the fear etched across his features. Alexander remained focused, his eyes scanning every shadow, every crevice.
“Over here!” Rain suddenly called out, pointing to a pile of discarded crates in the corner. “There’s something p>
They rushed to the pile, frantically digging through the debris. Rain’s heart sank as her hands closed around a few familiar items. Among them was Sanya’s mobile phone, lying abandoned and powerless.
“Is this William’s voice cracked as he reached out, picking up the phone with trembling fingers. “This is hers, isn’t it p>
“Yeah,” Rain whispered, her stomach twisting into knots. “We have to keep looking,” she added, her voice quivering with fear for her friend. The realization hit her hard: Sanya had been abducted, and whoever took her had planted these clues to throw them off.
William’s expression hardened, his jaw clenched with determination. “We’re going to find her,” he grunted. “No matter what it takes. I’ll kill whoever those bastards are p>
He pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing a secure number. Within seconds, his most trusted men were on the line. “I need every available resource on this,” he barked into the phone. “Check all CCTV cameras around the docks and surrounding areas. Focus on footage from the past few hours and trace every vehicle that’s come or gone p>
He ended the call and looked at Rain and Alexander. “They’ll comb through every possible camera within a ten-mile radius. We’ll find out who took her and where they went p>
“Good,” Alexander said, his expression resolute. “But we need to act quickly. They could have taken her anywhere by now p>
William nodded, barely hearing him as he dialed again, his fingers shaking slightly. “Get me the security teams from all nearby warehouses and shipping facilities,” he commanded. “I want reports of any unusual activity immediately. And put a tracker on every vehicle leaving the area. If they so much as stop for gas, I want to know p>
One of William’s men called back within minutes. “Sir, we’re pulling up footage from a nearby dock camera. We’ve found a van matching the description from earlier that was parked near the warehouse. It left just before you arrived p>
William’s face darkened. “Follow it,” he ordered. “Trace its route and pull up every camera along the way. Send me the coordinates. We’re going after it p>
As he ended the call, William turned to Rain and Alexander. “We have a lead. Let’s move. We’re not losing her p>
In the car, Rain felt Alexander’s warm hand wrapping around her cold fingers, grounding her amid her worry.
She gazed out the window, her voice barely a whisper. “Who would do this to Sanya?” She searched her mind, but Sanya had no enemies… no one who would be capable of something like this. Unlike her, Sanya led a quiet life, far removed from danger.
“What if we’re too late? What if p>
“Shhh,” Alexander murmured, pulling her closer and meeting her anxious gaze. “We’ll get to her soon enough. Don’t think like that.” Rain was usually calm and composed, but now, her mind was racing, desperate to make sense of who could be behind Sanya’s abduction.
One name kept surfacing in her thoughts… Michael Astor.
After a moment’s hesitation, she leaned toward Alexander and murmured, “Do you think you could put a tail on Michael? Just… in case p>
“Michael Astor?” Alexander asked, his brow furrowing as he searched her face. She nodded, her suspicion growing. “I can’t think of anyone else who could pull something like this off. This feels… organized p>
Alexander’s expression darkened as he processed her words. “I’ll have someone on him,” he promised.
But Rain couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling that Sanya’s abduction was somehow tied to her own life. The thought twisted in her stomach like a knife. What if whoever did this was using Sanya as leverage to get to me?