Chapter 19: The Kidnapping

The Enemy

Chapter 19: The Kidnapping

Kai stood outside James Carter's house and took a deep breath before knocking on the door. James, a well-known retired journalist, answered with a warm smile. Despite retiring years ago, James still maintained a strong influence through his social media posts, sharing his perspectives on current events. He had often called on Kai for help in the past, solidifying their friendship.

"Hi, James. Been a long time," Kai said, shaking his hand.

"Come in, Mr. Keller," James replied, stepping aside.

They settled in the living room, exchanging pleasantries before James got straight to the point. "So, what brings you here, Kai?"

Kai leaned forward, his expression serious. "I need your help. I want you to post something on the internet for me."

James raised an eyebrow. "I'm retired, but you know I can't resist a good fight. Let me see what you've got."

Kai handed James a USB drive. As James played the video, his expression turned from curiosity to disbelief.

"This is explosive," James said, his voice laced with concern. "Are you sure you want to post this? It could make a lot of enemies."

Kai's voice was firm. "Yes, James. The truth needs to come out, no matter the consequences."

---

Meanwhile, Sarah had just dropped Lily off at school and drove to a quiet café, their usual meeting spot. Waiting there were her two closest allies, Sylvara and Veyra.

As Sarah entered, her eyes met theirs, and she greeted them with a smile. Veyra slid a black suitcase across the table. Sarah's breath hitched as she recognized it, her fingers brushing over its surface with a sense of nostalgia.

Veyra smirked. "It's been a while since you've held that, hasn't it?"

Sarah nodded but quickly shifted her focus. "Sylvara, what happened to the request I sent to Nimrith?"

Sylvara's tone was calm but firm. "She's working on it. It'll take time."

Sarah's lips curled into a villainous smile, her voice venomous. "Tell her to find them fast. My blood boils just thinking about them. Those fuckers dared to mess with me."

Sylvara and Veyra exchanged knowing looks and nodded. Their meeting ended quickly, and Sarah headed straight home, her mind already planning her next steps.

---

Back at James' house, Kai and James were finishing up their edits.

James glanced at Kai. "I added my commentary for context. This should hit hard."

Kai nodded. "Perfect. Let's upload it."

With a single click, the video went live. Within an hour, it had been shared and viewed by over a thousand people.

"This will hurt them," Kai said, leaning back with a satisfied smirk. "The government won't be able to ignore this."

James was about to reply when both their phones rang simultaneously. The caller IDs were masked.

Kai answered first, his voice sharp. "Who is this?"

A cold, menacing voice responded. "Delete the video you uploaded. Name your price."

Kai's grip on the phone tightened, his knuckles white. "Who the hell are you? The video stays up. I don't negotiate with cowards."

The caller chuckled darkly. "Oh, you think you're brave? Just wait, you son of a bitch."

Before Kai could respond, the line went dead.

James, who had also hung up, looked at Kai. "They're playing hardball."

Kai's jaw clenched. "Let them try. Don't you dare delete that video, James. We're going to destroy them."

Just then, James' computer beeped. He froze, staring at the screen. "They've hacked into my system."

"What?" Kai leaned over, his eyes scanning the screen as files disappeared one by one.

"They've deleted everything," James said in disbelief. "Even the backups."

Kai's anger burned hotter. "Riley should've been here. We need someone to protect us online."

Seconds later, James' system shut down completely. The screen went black.

James sank back in his chair, shaken. "They've destroyed my system. What do we do now?"

Kai stood, his expression steely. "The video is still on my laptop, and it's secure. Riley's software is impenetrable. We'll upload it again."

As he spoke, Kai's phone rang again. The same number. His heart sank as he answered.

The voice on the other end was colder this time. "You've left us no choice."

Kai's blood ran cold. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The caller's response was chilling. "Check on your family. Let's see if you're still so confident then."

Kai's face paled as he processed the words. "What did you just say?" he shouted, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and panic.

The line went dead.

Without hesitation, Kai dialed Sarah.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Where are you?" Kai demanded, his voice tense.

"I'm at Lily's school to pick her up. What's going on?" Sarah asked, concern creeping into her voice.

Kai's heart pounded. "Go check on her. Now!"

Alarmed, Sarah ran to Lily's classroom. Her voice was frantic as she demanded, "Where is Lily?"

The teacher's face went pale. "Someone already picked her up. They said you were busy and couldn't come."

Sarah grabbed the teacher by the arm, her voice shaking. "Who? What did they look like?"

The teacher stammered. "He was...ugly. Lily didn't want to go, but he insisted. I...I didn't think—"

A child stepped forward, her voice trembling. "He forced her. He even slapped her when she said no."

Sarah's world spun. She sprinted to the security room, barely able to breathe. "Show me the footage!"

The guard shook his head, his expression apologetic. "The cameras aren't working. We've been having technical issues all day."

Sarah's hands trembled as she called Kai. Her voice cracked as she whispered, "Lily is missing."

Kai's reply was calm but firm. "I'm on my way. Don't worry, Sarah. We'll get her back."

But Sarah's heart was breaking. Lily, her precious Lily, was gone.