Chapter 4 – Rex Found Something No Human Could Smell
Rex ran through crowded streets, crossed busy intersections, and finally stopped beneath an abandoned railway bridge nearly two miles from the station.
The place looked deserted.
Broken concrete.
Rusted shipping containers.
Graffiti covered every wall.
Daniel slowly drew his weapon.
"Stay alert."
Rex ignored the command.
Instead, he walked to an old drainage pipe and began scratching furiously at the ground.
One officer grabbed a shovel from the patrol vehicle.
After only a few inches of digging...
Metal.
A small locked steel box.
Inside was a cell phone.
Still powered on.
The screen suddenly lit up by itself.
A video call.
Daniel answered.
The hooded man appeared again.
Only this time...
He removed his mask.
Every officer around Daniel gasped.
No one recognized him.
He smiled calmly.
"Congratulations."
"You passed the first test."
Daniel's grip tightened.
"Where is the boy?"
The stranger laughed.
"The boy isn't your biggest problem."
He turned the camera around.
Rows...
And rows...
Of identical black suitcases filled the warehouse behind him.
At least fifty of them.
Some...
Were moving.
Daniel's face went completely pale.
"Dear God..."
The stranger looked back into the camera.
"You have two hours."
"Choose carefully."
"If you open the wrong suitcase first..."
"The rest will never be found."
The screen suddenly went black.
Silence filled the bridge.
Even Rex stopped barking.
Then the phone vibrated one last time.
A single GPS location appeared.
Underneath it was one chilling sentence:
"Trust the dog... not the people beside you."
Daniel slowly looked around at the officers standing with him.
For the first time...
He realized the kidnapper wasn't just watching the police.
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Someone inside the police operation was secretly helping him.
To be continued in Chapters 5 & 6...
