CHAPTER 3 — "The Name That Shattered Maria's World"
The rain continued to fall.
No one spoke.
Maria stared at the phone in the Director's hand, her heart pounding so violently she could barely breathe.
"What... do you mean?" she whispered.
The Director looked into her eyes.
"I wish I were wrong."
He slowly turned the screen toward her.
A photograph appeared.
The moment Maria saw it, every drop of blood seemed to drain from her face.
"No..."
It couldn't be.
It was Daniel.
Her fiancé.
The man who had proposed to her only three weeks earlier.
The man who kissed her goodbye every morning before work.
The man who constantly told her they would spend the rest of their lives together.
Maria took two shaky steps backward.
"No... there has to be some mistake."
The Director remained silent.
One of the federal agents handed him a folder.
"We intercepted encrypted messages an hour ago."
Inside were dozens of photographs.
Photos of Maria.
Leaving work.
Shopping for groceries.
Visiting her mother in the hospital.
Even pictures taken outside her apartment late at night.
Someone had been watching her for weeks.
Another page contained bank transfers.
Large payments.
Cash deposits.
Every transfer ended with the same instruction.
Bring her alive.
Maria's knees nearly gave out.
"Daniel would never..."
The Director interrupted gently.
"Do you know where he is tonight?"
Maria immediately reached for her phone.
She called him.
Straight to voicemail.
Again.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
A terrible feeling settled in her stomach.
The Director nodded toward one of the agents.
"Show her."
The agent opened another file.
Security camera footage.
Daniel.
Standing beside these same two kidnappers.
Laughing.
Shaking hands.
Then handing one of them a thick envelope full of cash.
The recording had been made only six hours earlier.
Maria covered her mouth.
Tears streamed down her face.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Daniel had insisted she keep working late.
He had even texted her earlier that afternoon.
"Don't worry. I'll wait for you at home."
He knew exactly what time she would leave.
Because he had arranged the entire ambush.
One of the arrested kidnappers suddenly laughed despite the handcuffs.
"You still don't get it..."
Maria slowly looked at him.
He smiled through broken teeth.
"You were never the target."
Everyone froze.
"What?"
The criminal spit blood onto the pavement.
"Our boss doesn't care about you."
"He only wants what you have."
Maria stared at him in confusion.
"I don't have anything."
The criminal smiled even wider.
"Oh..."
"If only you knew."
Before anyone could question him further—
A deafening explosion erupted only a few blocks away.
BOOM!
The shockwave shattered nearby windows.
Car alarms screamed across the neighborhood.
Flames shot into the night sky.
An agent shouted into his radio.
"Director!"
"Our safe house has just exploded!"
The Director's face turned deadly serious.
"They've started moving."
Then another call came through his earpiece.
His expression changed instantly.
"What?"
He looked directly at Maria.
May you like
"Your mother..."
"...is gone."
