Chapter 6
The hospital corridor recording.
Back at my rental apartment, I replayed the inuffled conversation over and over before finally calling Detective Frank at the station.
“I need you to check on someone–Lily Sinclair’s husband, Daniel Sinclair.”
I kept my voice low. “Focus on the files from his ‘sacrifice‘ mission and Lily’s recent financial transactions.”
Three days later, Frank sent me the intel:
During Daniel’s narcotics operation, three kilos of fentanyl went missing–thankfully later recovered. Only his bloodied badge was found at the scene, leading to his presumed death, but his body was never found.
And Lily had been receiving anonymous monthly wire transfers, all traced back to underground money exchanges near the border.
Studying the files, I formulated a plan. To draw Daniel out, Lily was the perfect bait.
I sent Lily a message from a burner phone, deliberately mimicking the urgent tone of Ryan’s teammates:
“Ryan’s awake and wants to see you. Abandoned warehouse on the city outskirts. He’s worried you’ll get dragged into this, so come alone.”
I was counting on her feelings for Ryan and betting she wouldn’t dare alert anyone–after all, with Ryan barely out of danger, making a scene would only cast more suspicion on her previous “innocent mistakes.”
Sure enough, thirty minutes later, Lily took a cab to the warehouse.
She wore a black coat, looking around nervously before carefully pushing through the door.
The warehouse was lit by a single dim bulb. I hid behind storage shelves, watching her call out anxiously:
“Ryan? Where are you?”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I pressed play on a pre–recorded device with my imitation of a gruff kidnapper’s voice:
“Lily Sinclair, if you want to save Ryan Rodriguez, get fifty grand ready. No cops, or you’re both dead!”
After that, I hid the recorder in a cardboard box, circled to the other side of the warehouse, and used my backup phone to text a pre–arranged
informant:
“Execute the plan. Spread word that Lily’s been kidnapped, they want Ryan in exchange.”
The informant was an undercover agent the department had placed in the black market. Soon, news of “Detective Rodriguez’s wife kidnapping fallen hero’s widow to force Rodriguez’s surrender” spread through Ryan’s team and even reached Daniel’s ears. I was banking on the fact that if Daniel was still alive and in contact with Lily, he’d never let anything happen to her.
Sure enough, twenty minutes later, the warehouse’s metal door was kicked open violently.
A man in a hoodie burst in, gripping a knife–Daniel! He scanned the area, calling out in a hushed voice:
“Lily! Where are you? I’m here to save you!”
Lily whirled around at the sound, shock written across her face:
“Daniel? How did you get here? I thought you said…”
Before she could finish, Daniel grabbed her wrist:
ninnan Evidence
47.3%
Chapter 6
“Don’t talk, let’s go! This place is dangerous!”
At that moment, the officers I’d coordinated with burst from both sides of the warehouse, batons raised:
“Freeze! Police!”
Daniel reacted lightning fast, pulling Lily in front of him as a human shield, pressing the knife to her throat, eyes wild and threatening:
“Stay back! Come any closer and I’ll kill her!”
Lily trembled at the cold steel against her neck. She looked at Daniel, then at us, suddenly understanding:
“You planned this? Victoria Rodriguez! You lured Daniel out!”
I stepped out from behind the shelves, walking toward her with ice–cold eyes:
“Lily Sinclair, you and Daniel faked his death, stole fentanyl, and used Ryan’s guilt to cover your crimes. Did you really think you could get away
with it?”
Without warning, I lunged forward, my left hand clamping down on Daniel’s knife–wielding wrist while my right elbow drove hard into his ribs–a close–combat technique from police academy training: fast, precise, brutal.
Daniel cried out in pain as the knife clattered to the floor. The officers immediately swarmed him, slamming him down and cuffing him with a sharp “click.”
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