The red and blue strobe lights from the patrol cars bounced off the walls of Jackson Sterling's rented house, casting a macabre glow across the scene. Local police and FBI forensic teams swarmed the property, but for Mark Bernet, the atmosphere inside felt hauntingly silent.
Mark Bernet, a junior agent and Jackson's teammate, stood frozen. He stared blankly at the body of the mentor he had long considered a father figure. Mark's hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"My God, Jackson," Mark whispered in a husky voice. "I should have been here with him."
A forensic specialist wearing latex gloves approached, holding up a clear plastic evidence bag. Inside was a textbook recovered from the chaos. "We found this in the living room. It is registered under the name Leah Etmand."
Mark straightened up immediately, his eyes locking onto the book. "She is Jackson's daughter. Leah."
"So, where is she now?" the specialist asked while scanning the surrounding area.
"Those mobsters must have taken her," Mark replied. His voice trembled with a mixture of overflowing rage and absolute certainty. "They did not just kill Jackson. They kidnapped his daughter."
Mark looked toward the open front door. He stared into the darkness of the night where Fabio had disappeared with Leah, his gaze burning with resolve.
"Whatever the cost, we have to find Leah. We must bring her back alive," Mark stated, his expression hardening into a cold mask of determination.
"Mr. Bernet!" An FBI agent called out in a raspy voice, gesturing for his colleague to come closer.
Mark Bernet took wide strides into Jackson's ransacked bedroom. He looked at his colleague, who appeared devastated. "What is it?" Mark asked, getting straight to the point.
"They took everything, Mark. They did not leave a single piece of evidence," the man said while massaging his forehead, trying to dull the throbbing pain in his head.
Mark's face suddenly went pale. "What? Jackson did not make copies of his investigation?"
"I do not know. Everything is gone."
Mark exhaled sharply, forcing out the air that felt suffocating in his lungs. "We have to start from zero again," he hissed sharply. "The Casso group. You bastards!" Mark vented his anger with a hard kick to a nearby wooden chair, making it creak loudly.
Mark fell silent, trying to rack his brain. Suddenly, a memory surfaced, a casual conversation with Jackson at FBI headquarters some time ago.
At that time, Jackson had taken a deep drag of his cigarette before speaking. "If I have to die, I will leave the trail of my killer inside my own body."
Mark remembered how Jackson had patted his stomach with a smirk. "This is the easiest way, but the hardest for an enemy to find. I will eat it. I will keep the most important clue right here." Jackson had patted his stomach again.
The realization hit Mark like an electric shock. Without wasting a second, he grabbed a pair of latex gloves and pulled them on hurriedly. He knelt beside Jackson's body and forced his partner's mouth open. With a small flashlight in his other hand, he illuminated the back of Jackson's rigid throat.
"Get me tweezers! Fast!" Mark shouted, his voice echoing through the room.
A forensic officer ran over and handed him the requested tool. With trembling but careful hands, Mark inserted the tweezers, gripped a foreign object wrapped in small plastic, and pulled it out slowly.
A micro SD card.
"Got it," Mark whispered, his breath escaping in a rush of immense relief.
***
Fabio's car entered a heavily guarded gate, followed by three of his men's vehicles. Behind the sturdy perimeter walls stood a magnificent modern house that dominated the landscape.
As soon as the car stopped in the courtyard, Fabio climbed out. He carried Leah's unconscious body with extreme care, as if he did not want a single movement to hurt her.
"Call Robert immediately!" Fabio ordered firmly as he strode toward his bedroom.
Martin, the organization's advisor who was already standing there to greet him, nodded quickly. "Understood, Boss."
Martin immediately contacted Robert Wilson, the head doctor responsible for the organization's medical team. The medical facilities at the headquarters were no joke; a small infirmary equipped as thoroughly as a major hospital had been prepared for emergencies just like this.
Fabio entered his spacious room. He laid Leah down on the luxurious bed with gentle movements. For a moment, he stood frozen, staring at Leah's face. His fingers brushed her cheek, which was still damp with the traces of her tears.
"Good evening, Mr. Fabio," Robert greeted as he arrived, followed by two nurses.
"Evening, Robert," Fabio replied shortly. His usually stiff face was now clouded with visible anxiety. "She has been unconscious for a while. I am worried something serious has happened."
Robert nodded in understanding. "I ask permission to examine her now, sir." He began taking medical equipment out of his bag.
Carefully, Robert listened to Leah's heartbeat, felt her pulse, and slightly opened the eyelids of the girl who remained still.
"Her pulse is weak and her face is very pale. Most likely, this is anemia," Robert concluded.
"Anemia?" Fabio repeated with a worried tone.
"Yes, but I need to perform a blood test to be certain," Robert explained. He then turned to the nurse beside him. "Take a blood sample."
"Yes, Doctor," Renata, the young nurse, replied promptly.
Once the nurse successfully drew the blood, Robert gave further instructions. "Renata, take this to the lab quickly. Check the full blood profile, both macro and micro!"
"Yes, Doctor," Renata answered. She rushed out of the room carrying the tube of Leah's blood.
Robert then turned to the other nurse. "Start an IV for her now." He handed a slip of paper containing the type of fluid to be administered to the male nurse beside him.
Nicole, the male nurse, worked with great skill. He located a vein in Leah's pale arm and inserted the IV needle with a careful motion to avoid hurting her delicate skin.
In the corner of the room, Fabio paced back and forth. His heavy footsteps echoed, reflecting a restlessness he could not hide.
"Sir, you do not need to worry. This girl only fainted. Her condition will stabilize soon," Robert said, trying to calm his employer.
About thirty minutes later, Renata returned in a hurry. Her breath was slightly labored as she handed a sheet of lab results to Robert.
"What are the results?" Fabio asked, his voice sounding impatient and anxious.
Robert read the lines of numbers on the paper thoroughly. "As I suspected, sir. This lady is suffering from anemia, and the cause is." Robert's sentence hung in the air. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, glancing at Fabio with an unreadable look.
"What is the cause? Speak clearly!" Fabio urged, his curiosity now mixed with fear.
"This lady is pregnant. We found a fairly high level of hCG hormone in her blood," Robert explained. "It is very common for pregnant women to experience anemia because the volume of blood in their body increases."
Fabio froze. The world seemed to stop spinning for a moment.
"Pregnant?"