The air inside the mansion was thick with tension. Harrison, Rachel, and I made our way through the long hallway, our footsteps echoing off the polished floors. My heart pounded in my chest. I was a mess inside, my thoughts racing in every direction. We had Luis, Adrianne’s son, and now we needed him to cooperate.
Harrison had a plan, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. The idea of using Luis like this-it didn’t sit right with me. But we had no choice. Adrianne wasn’t talking, and the clock was ticking. We needed to find Ethan.
We stopped in front of the room where Luis was being held. The door was locked, and Rachel stepped forward, unlocking it with the key. Harrison motioned for us to be quiet, and the three of us entered the room.
Luis was sitting on the bed, his eyes red from crying. He looked terrified, but there was something else there too hatred. He knew what we were capable of, and he wasn’t about to make it easy for us.
“Luis,” Harrison said, his voice calm but firm. “We’re not here to hurt you, but we need you to help us.”
Luis looked up at him, his expression hardening. He didn’t trust us, and I couldn’t blame him. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t trust anyone either. But Harrison wasn’t one to play games, and neither was I. We needed to do this, no matter how uncomfortable it made me.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Harrison continued. “We just need you to help us get Adrianne to talk. If you do what we ask, no one will lay a finger on you.”
Luis shifted on the bed, his gaze flicking from Harrison to me, and then to Rachel. He didn’t say anything at first. Instead, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to hide the tears that were still fresh on his face.
“Look,” Harrison said, his tone softer now. “I know this is scary. But you don’t want your mom to suffer, do you? If you don’t help us, things could get worse for her. We want you to call her. Tell her that, if she doesn’t save you, we’ll hurt you.”
Luis’s face paled. His lips trembled as he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. I could see that he was afraid, and I felt a flicker of sympathy for him, despite everything. He was just a kid, caught in a horrible situation.
“Do you understand what we need you to do?” Harrison asked again, his voice steady.
Luis nodded slowly, but I could tell he was still unsure. He didn’t want to betray his mother, but he knew the consequences if he didn’t comply. We had him cornered.
“Listen,” Rachel said, her voice softening. “We’re not going to hurt you. We’re giving you a choice. But if you don’t do what we say, things won’t end well for either of you. Do you want your mom to stay safe?”
Luis bit his lip, his eyes darting to the floor as if he was trying to make sense of everything. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his body trembling slightly.
Finally, he spoke, his voice barely a whisper. “What do I have to do?”
“You’re going to call your mom,” Harrison explained. “Tell her that you’re in danger. Tell her that we’ll hurt you if she doesn’t get you out. Make it sound real. Pretend to cry. We need her to believe it. She’ll come for you, I’m sure of it.”
Luis’s eyes filled with tears once again, but he wiped them away quickly, trying to stay strong. He didn’t want to show any weakness.
“Okay,” he said, his voice trembling. “I’ll do it.”
Adrianne’s POV
Adrianne sat in the cold, dimly lit room at the police station. Her hands were cuffed to the chair, and her mind raced. They had her, but they didn’t have anything else. She wouldn’t talk. She couldn’t. Not yet.
Her thoughts drifted to Luis, her son, and her heart clenched. She had been thinking about him every minute, every second. He was the only thing that kept her going. But she knew he was in danger. They had threatened him. And now… she didn’t know what to do.
Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. Her heart skipped a beat. She didn’t recognize the number, but a cold shiver ran down her spine as she picked up the phone.
“Hello?” she answered, her voice tight.
The voice on the other end was calm, but it carried a warning in it. “Adrianne,” Harrison’s voice came through, cold and sharp. “I have your son.”
Adrianne’s breath caught in her throat. “What do you want?” she demanded, trying to hide the panic in her voice.
“I want you to tell me where Ethan is,” Harrison replied, his tone still unyielding. “You’re not going to get away with this, Adrianne. If you don’t do what I ask, we’ll make sure Luis suffers.”
Adrianne’s mind raced, her thoughts spinning. They had Luis. She could hear him on the other side of the phone. He was scared. She could hear his shaky breaths.
“Luis,” she whispered, her heart breaking. “What are you doing to him?”
“We’re not going to harm him,” Harrison said, his voice low and menacing. “Not if you cooperate. But if you don’t, we’ll make sure he’s the one to pay.”
Adrianne could hear the sound of a child crying in the background. It was Luis. Her chest tightened, and she had to fight to keep her composure.
“Please,” she begged, her voice trembling. “Please don’t hurt him.”
“You need to make a choice, Adrianne,” Harrison said. “Tell me where Ethan is, and I’ll let him go. If not, Luis won’t make it out of here. Do you understand?”
Adrianne’s heart was racing. She had to do something. She couldn’t let them hurt her son. She couldn’t let him suffer. She had to protect him at all costs.
“I’ll tell you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Just don’t hurt him. I’ll tell you where Ethan is.”
Emma’s POV
I stood by Harrison, my eyes glued to him as he spoke to Adrianne. The tension in the room was thick. I could barely breathe as I waited for the moment when Adrianne would crack. I knew it had to come soon. She wouldn’t let her son suffer. Not like this.
I heard Harrison’s voice again, calm and confident as always. “I think she’s going to tell us, Emma.”
I nodded, but I didn’t feel relieved. I didn’t feel anything but dread. What would we learn? Would Adrianne finally tell us where Ethan was? Or was it all just a lie?
The silence in the room was unbearable, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.