Chapter 5 - The Warehouse
Riverstone Storage looked abandoned.
It wasn’t.
Marcus counted two vehicles outside.
Gideon had brought six security men.
He looked at me.
“You stay in the SUV.”
“Fine.”
“You’re lying.”
“Probably.”
“Hannah.”
“I’m staying.”
He held my gaze.
Then left.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
“Hannah?”
Noah.
My heart stopped.
“Noah?”
“I found a phone.”
His voice was tiny.
“Where are you?”
“Dark room.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Can you see anything?”
“A red door.”
“Anything else?”
“Machines.”
“What kind?”
“I don’t know.”
I looked at Riverstone.
Then remembered something.
The main warehouse had blue doors.
But the old pumping station behind it had one red maintenance entrance.
“Noah, listen carefully. Don’t hang up.”
I jumped from the SUV.
Marcus’s backup guard tried stopping me.
“Ma’am—”
“He’s not in the warehouse!”
I called Gideon.
He answered immediately.
“What happened?”
“Noah called me. He’s in the old pumping station behind Riverstone.”
Silence.
Then: “Stay in the car.”
“Absolutely.”
“Hannah!”
I ran.
The pumping station stood two hundred yards away.
Gideon and Marcus reached it before me.
A man came through the side entrance.
Thomas Reed.
He raised both hands.
“Don’t shoot.”
Gideon walked toward him.
“Where is my son?”
“Inside.”
“Ross?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you helping now?”
Thomas looked sick.
“Because this wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Gideon grabbed his jacket.
“You kidnapped my child.”
“I needed money.”
“You sold my son for money.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’ll have plenty of time to explain that to the police.”
Thomas blinked.
“The police?”
Gideon released him.
“My son is watching what I do now.”
That sentence changed something.
Marcus restrained Thomas.
Then Noah screamed from inside.
“Dad!”
Gideon ran.
The next minutes happened quickly.
No gunfight.
No dramatic battle.
Just terrified people making desperate choices.
Ross had Noah in a control room.
When Gideon entered, Ross threatened to take the boy with him.
Gideon didn’t move.
“You want me?”
“Yes.”
“Then let Noah walk to Hannah.”
Ross looked toward me.
“Why her?”
“Because she’s not part of this.”
I held out my hand.
“Noah.”
The boy stared at me.
“Come here.”
Ross hesitated.
Then shoved Noah forward.
Noah ran.
I caught him.
Gideon immediately said, “Take him outside.”
We left.
Seconds later, Marcus and his men entered.
Ross surrendered when he realized every exit was blocked.
Noah buried his face against me.
“Where’s Dad?”
“He’s coming.”
“Promise?”
Before I could answer, Gideon emerged.
Noah ran straight into his arms.
Gideon lifted him.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then Noah whispered, “Can we go home?”
Gideon closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Back at the mansion, police took statements.
Dominic was arrested for conspiracy and kidnapping-related charges.
Thomas cooperated.
Ross faced the most serious charges.
Nobody disappeared.
Nobody was secretly executed.
Gideon surprised everyone.
Especially me.
At sunrise, we stood on the mansion terrace.
“You called the police,” I said.
“Yes.”
“I thought Gideon Mercer didn’t trust police.”
“I’m reconsidering several things.”
“Because of Noah?”
He looked at me.
“Because Noah almost died because of the world I built.”
I didn’t know how to answer.
Then he said, “Stay.”
I blinked.
“What?”
“Not permanently.”
“That sounded dangerously close to an order.”
His mouth moved slightly.
“Breakfast.”
“That’s your invitation?”
“I’m out of practice.”
May you like
I smiled.
“I noticed.”
