Chapter 8 - The Hostage Feed
Dominic lunged forward, swiping the phone from the table before Maya could press the display. He tapped the receiver, activating the encrypted video signal while angling the screen away from the child.
The transmission was grainy, illuminated only by a harsh, swinging bulb. Elena was tied to a rusted iron chair in the center of what appeared to be an abandoned meatpacking facility. Her face was bruised, her breathing shallow, but her eyes held a spark of defiant fury.
Behind her stood a man in a pristine charcoal coat—Nikolai Morozov’s chief enforcer, a brutal ex-mercenary named Viktor.
""She’s resilient, Dominic,"" Viktor's voice came through the speaker, raspy and arrogant. ""She hasn't said a word about the drive. But pain has a way of loosening even the tightest tongues.""
Viktor stepped forward, wrapping his thick fingers into Elena's hair and wrenching her head back. She let out a sharp cry of agony, her teeth gritted against the torment.
""Stop,"" Dominic ordered, his tone devoid of rage, flat and deadly as winter ice. ""You touch her again, Viktor, and I will dismantle you joint by joint.""
""Big words from a man hiding in the woods,"" Viktor sneered. ""Nikolai moved the meeting. The rail yards were too predictable. Tomorrow morning at dawn. The Old Pier warehouse. Come alone, with the drive. If our perimeter guards spot so much as a shadow accompanying you, she dies instantly.""
Elena suddenly lifted her head, spitting blood onto Viktor's polished shoes. ""Don't come, Dominic! It’s a trap... the ledger... decode the ledger!""
Viktor slammed the butt of his pistol across her cheek, knocking her unconscious. The video feed severed instantly, leaving behind static.
Dominic stared at the darkened screen, his knuckles white around the phone's casing. Maya stood beside him, tugging softly at his jacket sleeve.
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""Is Mommy hurting?"" she asked, her lip trembling.
Dominic dropped to one knee, looking directly into her eyes. ""She is hurting right now, Maya. But I am going to bring her home. And no one will ever hurt her again.""
