Chapter 79
“Do you think it will send?” Cedrick asked anxiously. Dr. Sanders had returned and said that he left the cell phone on top of a high cabinet, which the doctor believed wouldn’t be noticed by anyone since the detective assured him it was on silent mode.
“I think so because the signal bar went up when I checked. I just panicked when I heard footsteps approaching. I can’t afford to be caught, especially if the message wasn’t sent successfully,” the doctor said, thinking it was better than getting caught.
Cedrick and Ember nodded, understanding Dr. Sanders’ predicament. He wasn’t used to such situations, so they could only rely on prayer for the success of their actions. As much as they wanted to do more, they couldn’t risk each other’s safety.
They were nervous as they waited, knowing it was still early. Cedrick pondered the possibilities his colleagues outside might have done and shared them with the two. “If Ronnie received my text last night, he likely informed Mr. Higginson and the others that we’re here, and they might be at the prosecutor’s office now, getting the warrant they need to search this entire place.”
“And at this hour, government offices are just opening, so we’ll have to wait a bit longer,” Dr. Sanders added. The detective nodded, and Ember breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to leave the place and was tired of pretending to be always asleep whenever someone was about to check on her. She thought it had been long since she was abducted and wanted to see her family, especially Emerald.
“By the way, I don’t know our exact location. I was on the 10th floor, then entered a room where I moved a cabinet that served as a door leading to the stairs.” Dr. Sanders and Ember exchanged looks; they, too, had no idea where in the Red House they were. “I went down here, and given the length of the stairs, I guess we’re on the 7th floor, if I’m not mistaken.”
“I hope your guess is correct.”
“I just noticed the stairs are slanted, so I can’t be sure. Because of the steep slant, we could be on the 9th or 8th floor. Anyway, the important thing is that there’s no other way in or out except those stairs, and we know that any enemy would appear through that door.”
The three remained silent, listening intently above. Cedrick periodically peered up the stairs to check for any signs of approach. He didn’t want them to get caught just when they were about to be rescued.
“You need to hide,” Dr. Sanders said, catching Cedrick’s attention. “The person bringing my breakfast is on their way.”
The detective understood and moved away from the stairs, returning to his hiding place. He trusted Dr. Sanders that no matter what happened, he would not let him get caught by anyone because he also mentioned that Emerson’s men had this routine. Not long after, the door opened just as Ember lay back down. The doctor still had some medicine to keep the woman asleep but didn’t use it, thinking they would be rescued shortly.
Ember prayed silently from her position, hoping they would indeed escape. She longed to see Emerald and Harry, the man she loved and her father, Mr. Ferguson.
Meanwhile, outside, Jace and Liam were growing impatient, waiting for the police to arrive with the warrant. They wanted to storm the Red House, but some of their fellow officers, who were also nearby, held them back.
A moment later, they saw a vehicle arrive and drive straight to the back of the Red House. From how some employees saluted as it passed, it seemed the passenger held some authority. Jace and Liam exchanged glances, wondering who could be inside the fancy car.
Just as the vehicle finally disappeared from their sight, Jace received a call from Ronnie. “Sir, the warrant has been approved. We’re heading back there now.”
“Okay, thank you very much,” replied Young Higginson. Ronnie said something else, which Jace just acknowledged. After ending the call, he turned to Liam and relayed everything the detective had said.
“I hope their leader is there too,” Liam said, sighing.
“I hope so,” Jace agreed, then looked back at the establishment and waited quietly.Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.
Liam also stayed silent, thinking that once all this chaos was over, he might be able to return to Italy. He knew and accepted that there was no chance of rekindling things with Emerald since Jace would never let them get separated. He felt thankful that the woman he loved would finally be happy, even if it wasn’t with him.
Meanwhile, Emerson had just entered Madam Z’s office and received the news that police had come to their club the previous night wanting to search it. “What? Why are you just telling me this now?” Mr. Morgan asked furiously.
“We knew they wouldn’t succeed in getting a warrant. We have some prosecutors on our side,” Madam Z replied confidently.
“You still shouldn’t have been so complacent. Where is Lucy?”
“She’s still in the secret room. Only a few of us know about it, so no one will find her there,” Emerson’s right-hand person answered. “By the way, boss, the doctor said she needs an EEG to determine if there’s brain activity in Ms. Lucy.”
“Really? That means there’s development, and Dr. Sanders wants to be sure,” Mr. Morgan responded with a smile. The two exchanged glances, realizing they couldn’t stop their boss when it came to women. “Anyway, it’s more important to ensure those police don’t return.”
“I have people checking outside, and they reported no suspicious activity,” Madam Z said, looking at Emerson.
“Who did you send to look?”
“The staff at the club. Of course, I couldn’t send our illegal personnel there because they’d be suspicious if they saw them.”
“How was the club last night? Anything unexpected happens?” Mr. Morgan asked again to confirm.
“Nothing, boss, except we made more money last night because of the older customers who engaged in threesomes and twosomes with our entertainers.”
“Good. It looks like our business is going to improve even more,” Emerson replied with a grin. “Prepare the ambulance; we’ll move Dr. Sanders and Lucy again. I feel they won’t stop and will keep coming back here. It’s better to ensure they don’t find those two here.”
“Yes, boss!” both his right-hand person and Madam Z replied.
At the ACEGame building, Emerald was restless, watching the computer monitor showing the establishment’s surroundings. They were waiting to report anything that happened to Jace as quickly as possible.
“Calm down, dear,” Mr. Landers said, holding his grandchild, Ace.
“How can I calm down when I know that the lives of my loved ones and friends might be in danger?”
“Hija, please, you have to calm down. Trust your husband and your friend,” Mr. Ferguson added, taking Ace from Mr. Landers and settling him on the couch.
“Mommy, are Dad and Uncle Liam going to be okay?” the child asked worriedly.
“Don’t worry, my son, your Daddy can handle it. I’m sure they’ll rescue your grandma,” Mr. Landers answered, still seeing his daughter’s concern. “And Emerald, once again, calm yourself.”
Young Morgan nodded and tried to follow her father’s advice. “M, come look at this.”
“What is it, Creep?” Emerald asked, redirecting her attention to the computer monitor.
“Here,” Elise pointed out. Mr. Landers approached, and they examined closely what the couple was pointing at. They noticed a red vehicle that had just arrived.
“Check the plate number,” Mr. Landers suggested, as they couldn’t see who was inside.
“On it,” Creep replied, quickly typing on his keyboard. Emerald was restless, eager to find out the owner, but it took a while to locate. After a few minutes, Emerald remembered to inform her husband and called him.
“Yes, dear wife?” Jace answered immediately.
“A luxurious car has arrived, but it went straight to a closed garage, and the owner hasn’t come out yet,” Young Morgan informed her husband.
“Alright, I’ll let the police know when they arrive.”
“Don’t they have the warrant yet? They might be hiding there. Please make sure they get there quickly. It’s behind the Red House, the red roll-up.”
“Don’t worry, dear wife. We’ll do everything to get your mom and Dr. Sanders.”
Over an hour later, Ronnie and the police arrived with the warrant. Jace immediately told the operation’s team leader what Emerald had reported, so the team quickly assigned people to check the place. The team then entered the Red House to find Madam Z and searched the entire establishment.
“What is this commotion all about?” the old woman demanded angrily.
“Madam Z, here’s the warrant to search the entire establishment,” the police officer said, showing the old woman the paper. Her face hardened, and she ground her teeth before looking at her right-hand man and nodding at him. The man quickly left, and the police, followed by Ronnie, Liam, and Jace, entered.
“Wait, you can’t just barge in. You might mess up my things, and I assure you, you’ll regret it. You don’t know who you’re dealing with!” the old woman threatened. But they ignored her and continued searching the entire Red House.
The police leader followed the man who had nodded to Madam Z, thinking he might be hiding or taking away their target.
Meanwhile, Jace called Emerald again to ensure they were watching and that Creep monitored the CCTV around the Red House to see if anyone was attempting to escape.