By 3:45 PM, Gabriel and I were already at the old train station, just like Vincent had instructed. The place was quiet, too quiet. The sun was beginning to go down, casting long shadows over the empty tracks. I stood close to Gabriel, holding my coat tighter as the wind picked up. My heart was racing. Every second that passed made me more anxious. What if they didn't show up? What if they hurt Bella?
Gabriel looked calm on the outside, but I could see the tension on his face and the way his hands stayed close to his waist, ready for anything. He was on edge, and so was I.
Then, right at 4 PM, they appeared.
A black van rolled up, followed by two more. The doors opened, and a group of men stepped out. They were all dressed in black, and every one of them was armed. One of the men held a microphone speaker, his voice echoing through the empty station.
"Where's the money we asked for?" he shouted.
Gabriel and I didn't say a word. We just lifted the heavy duffel bag, holding it up so they could see it clearly. It was packed with cash—ten million dollars, just like they demanded.
The men started walking toward us, guns in their hands, eyes locked on the bag. But they didn't get too close. They stayed a few feet away, careful not to enter striking range. It was clear they didn't trust us, and honestly, we didn't trust them either.
Gabriel took a step forward, his voice full of emotion. "Where's my daughter?"
There was a beat of silence. One of the men, probably the leader, answered, "Once we confirm the money is real, we'll tell you where she is."
Gabriel shook his head. "That's not the deal. I want to see her first!"
The man didn't budge. "No. Money first."
Tension filled the air. Gabriel looked over at me, then back at them. He wasn't going to back down. But before anyone could say another word, one of the men reached for the bag.
And that's when everything fell apart.
Suddenly, sirens wailed and gunshots rang out.
"Police! Drop your weapons!"
Detective Harper and her team came out of hiding, guns raised, surrounding the area. The men panicked. They turned and opened fire. The sound was deafening.
Bang! Bang!
Two of Vincent's men dropped to the ground instantly, shots to the head. Blood splattered across the concrete, and chaos broke loose. Gabriel grabbed me and pushed me down behind the car for cover. We hit the ground hard, our ears ringing from the blasts.
More shots flew past us. I could hear the officers shouting, people screaming, metal clashing against the pavement. My heart pounded so fast I thought it might explode. I covered my head and tried to stay low, praying that somehow, Bella was still alive.
Gabriel peeked over the car, fired a shot, then ducked again. "Stay down!" he yelled at me.
I nodded, too scared to speak. My whole body was shaking.
In the middle of the chaos, I saw the bag of money lying open on the ground, cash flying everywhere. The men had scattered. Some were trying to fight back, others running toward the van. Harper's team moved fast, surrounding them, taking some down and capturing the rest.
But Vincent wasn't there.
He had never planned to come himself.
And worst of all, we still didn't know where Bella was.
If this chapter had your heart racing, drop a power stone or show support and let's bring Bella home. 🙏💥🧍♀️