Ethan gently disengaged from Alexandria, letting her take comfort from Victoriaâs weak attempts at reassurance. His mind was already miles away, locked onto the safehouse coordinates.
"Listen to me, both of you," Ethan said, his voice cutting through their despair. "We are leaving immediately. You both need to take a quick shower and change your clothes. Now."
Alexandria shook her head. "I canât leave her! We need to call the police, we need a planâ"
"You will see Emily soon," Ethan stated firmly, using the promise as motivation. "It would be better if you look presentable for your daughter. Go. Five minutes."
The directive, combined with the focus on Emily, worked. Victoria, leaning heavily on Alexandria, moved toward the small, dingy bathroom.
They emerged five minutes later, still traumatized but clean. Alexandria had put on the cleanest clothes she had, and Victoria was swathed in the largest, cleanest towel they could find.
They climbed into Alexandriaâs Mercedes. Ethan got behind the wheel, putting the car into motion instantly. He drove out of the lot and accelerated rapidly toward the location Jason had pinpointedâthe heart of Celestial Gardenâs secured zone.
The secure phone rang immediately. It was Jason.
"Boss, the security ring is established, but the situation is escalating rapidly," Jason reported, his voice tight with alarm. "Falcon 12 just reported another van arriving. Wait, scratch thatâitâs not one van; itâs a small convoy of large SUVs with many people. They are entering the building right now."
"Who are they? Are they more security or enhanced prisoners?" Ethan asked, speeding through an intersection.
"No, sir. They donât look like guards or prisoners," Jason said. "They look like guestsâhigh-profile people, impeccably dressed. And they seem to be escorting an elderly, extremely powerful-looking man."
There was a sudden, horrified pause on Jasonâs end.
"Wait, wait... Oh, sh*t, Boss," Jason exclaimed. "More convoys just arrived. There are over twenty black SUVs and vans flooding the access roads. They just moved an entire army of high-level personnel into that compound. The situation just escalated to a whole new level. What do we do, Boss?"
Jasonâs panic was palpable even through the encrypted line.
Ethan felt a genuine spike of alarm. This wasnât a kidnapping; it was a summit. The stakes were astronomical.
Alexandria, watching his tense face and hearing the urgency in the muffled phone call, questioned him. "Ethan, what is it? What is happening?"
He briefly explained the new situation. "They brought everyone. High-level targets, security, money. Thereâs no way to take Emily by force now; there are simply too many of them."
Alexandriaâs face went ashen, and she nearly fainted. "The police! Call the police now! They canât fight the police!"
"The police wonât help us, Alexandria!" Ethan snapped, though quickly softening his tone. "They are the police. Or they control them. It has to be us."
Ethan focused back on the phone. "Jason, get Congressman Thompson on the line immediately. I need to know what the hell is happening inside that building."
Jason acknowledged the order and switched lines. Ethan waited, the silence punctuated only by the carâs engine and Victoriaâs shallow breathing.
Suddenly, Jason was back on the line, sounding surprised. "Boss, Thompson just picked up. And... wait a minute. A black limousine just pulled up to the compound entrance, and Thompson is getting out of it right now."
Jasonâs voice shifted to a sharp, official tone directed at Thompson: "Where are you going, Congressman? Whatâs with the suit?"
Thompsonâs voice, now faintly audible through the phone, was impatient. "Jason? Looks like you found out. Itâs not that I wanted to come, but things have changed. I was invited to an auctionâa high-level auctionâwhere things of the highest order will be discussed. Damn politics. Whatâs the problem?"
"Donât go in!" Jason urgently commanded. "Wait there! Tell them you forgot something and turn back immediately!"
Thompson scoffed. "Donât interrupt me, Jason. Iâm already late, and I have to get into this meeting no matter what, or Iâll lose the governorship!"
"Youâll lose more than that if you donât do exactly what I tell you!" Jason retorted, his desperation cutting through the phone.
Sensing the genuine urgency in Jasonâs voice, Thompson finally hesitated and obeyed. Jason heard Thompson bark an irritated command to his driver to reverse, pulling away from the entrance.
Jason immediately relayed the situation to Ethan. "Boss, heâs back out. He obeyed. Heâs furious, but heâs out."
Ethan slammed his hand on the steering wheel, a brilliant idea forming instantly. "Youâre a genius, Jason. Thatâs my way in."
Ethanâs voice was low, laced with absolute certainty. "I can go in with Thompson and not raise suspicion, but damn it, I donât have a suit." He looked down at his blood-stained shirt. "Give me a moment, Iâll get one. Tell Thompson to pick me up at the next intersection. Give him the coordinates now."
It was late. The city was winding down, and most high-end shops were closed. As Ethan sped toward the intersection, he spotted a luxury tailor shop with the lights just being switched off.
Ethan slammed on the brakes, jumped out of the car, and sprinted toward the door, yelling. "Open up! I need a suit now!"
The shop attendant, already locking the door, peered out with an annoyed expression. "No, sir! We are closed! Come back tomorrow!"
"Open, damn it!" Ethan demanded.
Then he remembered the briefcase. He ran back to the Mercedes, grabbed several thick bundles of cash, and ran back to the door. He shoved the money through the small gap, hitting the attendant in the face with the heavy wad of bills.
"Open up, damn it, and give me a goddamn suit!" Ethan roared.
The owner, insulted by the lack of respect, was about to yell back, but he saw the thick stacks of cashâmore than $10,000âand realized Ethan had more bundles clutched in his hand. This was not someone to trifle with.
The ownerâs demeanor instantly switched to that of humble subservience. He unlocked the door and guided Ethan inside as if he were a VIP.