AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What? Why didn’t he move it?”
“That’s just it, Patrick. I don’t think he could.” Sabrina’s voice cracked. “I think someone grabbed him as he was leaving the shop.”
Silence stretched across the room. When Patrick spoke again, his voice was low and dangerous. “Tell me everything you know.”
Sabrina recounted her investigation, from checking Freddy’s accounts to calling the cheese shop and property manager. As she laid out the evidence, the horrible reality solidified in her mind.
“Patrick, someone has Freddy. And I’m betting it has something to do with that meeting at Dynamic Solutions.”
“Sonofabitch!” The phone clipped to Holly’s waist rang, interrupting them.
“Taylor Industries, this is Holly,” she answered without leaving the room. “Patrick, you need to take this.” She handed him the phone and ushered Sabrina out of the office.
Back in the living room, she stared at Holly in disbelief. How could anything be more important than finding Freddy? Holly ignored her and disappeared into her own office.
Sabrina understood they both had work to do, and Freddy was an adult, but why wasn’t everyone panicking the way they should?
She paced the living room before grabbing her laptop to see if she could come up with any other bright ideas to help find…her brain replaced her usual thought of ‘best friend’ with ‘the man she loved’ and her entire body shuddered. Was that right? Did she love Freddy? Not as a friend, but in a romantic way?
A soft ping from her laptop caught her attention, pulling her back from her thoughts. Sabrina flipped through the windows she had open to find the one that had alerted her with a notification.
Her eyes widened as she saw the private message from her favorite online forum. She clicked it open, her breath catching in her throat as she read the words:
TruthYeller:I hear you’ve lost something. Or should I say someone?
Sabrina’s blood ran cold. She reread the message, her mind racing. How could anyone on the forum know about Freddy? She’d been careful never to mention her connection to Taylor Industries or any specifics about her life.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she debated how to respond. Should she play dumb? Demand answers? Her instincts screamed that this was connected to Freddy’s disappearance, but fear kept her frozen in place.
Sabrina’s heart pounded as she stared at the message on her screen. Her fingers trembled over the keyboard, torn between the urge to demand answers and the fear of revealing too much.
TruthYeller had always seemed to know more than he should. His comments about China’s technological progress had raised red flags before, but now they took on a sinister new meaning. Could China be behind Freddy’s disappearance? The pieces started to fall into place in Sabrina’s mind–Renner’s odd behavior, the leaked documents, and now this cryptic message.
Sabrina took a deep breath, steadying her nerves before typing a response.
Sabrina:What do you know?
The reply came almost instantly.
TruthYeller:More than you’d like. Less than I need. Let’s help each other.
Sabrina’s brow furrowed. She weighed her options carefully, aware that every word could have consequences.
Sabrina:I’m listening.
TruthYeller:Your friend’s absence has caused quite a stir. Certain parties are very interested in what he knows.
Sabrina’s suspicions crystallized. This wasn’t just about industrial espionage or corporate rivalry. If China was involved, the stakes were far higher than she’d imagined.
Sabrina:And what do these ‘parties’ want?
TruthYeller:The same thing everyone wants. Power. Control. The future.
Sabrina’s mind raced. She thought of Freddy, alone and scared, possibly being interrogated about technology he didn’t fully understand. She thought of the potential consequences if TI’s advancements fell into the wrong hands.
She wanted to bargain away everything she had to offer with the hopes of getting Freddy back, but the risk was too great. If she handed over whatever these people wanted, why would they keep Freddy alive?
Sabrina:Where is he?
