Chapter 27: To Track You Down Chapter 27: To Track You Down
šš£šš²š°ššš§š š§šš.šššŗ When Theo and Danielle stopped responding, Frank knew something was off.
He sat in the control room, watching the screens flicker as one of his men reported, "Their tracking signal is gone, sir."
Frank stood up so quickly that his chair fell behind him. "Gone? What do you mean gone?"
"It vanished ten minutes ago. No signal or GPS, nothing. Their car was last seen leaving the city road."
Frankās heart pounded in his chest. He looked at the map on the wall, blinking hard. "Get the team ready. Now."
Within minutes, three black vehicles left the base, speeding toward the last recorded location.
When they reached the crash site, the headlights showed the car turned on its side. The windshield was shattered, the driverās seat was empty, and blood covered the ground.
Frank climbed out of the car and approached slowly. "Driver?" he asked in a low voice, but he already knew the answer.
The man was lifeless beside the road, and there was bullet wound between his eyes.
Frankās jaw tightened. He turned to his men. "Spread out. Look for any sign of Theo or Danielle."
They moved through the trees, flashlights cutting through the mist. One of the men shouted after a few minutes, "Sir, I found something!"
Frank ran over. On the ground was a blood trail leading deeper into the forest. There were footprints like two large ones and smaller ones following closely.
Frank crouched, touching the dried mud. "They were running."
Another guard pointed ahead. "There are tire marks too. Big ones. This is not a civilian vehicle."
Frank looked closer, tracing the marks with his fingers. He didnāt need to think twice. He knew exactly which group used such vehicles. His voice grew louder. "They belong to him."
The men turned quiet. Everyone knew who "him" meant.
"Follow the trail," Frank ordered. "And be careful. Theyāre not amateurs."
They moved deeper into the forest. Frankās flashlight caught flashes of blood again on leaves, on tree trunks, on broken branches.
Then, under a tall oak tree, they found him.
"Theo!" Frank shouted and ran to him.
Theo was sitting against the trunk, his shirt soaked in blood. His face was pale, eyes half-open. A knife wound bled just below his ribs.
Frank knelt down, checking his pulse. "Theo, can you hear me?"
Theo opened his mouth slowly. "Frank..." His voice was cracked, almost gone.
"What happened? Whereās Danielle?"
Theo coughed, a drop of blood sliding from the corner of his lip. "He took her."
"Who?"
Theo looked up at him with blurry eyes. "Ethan..."
Frankās mouth froze for a second. "Ethan? Thatās impossible. Heās dead."
Theo gave a weak laugh. "You should know by now...he never dies when he should."
Frank tore his jacket and pressed it against Theoās wound. "Stay with me. Donāt talk. Save your strength."
Theo shook his head. "No. You have to go after her. Heāll hurt her, Frank. Heāll use her to get to me."
Frankās throat tightened. He glanced at his men. "Call for a medic, now!"
One of them ran back toward the vehicles.
Theo grabbed Frankās sleeve weakly. "Promise me youāll find her."
Frank met his eyes. There was no space for false comfort. "I promise."
Theoās head leaned back against the tree. His breathing was uneven, disappearing. "He said...he said sheāll find out who I am. That sheāll hate me for it."
Frank pressed harder on the wound. "Stop talking. Youāre losing too much blood."
Theoās eyes blinked. "You donāt understand. If Ethan tells her...sheāll never forgive me."
Frank didnāt answer. His focus stayed on keeping Theo alive.
After a few minutes, the medic arrived and began treating Theo. Frank stood up, wiping his hands on his coat. He turned toward the dark woods that stretched endlessly ahead.
Somewhere in there, Danielle was being taken away.
Frankās voice came out confidently but cold. "Leave two men with him. The rest, with me. Weāre going after her."
As he walked away, the ground crunched under his boots, and he looked back once at Theo, who was barely conscious.
"Hold on," he muttered quietly. "Weāll bring her back."
But deep inside, Frank already knew Ethan never took anyone just to let them go.
And the forest ahead felt like a trap waiting to close.
Frank wasnāt intimidated by Ethanās presence...their whole childhood was a rivalry made by their parents until Frank told them enough.
But what Frank was afraid of was Ethan telling the truth to Danielle. "He shouldāve stayed dead," Frank gritted his teeth.
If that silver-haired fox was going to open his mouth, Frankās whole mission wouldāve been wasted...especially, his efforts of getting rid of this Tyrant president.
No, unlike Theo, Frank didnāt care about Danielleās safety or well-being. He just couldnāt afford losing everything just because she would talk."
And she was so spoiled, arrogant and unstable-he never knew when sheād blow it off.
"I canāt afford this...heād kill me if I do..."
The forest was gloomy, like his father..."I was so close...so close...Iām going to kill Ethan and end his life forever..."
Frankās breath came out shaky as he pushed deeper into the forest.His flashlight caught blood again. It looked still fresh.
He followed it until he reached a path of crushed leaves, where boot prints were leading uphill.
He raised his hand for the men to stop. Somewhere ahead, he heard a small voice.
It was crying?
Frank walked faster and noticed a small cabin there, made of wood and stone, the windows looked dark except for one candle inside.
"Check the back," Frank whispered.
Two men went around the sides while he stepped to the door. He could still hear the crying.
He kicked the door open...hoping it would be her...But it wasnāt Danielle.
It was one of his own men, tied to a chair, mouth was bleeding, shaking. A note was stabbed into his chest with a knife. Frank ripped it off and read the words written in black ink.
"Too late. Sheās already gone."