Choosing Love Over Kinship

Even though the abductors had warned me not to call the police, I thought it over and decided to report it anyway. I decided to leave the task to the professionals.

After making the report, I headed to the police station with long, determined strides.

Before I got there, my phone rang with an incoming call. I frowned at the familiar name on the screen before picking up.

"Ugh," came the exasperated voice of Jimmy Fletcher, Shane's cousin. As usual, his tone was full of impatience. "I see you're having fun making false police reports. What did Shane ever do to you? Why are you so pathetic?"

Shane's family had always looked down on me. The only ones who treated me kindly were his parents, and that was why I had to save them.

Keeping my voice even, I asked, "Jimmy, did Shane tell you I made a false police report?"

The silence on the other end was answer enough. I let out a cold chuckle.

"Jimmy, as a police officer, you're mocking me instead of responding to my plea for help. If you don't dispatch help, I'll lodge a complaint against you."

Jimmy didn't even bother to act professionally. His voice roared through the phone. "Marrying Shane doesn't make you better than anyone else! You're nothing but a small-town loser. You're like a curse to our family! If I were you, I’d have offed myself!

"If Hailey hadn't gone abroad, do you think Shane would've ever married you? Don't kid yourself, you pathetic woman. You don't even deserve to be Hailey's replacement!"

I ended the call expressionlessly and filed another police report, this time making sure to include a formal complaint against Jimmy.

…

At the police station, I explained the whole situation to the officers. I told them how Shane's parents had been abducted and provided them with the recording of the abductor's call as well as the phone number they had used.

The tech team quickly got to work, but they soon hit a wall.

The recording revealed the abductor had used a voice modulator, and the phone number was unregistered. They couldn't call back, nor could they track its location.

"I have ten million dollars in my account. That should help us get started," I said as I reached for my credit card.

However, my face darkened instantly. My credit card had been cut in half, and the funds had been frozen by Shane.

Taking a deep breath, I called my secretary at the company.

"How much cash can we liquidate and transfer within ten minutes?" I asked.

"15 million dollars," she replied.

"Good. Transfer it to me immediately."

Since tracking the abductors wasn't an option, the only choice was to meet their demands. 20 million dollars was no small sum, but it was a price worth paying if it meant saving Shane's parents.

Still five million dollars short, I quickly reviewed my options and dialed Craig Fletcher, Shane's uncle.

"Uncle Craig, Shane's parents have been abducted. We're still five million dollars short of the ransom. Could you lend it to me? I'll repay you as soon as they're safe."

Craig gasped in shock. "Has my sister been abducted? Does Shane know about this?"

I sighed and replied calmly, "I told him, but he doesn't believe me. He's at the hospital with Hailey right now. You're the only one who can help me."

"Stay right where you are. I'll transfer the money right away!"

As soon as Craig hung up, the abductors called again.

"Time's up. Where's the money?"

My heart sank, but I kept my tone as even as possible. "It's almost ready. Please just give me a little more time. You'll get every penny you asked for."

The abductor's voice grew impatient. "Come over with the 20 million dollars now. Not a cent less, or I'll kill them!"

Fighting to keep my emotions in check, I said, "Just 30 more minutes! If my in-laws are still alive, I promise you'll get the full amount!"

No sooner had I finished speaking than I heard Shane's parents wailing hysterically in the background.

The abductor's voice turned icy and venomous. "If the money doesn't arrive within 30 minutes, you'll be collecting their bodies!"