He didn't defend himself.
I know.
Sarah's eyes filled.
No, you don't know. You don't know what it feels like to be responsible for everything. Every meal, every doctor's appointment, every night he wakes up frightened. You don't know what it's like to promise a child that everything will be all right when you can't control any of it.
Frank stood still.
You're right.
She pressed her hands against her face.
I can't lose him.
You won't face this alone.
Sarah looked at him with desperation.
Don't give me promises you can't keep.
Frank nodded.
I won't promise you that nothing bad will happen. I'll promise you that we'll do everything we can to bring him home.
The police had already begun collecting evidence.
A teacher had seen a man approaching Noah near the side entrance. He claimed Sarah had called and asked him to pick up the boy because she had been taken ill.
The teacher had questioned him, but he had shown a message on his phone that appeared to come from Sarah's number.
Noah had hesitated.
The man told him that his mother was waiting at the hospital.
Believing something might be wrong, Noah had gone with him.
Only after the man left did the teacher realize that Sarah had not authorized the pickup.
The police were reviewing the school's security cameras.
Frank asked to see the footage.
The officer in charge, Sergeant Miller, initially refused.
We need to preserve the evidence, he said.
I understand.
Then let us do our jobs.
Frank took a breath.
I'm not asking to interfere. I'm asking whether the footage shows the vehicle.
Sergeant Miller studied him.
Why?
Because the man who took Noah has been following us. He may be connected to a threat we received this morning.
Frank explained the events at the storage facility.
The sergeant's expression hardened.
You should have told us about that sooner.
We did. An officer took our statements.
Then we'll make sure the reports are connected.
He turned toward a technician.
Get the camera footage from the side entrance and the road outside.
Within twenty minutes, they had a partial image of the vehicle.
A dark gray van.
The license plate was obscured by a frame, but the first three characters were visible.
The police circulated the description.
Sarah sat in the school office, staring at the floor.
Frank approached her carefully.
Sarah, I need to ask you something.
She looked up.
What?
Did Daniel ever mention Victor Hale?
Her expression changed.
Why?
We believe Hale may be connected to the threats.
Sarah pressed her fingers together.
Daniel worked for him. After the accident, he told me Hale had offered him extra work. I thought it was a good thing. We needed money.
What kind of work?
Repairing vehicles. Collecting parts. Sometimes transporting motorcycles between shops.
Frank exchanged a glance with Marcus.
Did Daniel ever say anything about stolen vehicles?
Sarah shook her head.
No. But he became frightened. He started checking the locks before bed. He told me not to answer the door if someone came asking for him.
She swallowed.
One night, I woke up and found him sitting in the living room with a baseball bat across his knees.
Frank felt a chill.
Why didn't you tell the police?
He said he had no proof. He said if he went to them, the people involved would know exactly where we lived.
Sarah looked at him.
I thought he was losing his mind.
Frank had no answer.
A police officer entered the office.
We've identified a possible vehicle. The van was registered to a company owned by Victor Hale.
Sarah stood so quickly that her chair tipped backward.
Then he has my son?
We don't know that yet, Sergeant Miller said. "But we're treating this as an abduction. We're coordinating with neighboring departments and reviewing traffic cameras."
Sarah began to cry.
Frank moved closer, but he did not touch her without permission.
She looked at him.
Why would he take Noah?
Frank's voice was quiet.
Because he thinks we know something.
What could we possibly know?
Frank remembered the photograph, the receipt, the old documents, and the letter Daniel had left behind.
We don't know yet.
Sarah shook her head.
I don't understand.
Neither do I.
The police expanded the search.
They checked hospitals, abandoned properties, roadside businesses, and known addresses associated with Hale. Officers contacted the vehicle-recovery company and began examining its records.
Frank and the Iron Wolves remained at the school, waiting for instructions.
They did not organize an armed search or attempt to confront suspects themselves. Instead, they provided information, offered witnesses, and used their network of riders to help identify the van's movements without interfering with police operations.
Marcus contacted members who worked in transportation and roadside assistance.
Hector called a friend who managed a regional fuel station.
Raymond gathered the details and passed them to the investigators.
Every lead was sent to the police.
At seven-thirty that evening, Sarah received a call.
She answered with trembling fingers.
Hello?
A man's voice spoke.
Sarah.
She recognized it immediately.
Victor Hale.
Where is my son? she demanded.
Safe.
Put him on the phone.
That isn't possible.
Then tell me where he is!
Hale sighed as though she were inconveniencing him.
You should have left the past alone.
Sarah felt cold spread through her body.
What do you want?
The documents Daniel took.
I don't have them.
I think you know more than you're admitting.
I don't!
Then ask your friends at the motorcycle club. They seem very interested in your family.
Sarah gripped the phone.
If you hurt Noah—
I don't want to hurt him. I want what belongs to me.
You have no right to take a child!
Then help me resolve this.
The call ended.
Sarah stared at the phone.
Frank stood beside her.
Was that Hale?
She nodded.
What did he say?
She repeated the conversation.
The police traced the call to a prepaid phone, but the location was too broad to identify a precise address.
Sergeant Miller listened carefully.
He wants documents, he said. "That suggests Noah is being used as leverage."
Sarah's knees weakened.
What documents?
Frank looked at her.
I think Daniel left something behind.