Stepping out of the car, Victoria adjusted the strap of her leather satchel, which carried a tablet and a few key files. The early summer heat had yet to soak into the pavement. The air was crisp, with the faint scent of oil from the asphalt. She locked the car with a single press of the fob, the lights flashing briefly in response.
Her boots clicked against the pavement as she crossed the lot, the sound steady and deliberate. Despite the early hour, there was a hum of anticipation in her stride. As she approached the precinct entrance, she paused to scan her surroundings - a habit as ingrained as breathing. Everything appeared as it should be, but she didn’t trust the calm. Calm never lasted.
Pushing open the heavy glass door, she stepped into the building, her posture impeccable. The familiar scent of coffee and disinfectant greeted her as she strode past the front desk, nodding briefly at the officer stationed there. The building felt like an extension of herself - structured, dependable, and ready for whatever storm was coming next.
Officers had begun to gather around one of the bigger conference rooms, whispering to each other in low, terse voices.Victoria huffed in frustration. While Collins may have done her best to keep the kidnapping under wraps, the buzz of excitement was hard to contain. Word must have gotten out that something big was brewing. At the sound of her approach, a few of the officers took one look at Victoria’s face and quickly moved along. While Victoria wasn’t necessarily the most hated captain in the precinct, she’d certainly garnished a reputation for professionalism and a distaste for gossip.
As she made a beeline to her office on the second floor, she spotted Darcy standing at the foot of the open stairwell. Darcy’s face was grim, her posture tense as if she were poised to strike at a moment's notice. Victoria nodded toward her office as she strode past Darcy with a quick and determined climb up the stairs. Darcy followed Victoria closely up the steps and around the corner, their booted footsteps the percussion to the weighted silence between them. As soon as she was in the safety of her office, Victoria threw her bag on the desk and leaned against the side with her arms folded in front of her. Her sharp gaze settled on Darcy, noting the tension in her stance. Whatever awaited her in that folder was bad.
“What do we know?” Victoria asked, her voice crisp as reached forward with one hand. Darcy slapped the folder into her grasp and began to pace.
“Chloe Harper, 16 years old, daughter of Lily Harper - CEO of HarperTech.” Darcy turned to face Victoria once more as she continued. “She was taken last night from the HarperTech charity gala at the Phoenix Ridge Grand Hotel. Security footage shows a staged fire drill created chaos, and in the confusion, Chloe was lured outside. She never made it back inside.”
Victoria’s jaw tightened as she rounded the desk and sat back in her chair as she began rifling through the report and evidence in the folder. Her eyes darted from page to page, attempting to parse through the information as quickly as possible.
“Any leads?”
Darcy hesitated, “A black SUV with fake plates was seen leaving the area minutes later. Forensics is analyzing Chloe’s phone and shoe, which were found discarded near the hotel’s back exit. No ransom demand has been made public…”
At the pause, Victoria’s head popped up. Her brow quirked up in a questioning curve as she repeated, “Nopublicransom?”
Darcy sighed as she sat across from Victoria, wringing her hands as she replied. “Given HarperTech’s profile, this could be about more than just money.Wedon’t have a ransom note, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was one out there. Lily Harper seemed cagey. She’s definitely hiding something.”
Victoria nodded, absorbing the details. “All right. Keep this contained for now. I’ll brief the team in 20.”
At the dismissal in Victoria’s tone, Darcy shot up and made her way to the door. “Got it, Captain. The crew will be gathered and ready at oh-five-hundred.”
Twenty minutes later, Victoria stepped through the glass doors of the conference room where officers had already gathered. Conversations hushed as she approached the front, the digital board displaying Chloe’s image - blonde hair, bright smile, high school soccer uniform - alongside a timeline of events and a map marking key locations.
Victoria’s voice carried authority as she addressed the room. “Good morning, everyone. Today, we have a top priority kidnapping case. This is to be handled with absolute confidence. If I hear about one leak to the media, this whole room will be put on administrative leave until we find and fire the culprit. Understood?”
The eyes gazing towards Victoria all widened in unison as she spoke, and then the officers in unison retorted, “Yes, Captain.”
Not wanting to waste a minute, Victoria continued. “Chloe Harper was last seen leaving the gala at 8:42 p.m. Hotel securityfootage confirms she walked toward the parking area but never reached her car. A black SUV with fake plates was spotted leaving the vicinity shortly afterward. We have no official demands yet, but we are treating this as a targeted abduction.”
She let that sink in before continuing. “We are likely dealing with professionals here. We have no evidence pointing to it, but we strongly believe The Iron Fang Syndicate is involved, as there are no other organized professional syndicates in Phoenix Ridge capable of such a clean crime.”
A murmur rippled through the room.
Victoria’s gaze flicked to Darcy. “I want traffic cams reviewed for every black SUV matching that description within a ten-mile radius. These people are good, but they’re not ghosts.”
Darcy nodded, making a note.
Victoria turned to the gathered officers. “Get forensics on the gala staff. Someone helped the kidnappers get in. Background checks, employment records - if anyone was recently hired and then disappeared, I want to know.”
The door opened, and a figure stepped inside, drawing attention.
Detective Isabel Torres.
Victoria recognized her from the transfer paperwork. Isabel strode in with a flippant smile and ran her hand through the longer front of her dark brown hair, displaying the edging undercut underneath. Late, disheveled, wearing a leather jacket over a button-down shirt that probably used to be white but was closer to a cream, and all-black chucks, she didn’t exactly exude regulation professionalism.
“Torres, nice of you to join us,” Victoria said coolly. A few officers exchanged brief glances, their postures shifting as if they’d walked into the middle of something unspoken.
Isabel smirked, unfazed. “Car trouble. Didn’t expect Phoenix Ridge to be so damned humid.”
A few quiet chuckles rang through the room but were cut short when Victoria crossed her arms.
“Noted. Since you’re here, you’ll be working with me on this. Hope you’re ready to move fast.”
