Chapter 21 - A Final Chilling Phone Call From The Shadows
Spring finally arrived in Maryland, melting the last remnants of snow from the rolling hills around the Thorne estate.
Audrey sat on the sunlit veranda, watching Eli chase butterflies across the vibrant green lawn with genuine childish joy.
Her private burner phone buzzed against the glass table, flashing an unknown encrypted caller ID from a federal facility.
She pressed accept, holding the receiver to her ear while her heart skipped a brief, cautious beat.
“He’s gone,” a raspy, unfamiliar voice whispered from the other end of the encrypted line.
“Who’s gone?” Audrey asked sharply, standing up from her chair to look toward the perimeter gates.
“Lucas... he didn't make it to the penitentiary transport transfer this morning,” the voice replied with chilling calm.
May you like
Audrey dropped her phone onto the stone patio as a single black car materialized slowly down the winding country road.
---
