drove deeper into the darkened woods, "for $250,000, I'd
ghter, my knuckles whi
"It's like a badly written thriller. You, the desperate ex-Marine with a heart o
face flashed in my mind. The
t a game,"
d. "Everything's a game, Leo.
e barely visible through the overgrown trees. It was
urmured as I roughl
and smelled of mi
o a rickety chai
ransom email to her
own cheap laptop, the s
clumsy. I have you're daughter. I want $250,000 f
e account details were for a savings account I'd barely managed
air. I hadn't even tied her up properly; the rope
e of Lily, small and frail in her hospit
ight have been amusement. "I'm worth at least a million. Probably five, if you fac
at her, d
Really? He'll think he's dealing with an illitera
ng away. I tensed, but she just wal
I could react, she nudged me
s the keyboard, deleti
And we need to make it sound like you're actually dangerous,
afted a message that was concise,
being is $5,000,000. Non-negotiable. Instructions for a secure, untraceable transfer will follow.
lion?" I
playing on her lips. "Go big or go h
e crypto wallet address I didn'
captive was now directing
ly noticing the sleek device peeking from her de
g it. "Of course. You did
. "Don't worry. I haven't called anyone. Yet. Thi
lly laid, desperate plan
I pictured Lily aga
of Lily' s doctor shaking his head, the experimental treat
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