The Kiss that Sparked it All

“Look, as of now, they haven’t called, haven’t mentioned a ransom, but we’re talking about a seriously vicious situation here. My wife was taken right off the street on her way home, and I’m sure every officer here can understand what might happen next. There’s only one thing I’m asking for, and that’s to get her back safe and sound, not a hair on her head harmed.”

Nolan was on the line with a top cop who initially didn’t seem too concerned, but that changed the moment he realized who Nolan was.

“Don’t worry, I promise we’ll get your wife back safe. We’ve already got our guys combing the area for clues.”

Nolan, growing impatient, cut him off, “Alright, just do what you’ve got to do. I just want her back, safe.”

After hanging up, Nolan knew better than to put all his eggs in one basket. He reached out to his contacts in the underworld.

“Check out what Domingo’s been up to lately.”

“Well, Mr. Harris, it’s been a while. What’s up? Got time to call little ol’ me?” This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

The guy on the other end tried to make small talk, but Nolan was short on time.

“Look, I’ll swing by your place once this is all over. But right now, finding my wife is what matters. You get that, right? And make it quick. I’m running out of time,” Nolan pressed, and the guy got serious.

“You got it, Mr. Harris. We’ll make sure to get your lady back safe and sound.”

With both the law and the underworld on the lookout, Nolan stared blankly at Regina’s car. All he could think of was that Regina must’ve crossed Domingo. Maybe she pissed off some other folks while working her cases, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Was it possible he hadn’t given Regina enough sense of security, so much so that she hadn’t fully trusted him up to this point?

Nolan was frustrated with himself. Why hadn’t he used this time to show her his true feelings?

Keeping her on edge, what good did that do, especially now that something had happened?

Francis stood by, hardly daring to breathe, until Nolan punched the car door, leaving a bloody imprint.

“Nolan, man, try not to panic. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think. It’s just a kidnapping, right? We’ll pay the ransom, and they’ll bring her back!”

Francis was actually trying to console Nolan, ironically.

Just a kidnapping?

“Are you really Regina’s dad? How can you say something like that? Just a kidnapping? Regina could be in mortal danger right now. They haven’t reached out to us yet. How can you be so sure it’s just a kidnapping? There’s an old saying-”

“What’s that?” Francis asked instinctively.

“A stepmom always leads to a stepdad.”

With those words, Nolan drove off. He had to follow up on this personally. Regina was in grave danger, and he would not sit idly by.