Three days ago, my son was kidnapped. The kidnapper took the ransom money, then, right in front of me, pushed my 4-year-old boy off a high-rise building. Everyone says it was just bad luck, running into a desperate psycho like that. Nothing to do but accept it. I don't believe it. Because the figure I saw ducking into the stairwell that day… it looked way too familiar. The people who killed my son? I'll send them straight to hell myself. 1. Danny is dead. His small body hit the ground, shattering. Flesh and blood sprayed, blinding me. I collapsed, clutching his broken body, sobbing until I blacked out. … "Danny!" When I came to again, the sharp smell of antiseptic filled my nose. I opened my eyes. Mark was sitting by the bed. Mark, my husband. Well, ex-husband for the past six months. Eight years of marriage ended with him cheating and secretly moving assets. I never even got the chance to confront the other woman before he kicked me out. After the divorce, I fought for custody of Danny. We were starting over, just the two of us. And just when we were about to embrace a new life, fate played this cruel joke. My Danny was so little. He never got a chance to really experience the world before some heartless kidnapper brutally murdered him. A sharp pain shot through my heart. I doubled over, gasping for breath. "Sarah." Mark must have seen me move. He stood up. "Professor Miller? Sarah's awake. Should I get the doctor?" A familiar voice, timid but with a hint of panic. Only then did I notice another woman sitting beside Mark. It was one of Mark's students – Jenna. A final-year grad student. Honestly, I didn't remember many of Mark's students. But her… the fierce vibe from her sharp features and trendy clothes clashed so strangely with her soft voice. That made her memorable. Plus, she was the only student who ever offered to help out at my art studio during the summer break. I wasn't surprised she'd come to see me. What bothered me was Mark's attitude. When Danny was kidnapped, I called him over and over. He never picked up, knowing full well what was happening. As Danny’s own father, he seemed completely indifferent. "No doctor. Mark, I need to ask you something." Even though the room was spinning and my head was foggy, I instinctively struggled to sit up, grabbing the front of his shirt. My voice was a raw whisper. I forced him to look me in the eye. "Yesterday, when it happened to Danny… where were you?!" 2: The Alibi Mark froze for a second. "At the police station. Jenna was there too." My hand clutching his shirt trembled, then fell away. That wasn't the answer I expected. Mark pulled a piece of paper from his bag and handed it to me. I looked down. It was a police report confirmation slip. The date and time matched when Danny was killed. Mark's eyes reddened. "After Danny was taken, I told you we should call the police first, but you wouldn't listen. So Jenna and I went to file a report ourselves. The cops had just taken the details when I got the call… that Danny was… gone." "Danny was my son too, Sarah. I'm just as heartbroken as you are." "It's my fault. If I'd just been firmer, forced you to come with me to the station, maybe this wouldn't have happened." "If the police had been there… they wouldn't have dared throw Danny off the building…" As Mark spoke, Jenna started dabbing her eyes beside him. "Professor Miller, Sarah was just frantic. Don't blame her." I dropped my head, tears welling up. So it was all my fault. I killed my own child. But I didn't call the cops because the kidnapper on the phone knew everything about us, mine and Danny's details. He threatened to kill Danny immediately if I involved the police. I just couldn't risk my son's life, I… Noticing I was getting agitated, Jenna leaned in to comfort me. "Sarah, the doctor said you're still weak, you can't get too upset. Professor Miller will get to the bottom of Danny's case. Just try to calm down. I'll go get the nurse." As she spoke, leaning close, I caught a whiff of familiar perfume from near her ear. The exact same kind I bought for Mark before our divorce. Them… how long had this been going on? 3: The Kidnapping The nurse came in, setting up a new IV bag. A quick sting, then the cold fluid flowed down my arm, through my body. The pain in my heart eased slightly, and my mind started to clear. For years, I'd juggled work and raising Danny. To make things easier, I often took him to my studio downtown. Danny was a quiet kid, and I'd always told him to be careful. He never ran off, and he definitely wouldn't go with strangers. I forced myself to focus, trying to recall the details of the day he was taken. It happened on a Sunday. Our divorce agreement stated Danny spent Sundays with Mark. That morning, I dropped him off at Mark's place. When we got there, Danny found out Mark was taking him to the amusement park. He threw his arms around Mark, ecstatic. Seeing father and son so happy together, I figured everything was fine and left. I never imagined that would be the last time I saw Danny. The next day, around noon, Mark called. His voice was urgent. He told me something had happened to Danny. I assumed it was just a bump or scrape; I wasn't too alarmed at first. Until Mark added, his voice tight. "Sarah, try not to panic, but Danny… he might have been kidnapped." Kidnapped! My mind went blank. Horrifying images from news reports flooded my head. How could I not panic? My marriage failed. Danny was the only light in my life, and now someone had snatched him away. His life hung in the balance! Like a madwoman, I drove straight to Mark's place. I screamed at him. "Who took Danny? Why was he kidnapped? Why weren't you watching him?!" Mark held me down, trying to force me to calm down, while spitting out the chilling number. "For money, Sarah. The kidnapper called. They want $500,000." 4: The Ransom Demand $500,000. My legs gave out, and I crumpled to the floor. Where could I possibly get that much money on such short notice? We had to call the police. Yes, the police. I struggled back up, my hands trembling as I fumbled in my pocket for my phone. Just then, Mark's phone exploded with a ringtone. An unknown number. The kidnapper calling again. Mark reached for it, but I shoved him aside, grabbed the phone first, and hit answer. "Please, don't hurt my son…" "Let me hear his voice, let me know he's okay, please." I choked back sobs, begging. Silence for a few seconds. Then a man's voice, clearly disguised by an electronic voice changer. "Get the $500,000 ready. Tonight, before 8 PM. Drop it in the green dumpster at the west entrance of the Oakridge Apartments. Remember, no cops, or you'll never see your son again." As he finished speaking, Danny's heartbreaking cries came through the phone. "Mommy! Mommy, save me!" Hearing my son's screams felt like my heart was being ripped apart. Tears streamed down my face again. "Danny, don't be scared. Mommy will save you "Hello…? Hello?" Before I could finish, the kidnapper hung up.
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