The trap

The trap

The hospital room fell into silence.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Adrian stared at the photograph in his hand.
Richard's smiling face.
The terrified young woman tied to a chair.
And those seven words written beneath it.
Round two begins. Come find me.
His jaw tightened.
Ethan carefully took the phone back.
"We're trying to trace where the package came from."
"How long?"
"Not long."
Adrian's eyes never left the photograph.
Every instinct in his body screamed the same thing.
It was a trap.
But that didn't matter.
Because Richard knew exactly what kind of man Adrian was.
If someone innocent was involved, Adrian would come.
Every time.
Cathy shifted slightly on the hospital bed.
The movement made her wince.
"You can't go alone."
Adrian looked at her.
"You should be resting."
"And you should be listening."
Despite her pale face and bandaged shoulder, her stubbornness remained intact.
A small smile almost appeared on Ethan's face.
Almost.
Adrian shook his head.
"You're staying here."
Cathy opened her mouth to argue.
But another voice interrupted.
"She's right."
Everyone turned.
Adrian's mother stood near the doorway.
Her expression was calm.
But there was concern in her eyes.
"Richard wants you angry."
Adrian remained silent.
"He always did."
She slowly approached and looked at the photograph.
The moment her eyes landed on it, she froze.
Something changed.
Ethan noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
She took the phone from his hand.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
Then she zoomed in on the background.
Behind the kidnapped woman sat a dusty wall.
Barely visible in the corner was a faded symbol.
A black bird.
Its wings spread wide.
His mother's face turned pale.
"Oh no."
Adrian stepped forward.
"What?"
She looked up slowly.
"I know that place."
The room instantly became tense.
"You do?"
She nodded.
"Richard used to visit it years ago."
Ethan frowned.
"What place?"
His mother's eyes darkened.
"A warehouse near the old harbor."
Adrian's heartbeat quickened.
"The same place where he held meetings when he didn't want anyone finding him."
Ethan immediately pulled out his phone.
"We'll verify it."
His fingers moved rapidly across the screen.
Within seconds, he was making calls.
Meanwhile Adrian couldn't stop staring at the photograph.
The warehouse.
A location.
A lead.
Finally.
After several minutes, Ethan lowered the phone.
His expression looked grim.
"She's right."
The room became silent again.
"We found signs of activity there earlier this evening."
Adrian was already reaching for his jacket.
Ethan sighed.
"I knew you'd do that."
"Stay with Cathy."
"Adrian—"
"I'm going."
His voice left no room for argument.
Cathy sat up slightly.
Immediately regretting it as pain shot through her shoulder.
"You don't even know how many men Richard has there."
"I don't care."
"You should."
His eyes softened briefly as he looked at her.
But only briefly.
Because the darkness returned almost immediately.
Richard had crossed a line.
Again.
And Adrian was running out of reasons not to end this permanently.
Half an hour later—
The city lights blurred past the car windows.
Rain had started falling.
Heavy drops struck the windshield relentlessly.
Ethan drove.
Adrian sat beside him.
Silent.
Focused.
Dangerous.
Neither man spoke much.
There was nothing left to say.
The warehouse appeared just after midnight.
It stood alone near the harbor.
Abandoned.
Decaying.
Forgotten.
At least that's how it appeared from the outside.
But Adrian knew better.
Richard never chose locations randomly.
Every choice meant something.
The car stopped.
The engine died.
Silence followed.
Adrian stepped out first.
The cold wind hit his face immediately.
Rain soaked through his shirt within seconds.
Ethan joined him.
"You still think she's alive?"
Adrian didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"She has to be."
Together they approached the warehouse.
The giant metal doors stood partially open.
Just enough for someone to enter.
Ethan's grip tightened around his weapon.
"That's not suspicious at all."
Adrian pushed the door slowly.
A loud creak echoed through the darkness.
Inside was almost completely black.
Only a few weak lights flickered overhead.
The massive space felt empty.
Too empty.
Their footsteps echoed across the concrete floor.
Water dripped somewhere in the distance.
Neither man lowered their guard.
Then suddenly—
A voice echoed through the warehouse.
A familiar voice.
"You're late."
Adrian froze.
His entire body went rigid.
Because he recognized that voice instantly.
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Ethan's eyes widened too.
"No way..."
The lights flickered.
Then one by one—
Rows of overhead lamps illuminated the warehouse.
The darkness disappeared.
And Adrian finally saw who was standing there.
His heart nearly stopped.
A woman stood near the center of the room.
Her hands weren't tied.
She wasn't injured.
She wasn't crying.
She was smiling.
Slowly.
Calmly.
As if she'd been waiting for him.
Adrian stared.
Unable to believe what he was seeing.
"That's impossible."
The woman tilted her head slightly.
A familiar gesture.
One he remembered from years ago.
Years before Richard.
Years before everything fell apart.
Then she smiled wider.
"Hello, Adrian."
The gun in his hand lowered slightly.
Not because he wanted to.
Because shock forced it.
Because the woman standing before him—
The woman he had buried in his memories long ago—
Was the very last person he ever expected to see again.
And judging from the smile on her face...
She knew exactly how much trouble she had just caused.