Chapter 141
The car raced along the winding road, the scenery outside growing increasingly desolate. Soon, the rolling silhouette of Ridgeback Mountain appeared on the horizon.
Finally, half an hour later, they arrived at a curve halfway up Ridgeback Mountain.
By the time they got there, the area had already been cordoned off with police tape. Several patrol cars were parked nearby, officers conducting their investigation outside.
"Ms. Johnson."
Seeing Charlotte and her companion approach, Rhett—the Harris family's head of security overseeing the scene—immediately stepped forward and respectfully offered her a pair of white gloves.
Charlotte gave him a brief nod, accepted the gloves, slipped them on, then ducked under the police tape and walked to the edge of the cliff.
The guardrail had been completely smashed apart. Two deep black skid marks still scarred the pavement, snaking all the way to the cliff's edge.
Beside those marks were several dried droplets of dark red blood, startlingly vivid against the gray asphalt.
Charlotte's heart sank when she took it all in, but she quickly pulled her gaze away and peered over the edge.
About thirty feet down the slope, a black SUV lay upside down, its body severely mangled, surrounded by shattered glass.
Seeing it, Charlotte pressed her lips together, something shifting in her eyes.
"I'm going down there."
Without looking back at Alexander, she spoke and then carefully began sliding down the slope.
A few minutes later, Charlotte reached the wreck. The first thing she noticed was the deployed airbag, covered in large patches of blood—a horrifying sight.
In that instant, her heart clenched, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes.
But she forced herself to calm down and continued examining every corner of the vehicle's interior.
Everything was clean. No signs of a struggle.
The seats and steering wheel showed damage from the impact, but nothing else seemed off.
Charlotte narrowed her eyes, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"Something's not right."
Hearing this, Alexander immediately stepped closer. "What is it?"
"This seatbelt cut is way too clean—it was clearly sliced with a blade." Charlotte pointed at the severed strap. "That means after the crash, my mother either lost consciousness or was trapped and couldn't move. Someone cut the belt and pulled her out."
After listening, Alexander glanced at the cut edge, his brow furrowing.
"You're right."
"And I'm thinking—if their goal was kidnapping, why cause a crash? That could easily kill the target on the spot. The risk is way too high. It doesn't make sense."
Charlotte nodded, something dark flickering in her eyes.
"Unless the crash was just a cover. They had another plan all along."
She turned toward the dirt road leading down to the abandoned quarry at the base of the mountain.
"I'm guessing that truck from earlier was just a decoy. The real kidnapping happened before the crash even occurred."
"By the way, what about that black van we found earlier? Any leads on where it went?"
At that, Alexander shook his head and sighed.
"After it left this area, it entered a surveillance blind spot. We lost it completely."
"But don't worry—we're expanding the search radius. We'll find Ms. Langley as soon as possible."
After hearing Alexander's words, Charlotte pressed her lips together and fell silent for a moment.
"That's taking too long. It's too slow."
After all, time was the one thing they didn't have.
"Take me back to the office. Or just get me a top-tier computer setup."
"Also, make sure the network is absolutely secure. Otherwise, I might get detected before I even finish tracking them down."
Instantly, Alexander understood her intention.
He thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Let's go to my private estate. The security system and network equipment there are military-grade. It's safe."
"As for everything else…" Alexander glanced at Rhett. "You stay here and assist the police investigation. Report any leads immediately."
"Yes, Mr. Harris!"
Back in the car, Charlotte watched the curve disappear in the rearview mirror, her expression hardening with resolve.
She had a strong gut feeling—the hacker online and whoever kidnapped her mother were connected somehow.
If she could follow that trail, she'd be able to find whoever was hiding in the shadows.
"I don't care who you are. You touched my family, and I'll make you pay dearly for it."
"Even if I have to tear the entire internet apart, I'll find you."
The Rolls-Royce glided smoothly through traffic and eventually entered a hillside estate district.
This was Alexander's private domain. Everything within a three-mile radius fell under the Harris family's security perimeter. Outsiders couldn't get anywhere near it.
The car pulled into the underground garage. The moment it stopped, Charlotte pushed open the door and stepped out.
"Follow me."
Charlotte nodded and fell into step behind him.
Soon, she followed Alexander to the far end of the garage, stopping in front of a reinforced metal door.
Alexander placed his palm on a scanner beside the door. A small opening slid open, revealing a hidden camera that locked onto his face and began scanning his retina.
Once verified, a low mechanical hum filled the air as the heavy metal door slid open on both sides, revealing a brightly lit corridor beyond.
"Let's go."
After speaking, Alexander stepped forward into the corridor.
At the end of the hallway was an elevator. Its silver doors gleamed coldly under the stark white lights, adding an air of mystery to the space.
The elevator doors opened. The two stepped inside.
It descended silently, quickly reaching the third sublevel.
The moment the doors opened, Charlotte found herself facing an expansive space of over two thousand square feet.
The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of specialized electromagnetic-interference-resistant materials.
At the center sat a curved workstation outfitted with six ultra-high-definition oversized monitors. Beside it, several tower servers hummed quietly.
While Charlotte took in the space, Alexander began explaining.
"The network here runs on the Harris family's independent encrypted line. No one outside can trace it."