Chapter 171 CHAPTER 171:THE FIFTH DAY
Four days.
Four long, suffocating days since Elara had been taken from the airport.
The city had not slept since.
News stations ran the story constantly. Helicopters hovered above highways. Police checkpoints had multiplied across major roads. Wayne’s private security network had become an extension of the investigation.
Yet despite everything…
Calvin had stayed hidden.
But that was about to change.
Inside the isolated house where Elara was being kept, Calvin moved quickly through the living room.
Papers were spread across the table.
Shipping routes.
Port schedules.
Fake identification documents.
Plane tickets.
A small map of the coastline.
His finger traced a line across the page.
“Tonight,” he murmured to himself.
The plan had been forming in his mind since the moment he took Elara.
The longer he stayed in one place, the more dangerous it became.
Wayne was relentless.
Calvin knew his brother well enough to understand that he would never stop searching.
So Calvin had decided on the only solution that guaranteed distance.
Leaving the country.
Through the port.
Ships were quieter than airports.
Less attention.
Less digital tracking.
By dawn tomorrow, they would be far out on the ocean.
Beyond Wayne’s reach.
Calvin leaned back in the chair and allowed himself a small smile.
“You’re not taking her back this time, Wayne.”
Upstairs, Elara sat near the small window of the room.
The curtains were slightly open today, allowing a thin line of sunlight to cut across the floor.
Four days.
Her body felt heavier now.
Her back ached constantly.
Walking had become slower.
The baby shifted again inside her, pressing against her ribs.
She placed a hand over her stomach.
“I know,” she whispered gently. “We’re tired.”
But she couldn’t give up.
Not now.
Not when Wayne was surely still searching.
She closed her eyes briefly and imagined his face.
His voice.
The way he would rest his hand over her belly and whisper to their child.
Hold on.
That was all she had to do.
Just hold on.
The door opened suddenly.
Elara turned as Calvin entered the room.
Something about his energy was different today.
Faster.
More alert.
He was carrying a small bag.
“We’re leaving soon,” he said calmly.
Her stomach dropped.
“Leaving?”
“Yes.”
“To where?”
“You’ll see.”
Her pulse quickened.
“Calvin… you can’t move me.”
“I can.”
“I’m pregnant,” she said carefully.
“I’m aware.”
His gaze dropped to her stomach again.
“Then you should walk slowly,” he replied flatly.
Fear crept up her spine.
“You’re making a mistake.”
Calvin sighed.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s true.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“The mistake was staying here too long.”
Her heart pounded.
“You think Wayne will stop looking if you leave?”
Calvin smiled faintly.
“No.”
“But he won’t find us.”
Elara stared at him.
“You underestimate him.”
“And you overestimate him.”
Miles away, inside Wayne’s temporary command center, the atmosphere was tense.
Phones rang constantly.
Investigators rushed between desks.
And Wayne stood over a table covered in maps and reports.
Daniel hurried into the room.
“Wayne.”
Wayne looked up immediately.
“What is it?”
“We got something.”
Wayne’s eyes sharpened.
“Where?”
Daniel placed a file on the table.
“That napkin Elara left on the tray.”
Wayne leaned forward.
“You found it?”
“Yes.”
“It was discovered by a maintenance worker near a rural property outside the city. He turned it in after seeing the news coverage.”
Wayne’s pulse quickened.
“That’s where she is.”
“Most likely.”
Daniel pulled out a satellite image.
The photo showed an isolated house surrounded by thick trees and a long dirt road.
Wayne studied the image intensely.
“Calvin chose somewhere hidden.”
“Exactly.”
Police officers entered the room.
“We’ve confirmed suspicious activity at the location,” one of them said. “Vehicles coming and going. Limited visibility.”
Wayne’s chest tightened.
“She’s there.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
Wayne grabbed his jacket.
“Then we’re not wasting another second.”
Within minutes, police units were mobilized.
Unmarked cars.
Armed response teams.
Surveillance vans.
They gathered outside the city, preparing to move toward the isolated property.
Wayne stood beside the lead detective near the convoy of vehicles.
“Listen carefully,” the detective said.
“We move quietly. If Brooks’ brother sees us too early, he might run.”
Wayne’s jaw clenched.
“He’s not running.”
“We’ll surround the property first.”
Wayne nodded.
But inside his chest, his heart was racing.
Four days.
Four days of imagining the worst.
Now he was closer than ever.
“Elara,” he whispered under his breath.
Hold on.
Back at the house, Calvin packed the last few items into a small travel bag.
Documents.
Cash.
Passports.
Everything he needed for the escape.
He glanced at his watch.
“We leave in thirty minutes.”
He walked toward the staircase.
Upstairs, Elara was standing slowly beside the bed.
Her back ached.
Her stomach felt tight.
But she refused to show weakness in front of him.
Calvin entered the room.
“Time to go.”
She didn’t move.
“Where exactly are you taking me?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“You’re insane if you think this will work.”
Calvin’s eyes darkened slightly.
“Let’s not start this again.”
“You can still stop this.”
“No.”
Her voice softened slightly.
“Calvin… please.”
For a moment, something flickered in his expression.
But it disappeared quickly.
“Get your shoes.”
Outside the property, hidden between trees and parked along the dirt road, police vehicles arrived silently.
Engines turned off.
Radios whispered quietly.
The detective studied the house through binoculars.
“Movement inside.”
Wayne stood beside him, tension radiating from every muscle in his body.
“Is she there?” Wayne asked.
“We believe so.”
Wayne’s hands curled into fists.
“I’m going in.”
“Not yet,” the detective said firmly.
“We move together.”
Wayne barely heard him.
His eyes were locked on the house.
Inside that building…
Elara was waiting.
His wife.
The mother of his child.
Four days of fear and uncertainty were about to reach their breaking point.
Inside the house, Calvin grabbed the bag and turned toward Elara.
“Let’s go.”
She hesitated.
Her instincts screamed something was coming.
Something big.
Her heart beat faster.
Outside, officers quietly moved into position.
Weapons ready.
Eyes locked on the house.
The detective lifted his radio.
“All units ready.”
Wayne took a step forward.
His voice was low but filled with steel.
“Calvin…”
Four days of searching.
Four days of rage.
Four days of fear.
And now…
The hunt was finally over.
Or it was just about to begin.