Sweet Hatred-Chapter 467: Moving Mountains

KAEL

The mobile command center was chaos controlled by sheer force of will.

Mine.

Three vehicles parked in formation outside the hotel: a tactical van outfitted with communications equipment, surveillance monitors, and enough computing power to coordinate a small war. Two SUVs flanking it, engines running, ready to move the second we had a location.

I stood in the center of the van, surrounded by screens showing security footage, maps with search grids overlaid, and live feeds from helicopter units sweeping the city.

My phone hadn’t stopped ringing in three hours.

And I hadn’t stopped answering.

"Status," I barked at the tactical coordinator, a former Marine named Hayes who’d served two tours under my command.

"Checkpoints established at every major artery out of the city, sir. Highway patrol has units stationed every ten miles. Nothing matching our target vehicle has passed through."

"Expand the radius. Fifty miles out. And get me eyes on every secondary road, service route, and back alley between here and the state line."

"Yes, sir."

I turned to the next screen, where Detective Raines was coordinating with the police department’s search teams.

"Raines. Report."

His voice came through the comms, tinny but clear. "We’ve cleared forty-three abandoned buildings in the industrial district. K-9 units picked up a scent trail near the location where the sedan was found, but it goes cold two blocks east. She switched vehicles."

"I know she switched vehicles," I said, my voice harder than I intended. "Find out what she switched to. Pull traffic cam footage from every intersection within a five-mile radius. Cross-reference with stolen vehicle reports from the past twenty-four hours."

"Already in progress. We’re also checking rental agencies, "

"She won’t use a rental. Too easy to trace. Check private sales, Craigslist, cash transactions. She’s desperate but she’s not stupid."

"Understood."

I moved to the next station, where Steven Chen was coordinating with my network of private investigators and informants.

"Steven."

He looked up from his laptop, his expression grim. "I’ve got twelve investigators working the street. Checking Sarah’s known associates, old addresses, anyone she might have contacted for help. So far, nothing concrete."

"What about surveillance? Has she used her phone? Credit cards?"

"No activity. She ditched everything. The debit card she gave to the hired muscle was drained at an ATM six hours before the abduction... probably gave him cash as down payment. After that, nothing."

Smart.

Fuck, she was smart.

My hands clenched into fists.

"Keep looking. Someone saw something. Someone knows something. Find them."

"Yes, sir."

My phone rang again... General Morrison, my former commanding officer.

I answered immediately. "General."

"Kael. I heard what happened. I’m sorry."

"I don’t need sympathy. I need resources."

"You’ve got them. I’ve activated two reconnaissance units... drones with thermal imaging capabilities. They’ll be over the city in twenty minutes. I’m also putting you in touch with Captain Reeves. He’s coordinating satellite surveillance through military channels."

"Appreciated."

"Kael." His tone shifted, more personal. "You were one of the best officers I ever served with. If anyone can find her, It’s you. But you need to stay focused. Don’t let emotion cloud your judgment."

"Understood."

I ended the call and immediately dialed the next number.

FBI Director Sven.

"Mr. Roman," she answered professionally. "I’ve been briefed on the situation. We’re treating this as a federal kidnapping case given the interstate potential. I have agents en route to coordinate with local law enforcement."

"I need more than coordination. I need manpower. I need your cyber division tracking any digital footprint Sarah Brown might have left. I need your field agents canvassing every neighborhood, every business, every goddamn street corner."

"We’re already mobilizing, "

"Not fast enough." My voice was cold. Hard. The voice I’d used in combat when lives were on the line. "My fiancée is pregnant. She’s been missing for four hours. Every minute that passes increases the risk. So I need you to treat this like the crisis it is and throw every resource you have at finding her."

A pause.

Then: "Consider it done."

"Thank you."

Another call. Police Chief Rodriguez.

"Chief. I need an update on the hospital and transit monitoring."

"Every hospital in the tri-state area has been alerted. If Aria Thorne shows up, injured or otherwise, we’ll know immediately. Transit systems are under surveillance. Buses, trains, airports, all covered. TSA has her photo flagged. If she tries to leave the city by any conventional means, we’ll intercept."

"Good. What about unconventional means? Private airstrips? Boat launches?"

"Working on it. Harbor patrol is checking marinas. We’re contacting private aviation companies."

"Make it faster."

I ended the call.

Ash appeared at the door of the command van, her face pale but determined.

"Kael."

"Tell me you have something."

"I’ve been going through Sarah’s social media, old messages, everything I can access. She was careful, deleted most of her digital footprint, but I found references to a storage unit she rented three months ago. Industrial area, east side."

My pulse jumped. "Address."

She handed me a piece of paper with an address scrawled on it.

I turned to Hayes. "Get a tactical team to this location. Now."

"On it."

Ash lingered. "How’s Olivia?"

"Panicking. She’s at home with the kids. I told her we’d find Aria, but..." Her voice cracked slightly. "Kael, she’s terrified. And so am I."

"We will find her," I said, my voice brooking no doubt. "I don’t care what it takes. I will find her and bring her home."

Ash nodded, blinking back tears. "I know you will."

She left, and I turned back to the monitors.

Sylas entered next, his expression tense.

"I’ve been checking security footage from businesses near the hotel. Got something interesting, a woman matching Sarah’s description was spotted at a convenience store six blocks from here about an hour before the abduction. Bought supplies. Paid cash."

"Did you get a vehicle?"

"Working on it. The store’s exterior cameras are shit quality, but I’ve got people enhancing the footage."

"Keep me updated."

He hesitated. "Kael... I know this isn’t the time, but I need you to know, I’ll do whatever it takes to help find her. Aria’s... she matters to me. A lot."

I looked at him, this man who’d loved her, who’d let her go, who was still here fighting for her.

"I know," I said. "And I appreciate it."

He nodded and left.

Hours blurred together.

Calls. Orders. Reports.

The gray Honda Civic had been found in an industrial lot, the driver dead, single gunshot wound to the head. Sarah had executed him to tie up loose ends.

Witnesses near the scene reported seeing a woman matching Sarah’s description getting into a different vehicle, a dark SUV, possibly a Ford Explorer. Partial plate: H7K.

We ran every combination.

Hundreds of matches.

Teams dispatched to check each one.

Dead ends. False leads. Frustration mounting.

The storage unit Ash found was empty. Cleared out weeks ago.

Another dead end.

But I didn’t stop.

Couldn’t stop.

My phone rang again, Captain Reeves from satellite surveillance.

"Mr. Roman, we’ve been running thermal imaging over the city. Flagged several locations with unusual heat signatures, possible safe houses."

"Send me the coordinates."

"Already done. But be aware, there are dozens. It’ll take time to clear them all."

"Then we start now."

I pulled up the map on the main screen, marking each location.

Sent tactical teams to the closest ones.

Waited.

Reports came back one by one.

Empty warehouse.

Condemned apartment building, homeless squatters, no sign of Sarah or Aria.

Another warehouse, drug operation, but unrelated.

More dead ends.

My vision was blurring from lack of sleep.

My hands shook from adrenaline that had nowhere to go.

Every minute that passed was another minute Aria was with Sarah.

Another minute she was scared.

Another minute the baby was at risk.

I couldn’t think about that.

If I let myself think about what Sarah might do, what she might have already done, I’d lose my fucking mind.

So I focused on the work.

On the next call. The next lead. The next order.

Hayes appeared beside me. "Sir, you need to rest. You’ve been going for six hours straight, "

"I’ll rest when she’s safe."

"You’re no good to her if you collapse."

I turned on him, and whatever he saw in my face made him step back.

"My fiancée is missing. Pregnant with my child. In the hands of a psychotic woman who’s already tried to kill her once. So no, Hayes, I’m not going to rest. I’m going to find her. And if that means I don’t sleep for the next week, then I don’t fucking sleep. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

He retreated.

I turned back to the screens.

Somewhere out there, Aria was waiting for me.

Counting on me.

Terrified and alone.

And I was going to find her.

I’d move heaven and earth.

I’d burn this entire city to the ground if I had to.

But I would find her.

Another call, this one from an FBI agent in the field.

"Mr. Roman, we may have something. A witness reported seeing a woman matching Sarah Brown’s description at a pharmacy two hours ago. Security footage confirms. She was disguised but facial recognition got a hit."

"Location?"

"North side. Industrial district."

"Send me everything."

The data came through, photos, timestamps, direction of travel after leaving the pharmacy.

I traced her route on the map.

She was heading northeast.

Toward the old factory district, dozens of abandoned buildings, perfect for hiding.

"Hayes. Redirect all search teams to this sector. I want every building in a five-mile radius searched. Now."

"Yes, sir."

I stared at the map, my mind racing.

We were close.

I could feel it.

Somewhere in that maze of abandoned buildings, Sarah was hiding.

With Aria.

"I’m coming," I whispered to the screen, to the city, to her. "Hold on, baby. I’m coming."