Patel exhaled sharply. We were prepping her for surgery, but when we hooked her up to the heart monitor, something activated. A slow, cold dread crept into Tim’s bones.
Activated? He repeated. Patel nodded. Something inside her started transmitting.
The world tilted. Tim grabbed Patel’s arm. You’re telling me she’s got a live device inside her? Patel’s face was grim.
We think it’s some kind of signal. Maybe a trigger. Tim didn’t hesitate.
He turned and barked to the nearest nurse. Get the hospital on lockdown. Now.
She froze. Wide-eyed. Lockdown? Now! She scrambled to the phone.
Tim turned back to Patel. You can’t operate yet. Not until we know exactly what we’re dealing with.
Patel’s jaw tightened. She doesn’t have much time. If we wait too long… We don’t have a choice.
Tim cut in. If that thing is transmitting a signal, someone is on the other end. And whoever it was, they were waiting.
Patel hesitated, then gave a short nod. I’ll keep her stable. But you need to hurry.
Tim didn’t waste another second. He bolted out of the ER, phone already in hand. He dialed a number he hadn’t called in years.
One that he had sworn he would never need again. After two rings, a voice answered. FBI Special Agent Rachel Monroe.
Rachel, Tim said, his voice urgent. I need you in San Jose right now. A brief pause.
What’s going on? Tim inhaled sharply. A six-year-old girl just came into my custody. She was kidnapped, stitched up like a goddamn science experiment.
And there’s something mechanical inside her that just started transmitting. Silence. Then, I’m on my way.
Tim hung up. His hands were shaking. Because now, he knew.
This wasn’t just a kidnapping. This wasn’t just a trafficking case. This was something bigger.
And whoever was behind it was still watching. Tim Watson had spent years unraveling the darkest corners of the world. But this? This was something else entirely.
The hospital was now in full lockdown. Security guards blocked every exit. Nurses whispered in hushed voices.
Their eyes darting toward the ER where the little girl lay. Hooked up to monitors. Her small chest rising and falling beneath the bright white sheets.
And somewhere inside her, a device was sending a signal. To who? And for what? Tim didn’t have time to figure it out on his own. That’s why he had called Rachel Monroe.
The FBI agent was the best at what she did. Tracking the kind of criminals that didn’t just take kids for money, but for something much worse. Tim paced the hospital corridor.
His phone clutched in his hand. Watching the double doors at the end of the hall. Any minute now.
He needed answers. He needed them fast. The man from the bus, whoever the hell he was, had smirked when Tim asked what was inside the girl.
He had said, you’re too late. Too late for what? The elevator at the end of the hall dinged. And then the doors slid open.
Rachel Monroe stepped out. She hadn’t changed. The same sharp no-nonsense gaze.
The dark blazer over a fitted shirt. The government-issued heels that somehow never slowed her down. The moment she saw Tim, she walked straight toward him.
Watson, she said briskly. Talk. Tim exhaled, rubbing his jaw.
Six-year-old girl found her on a bus with a guy claiming to be her father. He wasn’t. She’s been stitched up.
Something was put inside her. And now it’s transmitting a signal. Rachel’s brows furrowed.
Human trafficking. Maybe. But it doesn’t feel right.
It’s organized, Rachel. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. She nodded once.
Where’s the girl? ER. They can’t operate until we know what’s inside her. Rachel’s expression hardened.
Then let’s find out. They strode toward the ER, past nervous nurses and tight-lipped doctors. When they stepped inside, Dr. Patel was waiting for them, arms crossed, his face a mask of worry.
You the feds? He asked, eyeing Rachel. Special Agent Monroe, she confirmed. What do we know? Patel sighed.
We did a full body scan. The object is lodged near her liver, about two inches in diameter. We don’t know exactly what it is yet, but it’s definitely electronic.
And it’s active. Rachel’s jaw tightened. Could it be a bomb? Tim felt his stomach clench.
Patel hesitated. Doubtful. No explosive signatures.
But if it’s transmitting, there’s a reason. Rachel turned to Tim. What did the guy from the bus say? Tim exhaled.
Nothing useful. Just smirked and said we were too late. Rachel’s face darkened.
Then we need to assume the worst. She turned back to Patel. You need to get that thing out of her.
Now. Patel hesitated. I need clearance for an emergency surgery under these conditions.
Rachel pulled out her badge. You have it. Get a bomb squad in here if you have to.
But that device does not stay inside her. Patel nodded and disappeared into the surgical wing. Tim turned to Rachel.
If that thing is transmitting, someone is watching. Someone is waiting for something. Rachel pulled out her phone, dialing a number.
If this is part of a larger operation, we need cyber tracking on that signal. Tim watched her, his nerves electric. Everything was moving too fast.
And yet not fast enough. Then, a beep from the heart monitor. They both turned toward the little girl.
Her tiny body shifted under the sheets. Her eyelashes fluttered. Then, her eyes opened.
Tim moved closer. Hey, sweetheart. She blinked up at him.
Rachel softened her tone. Can you tell us your name? The girl swallowed, her lips dry. And then in a voice barely above a whisper, Annie.
Tim’s chest tightened. Annie, he repeated softly. That’s a beautiful name.
Rachel crouched beside the bed. Her expression gentle but focused. Annie, sweetheart.
Do you know what’s inside you? Annie hesitated. Then, he told me. It’s a clock.
Tim and Rachel exchanged a look. A clock? Rachel’s voice was careful. Who told you that, Annie? Annie’s breath hitched.
My daddy. Tim’s pulse hammered. The man on the bus? Annie shook her head.
No, not him. Rachel’s voice remained steady. Annie, sweetheart.
Who is your real daddy? The little girl hesitated. Then, in a voice so small it nearly shattered them. I don’t know.
Rachel and Tim locked eyes. And in that moment, they both knew. This wasn’t just an abduction.