This wasn’t just a trafficking case. Annie had been born into this. And whoever had done this to her wasn’t done yet.
Rachel Monroe was one of the best FBI agents in the country. She had hunted down the worst of the worst. Serial killers, traffickers, cyber criminals.
People who thrived in the shadows of society. But never had she come across something like this. A six-year-old girl with a mechanical device inside her body.
A signal that had activated the moment they put her on life support. And now, a horrifying revelation. She didn’t know who her father was.
Rachel looked at Tim. His face was carved from stone. His jaw tight.
His hands clenched into fists at his sides. She knew that look. Rage.
Not the kind that made a man reckless. The kind that made a man dangerous. Tim turned back to Annie.
His voice calm despite the fury simmering beneath it. Sweetheart, it’s okay. You’re safe now.
No one is going to hurt you. Annie blinked up at him. Her fingers gripping the thin hospital blanket.
I don’t want the clock to break, she whispered. Rachel’s blood ran cold. Annie, she said carefully.
Did someone tell you what happens if the clock breaks? Annie hesitated. Then, it makes the bad men come. A chill crawled up Rachel’s spine.
Tim exhaled, running a hand over his face. This just keeps getting worse. Rachel straightened, pulling out her phone.
I need my cyber unit tracking that signal now. Tim turned to her. Whoever put that thing inside her, they’re watching, aren’t they? Rachel met his eyes.
And for the first time since she had arrived, she looked truly uneasy. Not just watching, she said. They’re waiting for something.
The signal changes. The hospital was a fortress now. Lockdown was in place.
Police officers stood at every entrance, their radios buzzing with updates. But Rachel couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t enough. Because whoever was behind this, they weren’t ordinary criminals.
They had surgically implanted a device into a child. They had activated it remotely. And now, according to Annie, if it broke, the bad men would come.
Rachel stared at the little girl through the hospital room window. What kind of monsters did this to a child? Her phone buzzed. She answered instantly.
Monroe. A voice crackled on the other end. Agent Monroe, this is Special Agent Cameron.
We tracked the signal. Rachel’s pulse quickened. Where is it leading? Silence then.
That’s the thing. It’s not going anywhere. Rachel’s breath stalled.
What do you mean? Cameron hesitated. It’s not transmitting coordinates. It’s not a tracker.
It’s something else. Rachel felt a cold weight settle in her stomach. Then what the hell is it? It’s a receiver.
Rachel froze. Explain, she demanded. Cameron’s voice was grim.
It’s not sending information. It’s waiting to receive something. And whatever it’s waiting for, it’s getting closer.
Rachel’s fingers tightened around the phone. Closer, she repeated. Cameron exhaled.
The signal is growing stronger. Something or someone is moving toward her. Rachel’s blood turned to ice.
She snapped her head toward Tim. We have a problem. Tim was already moving.
Tell me. Rachel lowered the phone. The signal isn’t sending data.
It’s receiving. Tim’s eyes darkened. Receiving what? Rachel’s stomach twisted.
I don’t know, she admitted. Tim looked back at Annie. His jaw clenched.
Then we better find out before it gets here. Because if that signal was waiting for something, it meant the real danger hadn’t even begun yet. Tim Watson had spent his entire career running toward danger.
He had taken down armed criminals, chased fugitives through alleyways, and walked into dark rooms without knowing if he’d walk back out. But this, this was something else. A six-year-old girl with a device buried inside her.
A signal that wasn’t broadcasting out, but instead waiting for something. And now the most terrifying part of all. Whatever it was waiting for, it was getting closer.
His grip on his phone tightened. How much time do we have? He asked Rachel, his voice low. Rachel’s expression was grim.
We don’t know. The signal strength is increasing, which means whatever it’s connected to is moving toward us. His gut twisted.
You’re telling me someone out there is tracking her in real time? Rachel nodded. And we don’t know what happens when they get here. Tim exhaled sharply.
They were running out of time. Outside the hospital, the city moved as if nothing was wrong. Cars zipped down the streets.
Pedestrians hurried along the sidewalks. People went about their lives completely unaware that something was coming. Inside, however, the tension was suffocating.
Tim stood by the window of Annie’s hospital room, watching as armed officers took position in the hallways. Every entrance was locked down. Security had been tripled.
But it still didn’t feel like enough. Rachel stepped up beside him. We need to assume the worst.
His jaw clenched. What do you think is coming for her? Rachel hesitated. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, I don’t know.
But I have a feeling we won’t have to wait long to find out. A soft rustling sound made them both turn. Annie had shifted in the bed, her small fingers gripping the blankets tightly.
She was awake again, her eyes wide with fear. Tim moved toward her, keeping his voice gentle. Sweetheart, are you okay? Annie swallowed hard.
Then, her voice small, fragile. They’re here. His pulse slammed against his ribs.
Rachel’s face paled. Annie, sweetheart, who’s here? Annie’s lips trembled. Then she lifted her small hand and pointed toward the window.
Tim and Rachel turned at the same time. What they saw made the air turn to ice. Two black SUVs had just pulled up across the street.
The doors opened. And men in dark suits stepped out, one by one. Their movements were precise, controlled.
Not like common criminals, not like traffickers. Like something worse, something organized. And then, one of them looked up, right at Tim, and smiled.
Tim Watson had been in enough life-threatening situations to recognize one when he saw it. The men stepping out of those SUVs weren’t just criminals. They weren’t thugs looking for a quick grab and go.
They were something else, too controlled, too coordinated, too confident. One of them, a tall man with a shaved head and a crisp black suit, adjusted his tie. Then, as if he knew exactly who was watching him, he looked up and smiled.
A slow, deliberate smile. Tim’s stomach twisted. Rachel saw it, too.
Her entire body went rigid, her jaw tightening. That’s not a trafficker, she murmured. That’s someone with authority.
Tim knew she was right. The way the man held himself. The way the others flanked him in formation, like a unit.
This wasn’t a gang. This was an operation. And whatever they wanted, it had everything to do with Annie.
Rachel grabbed her phone, already dialing. I’m getting a full federal response here. This just became a national security issue.
Tim’s pulse pounded as he turned back to Annie. She was still gripping the blanket tightly, her small knuckles white. He crouched beside her bed, keeping his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him.
Annie, sweetheart, do you know those men? She hesitated. Then, in a barely there whisper, I think so. A cold chill wrapped around Tim’s spine.
How do you know them, honey? Annie’s lip quivered. They used to come see my daddy. Rachel stopped mid-sentence on the phone.
Her gaze snapped to Tim, then back to Annie. The man from the bus? Or someone else? Annie shook her head quickly. Not him.
My real daddy. Tim exhaled slowly, his mind racing. Annie, sweetheart, do you remember your real daddy’s name? Her small shoulders tensed.
Her fingers clutched at her stomach as if she could protect the thing inside her. And then, in a trembling voice, I wasn’t supposed to know it. But I heard them say it one time.
Tim leaned in. Can you tell us? Annie swallowed hard. His name was Dr. Keaton.
Rachel’s face darkened instantly. Tim recognized that look. She knew something.
Rachel, he pressed. Who the hell is Dr. Keaton? Rachel was already back on her phone, her fingers flying as she typed. Her voice was tight.
Urgent. We need full clearance on the name Dr. Keaton immediately. Any known associates, current or past employment, criminal records.
Government ties? Tim’s blood ran cold. Government ties. He turned back toward the window where the suited men were now crossing the street toward the hospital.
They weren’t hiding. They weren’t sneaking in. They were walking in like they belonged here.
Rachel’s phone buzzed with a return call. She answered instantly. Tell me you have something.
A beat of silence then. Rachel, the voice on the other end said. Whatever you just stepped into, you need to back out.
Now. Rachel’s breath stalled. What? You heard me.
This isn’t your case anymore. Rachel’s eyes flashed with fury. The hell it isn’t.
I have a six-year-old girl with a surgically implanted device inside her that’s actively transmitting a signal. I need answers. The voice on the line hesitated.
Then. Dr. Keaton was a government scientist. His research was classified.
If his daughter has a device inside her, you’re dealing with something way bigger than you realize. Tim felt his stomach drop. Rachel’s grip on the phone tightened.
Who are the men outside? A pause. Then. I can’t tell you that.
Rachel clenched her jaw. You mean you won’t tell me that? The voice lowered. Rachel.
Walk away. This is above you. The call went dead.
Rachel’s face was a mask of fury as she slowly lowered the phone. Tim exhaled sharply. What did they say? Rachel met his eyes.
They told us to walk away. Tim let out a bitter laugh. Not happening.
The hospital doors slammed open. The men in black suits stepped inside. And just like that, the war for Annie officially began.
Tim Watson had spent his life enforcing the law. He had followed protocol, worked within the system, and trusted that, at the end of the day, there was a right side and a wrong side. But as he watched the men in black suits walk into the hospital like they owned the place, he had the sickening realization that the system had just been ripped out of his hands.