JULIAN

I was in a board meeting when my phone vibrated. Marcus. I silenced it and kept my attention on Thomas Greene, who was walking through expansion projections for the next quarter.

It vibrated again immediately. Marcus never called twice in quick succession.."Excuse me," I said, standing.

Thomas paused mid-sentence. I was already walking toward the door.

I answered in the hallway. "Marcus," I said.

The sound that came back stopped me completely. Labored breathing, like someone trying to speak through pain. "Marcus," I said again, sharper. "Talk to me."

"Mr. Cross." His voice was barely there, thin and broken at the edges. "They took her."

The words didn't make...