Chapter 5: The Realization
Panic surged through Leo’s chest, hot and sharp. He dropped his damp shoes on the floor and ran from room to room, calling out for his mother. The kitchen was undisturbed except for a half-full cup of coffee growing cold on the counter. Her coat was hanging by the door, but her purse and keys were missing.
He ran back to the living room, his chest heaving. The reality of the empty apartment crashed down on him, washing away the childlike innocence that had protected him just an hour ago. He wasn't just a boy who had pulled a rich man from a river anymore. He was alone, and something terribly wrong had happened while he was gone.
His hand brushed against his pocket, and his fingers grazed the smooth, heavy card Jax had given him.
Without hesitating, Leo ran to the landline phone sitting on the small table by the wall. He picked up the receiver, listening to the steady dial tone. His small fingers trembled as he punched in the sequence of numbers printed on the embossed black card, reading them digit by digit under the dim glow of the hallway light.
The phone rang twice before a deep, calm voice answered on the other end.
"Speak," Jax said. There was no greeting, only immediate alertness.
"They took her," Leo blurted out, his voice cracking and tears finally welling up in his big hazel eyes, though he fought hard not to cry. "My mom. The apartment is all messed up. She’s gone."
On the other end of the line, there was a sharp intake of breath. The ambient noise of the SUV cabin vanished instantly, replaced by absolute silence. Jax’s mind raced, connecting dots with terrifying speed. The black sedan on the bridge. The attempt on his life. And now, a kidnapped woman in a quiet neighborhood three blocks away. It wasn't a random hit. It was a message, or worse, leverage.
"Where are you, Leo?" Jax asked, his voice suddenly hard as steel, devoid of any warmth.
"At home. Apartment 3B. Maple Street," Leo whispered, wiping a stray tear angrily from his pale cheek. "Please... find her."
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"Stay put, Leo," Jax commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Do not open the door for anyone. Do not answer the phone. I am turning the car around right now. We are coming."
The line clicked dead. Leo slowly placed the heavy receiver back onto its cradle. He stood in the middle of the ransacked living room, the muted television flickering against the walls, waiting for the only man who could possibly help him.
