The Phone Call at Midnight
Chapter 11 - The Phone Call at Midnight
At 11:47 that night, Elena's phone rang again.
Sarah.
This time federal agents traced the call.
Elena answered calmly.
"Sarah, where are you?"
A man's voice replied.
"You have something that belongs to me."
Grant Hale.
Elena recognized his voice from television interviews.
Smooth.
Confident.
Almost friendly.
Grant wanted the duffel and the ledger.
In exchange, Sarah would be released.
Elena looked toward the federal agent listening beside her.
"How do I know Sarah is alive?"
There was movement.
Then Sarah's voice.
"Caleb?"
Caleb heard his mother through the speaker.
"Mom!"
Sarah began crying.
"I'm okay, baby. Listen to Aunt Elena."
It was the first time anyone had called Elena that.
Something changed inside her.
Grant returned to the phone.
"Midnight tomorrow. Hangar 12."
The call ended.
Federal agents immediately began planning.
They would use fake money.
A duplicate ledger.
Surveillance teams.
Daniel warned them.
"If Hale has someone inside law enforcement, he'll know."
Elena looked at Caleb.
"Then don't tell everyone."
The room went quiet.
The final plan was shared with only four people.
Caleb, of course, wouldn't be anywhere near the exchange.
He would remain under protection miles away.
At least that was the plan.
But while everyone discussed Sarah, Caleb studied the map.
He recognized something.
Hangar 12 wasn't where his mother had told him to go.
Her emergency instructions had included one strange sentence.
"If anyone mentions twelve, remember your birthday."
Caleb's birthday was March 7.
Three-seven.
Hangar 37.
Caleb suddenly understood.
"Hale is lying."
Everyone turned.
"My mom isn't in Hangar 12."
Daniel stared at him.
"How do you know?"
Caleb pointed toward the airport map.
"She's in 37."
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And if they went to the wrong hangar...
they might never see Sarah again.
