Chapter 3 - The Crimson Phone
The phone felt heavy in my palm,
a piece of cold plastic that held the power to dismantle an empire.
I pressed the single programmed button,
listening to the rhythmic hum of the connection as a contraction tore through my lower back.
I squeezed my eyes shut,
biting my lip so hard I tasted blood,
refusing to let out a sound that they could hear through the walls.
"Laura?"
Special Agent Rachel Stone’s voice was sharp,
professional,
and instantly grounding.
"I’m locked inside the east bridal bathroom at Highland Ridge Vineyard,"
I whispered,
my voice a jagged thread of sound.
"My water broke,"
"I'm thirty-four weeks pregnant,"
"and I'm in active labor."
"Send paramedics,
Rachel,"
"and bring the team."
There was a momentary silence on the other end,
the sound of a keyboard clacking as she processed my words.
"Who locked you in,
Laura?"
Rachel asked,
her tone shifting from professional to protective in a heartbeat.
"The same people named in the sealed warrant,"
I replied,
staring at the shadow of the door.
"Regina and Derrick Highland."
"They think the baby is an inconvenience to Kayla’s wedding,"
"they told me to wait until the cake is cut."
I heard a sharp intake of breath,
followed by the sound of muffled orders being barked in the background.
"Help is ten minutes away,
Laura,"
"we have a tactical team already positioned two miles out for the morning raid."
"We are moving the timeline up."
"Stay on the line with me,"
"tell me about the contractions."
I leaned my head against the cold marble,
trying to breathe through the fire in my abdomen.
"Every three minutes,"
I said,
watching the second hand on the gold watch Regina had given me to "improve my style."
"Rachel,
the documents,"
"the shell companies,"
"it’s all in the briefcase they left in the hallway."
"They think I'm counting grapes,"
"but I have the forged payrolls for the last three years."
"Derrick signed the transfers to the offshore accounts,"
"he’s just as guilty as his mother."
The pain came again,
sharper this time,
making me drop the phone onto the rug.
I scrambled for it,
my fingers brushing against the soft fabric,
feeling the life inside me kicking against the pressure.
"I'm here,
I'm here,"
I gasped,
pulling the phone back to my ear.
"Don't worry about the evidence,
Laura,"
Rachel said,
her voice like a steady hand in the dark.
"Focus on the baby."
"The Highland Ridge investigation is over,"
"tonight is about getting you out of that room."
I looked at the mahogany door,
thinking about the three hundred guests outside,
drinking wine that was paid for by defrauded farmers and stolen tax dollars.
They were celebrating a marriage built on a foundation of lies,
while the woman who held the truth was bleeding on a bathroom floor.
"Rachel,"
I whispered,
"make sure they don't get away."
"Especially Regina."
"Trust me,"
May you like
Stone replied,
"they aren't going anywhere but a cell."
