7 DAYS OF ABDUCTION

THE CONFERENCE

9.10 AM

HUDSON AND NASH RESTAURANT, SAN DIEGO

Isabelle drove her Aventador through the sprawling city of San Diego, perplexed by Chevalier's summons. As she arrived at the 'Hudson and Nash restaurant, she noticed an unusual emptiness. Normally bustling, the place now featured a Rolls Royce Phantom and several SUVs parked outside.

After parking her car, she took a deep breath and contacted the FBI base through her body cam. Agent Liam monitored her. "I'm in position, Agent Liam. Do you read me?" "Copy that, Agent."

(FBI BASE, CALIFORNIA)

"Ms. Anderson, someone's remotely accessing our system; I think they've hacked into it!" An agent exclaimed as his computer froze. Suddenly, their entire network was disrupted and shut down within seconds. "Damn it! We've lost contact with Isabelle," Agent Liam lamented. The Sicilian Mafia had successfully hacked and disabled the entire system.

HUDSON AND NASH RESTAURANT, SAN DIEGO

"Liam! Liam! Can you hear me?" Isabelle suspected the system had been compromised. "It seems like a hack, I suppose. Alright, I'll do my best," she muttered to herself and exited her car. Upon entering the restaurant, she noticed two men in black suits who observed her intently. Ignoring them, she located Chevalier, seated with a view of the beach.

"Come, take a seat," he invited. It was then that Isabelle realized his voice was deeper than she had expected. She nervously complied, finding herself almost entranced by his appearance. "What would you prefer? I could offer you a cigar if you like." "No, thank you. I don't drink or smoke," replied Isabelle. "Well, that's surprising. How about a latte?" "Okay, I guess," Isabelle shrugged. She had never felt this way during any of her previous investigations. She was struck by his courtesy; he exceeded her expectations.

Soon, a waiter served her a latte, and Marcel engaged in an Italian phone conversation that Isabelle couldn't quite understand, despite having learned some Italian up to the 8th grade. "Ho la persona. La porterò tra un paio di minuti. Certamente." Isabelle sipped her coffee slowly, feeling bewildered.

"I apologize for that interruption. Let's discuss something else." But before Isabelle could say anything, she began to feel lightheaded. Her body went numb, rendering her unable to speak. Darkness closed in, obscuring her vision entirely.