Arman’s heart raced as he picked up the phone, his fingers trembling. The number was untraceable, adding to his growing anxiety. He pressed the phone to his ear, bracing himself for what was to come.
A distorted voice crackled through the line, sending chills down his spine. "If you want to see Annie alive, follow my instructions carefully," the voice commanded, devoid of any emotion.
Arman swallowed hard, his mind racing with fear and determination. "Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded, trying to keep his voice steady despite the surge of panic.
The voice ignored his questions. "Your first clue is at the old clock tower. There's a package waiting for you behind the northern pillar. You have thirty minutes. Do not involve the police, or Annie will pay the price."
The line went dead, leaving Arman in a stunned silence. He glanced at his watch, calculating the time he had. Without wasting a second, he grabbed his jacket and rushed out the door. He turned and told Becca, "I'll be back after I save her," and he rushed out even before she could speak, his mind focused solely on rescuing Annie.
The streets were a blur as he navigated through the city, the towering buildings and bustling crowds fading into the background. His heart pounded with each passing second, the urgency of the situation pushing him forward. The cityscape, usually familiar, now felt ominous and foreboding, each shadow a potential threat.
Reaching the old clock tower, Arman scanned the area, his eyes darting around for any sign of the package. Behind the northern pillar, he found a small, unmarked box. His hands shook as he quickly opened it, revealing a piece of paper with a cryptic message: "The past is the key to the future. Seek the place where time stood still."
Arman furrowed his brow, trying to decipher the riddle. His mind flashed back to his conversations with Annie, recalling snippets of her life before the accident. The place where time stood still… it had to be something significant from her past.
Suddenly, it hit him. The abandoned train station where Annie's family used to spend their weekends. He sprinted back to his car, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to fall into place. As he drove, memories of Annie’s stories came flooding back, each detail a potential clue.
Arriving at the derelict station, Arman felt a sense of foreboding. The once-bustling hub was now eerily silent, a relic of the past. Weeds and vines had reclaimed the tracks, and the air was thick with the scent of decay. He walked through the overgrown tracks, searching for the next clue. Near the ticket booth, he found another box with a note: "The truth lies within. Beware of the shadows that lurk."
As Arman pocketed the note, he felt a presence behind him. He turned swiftly, coming face to face with a hooded figure. The figure stepped forward, removing the hood to reveal a young man with piercing blue eyes - eyes that bore a striking resemblance to Annie's.
"Who are you?" Arman asked, his voice filled with suspicion and a hint of desperation.
The young man smirked. "My name is Ethan. I'm Annie's half-brother. And I'm the one who has been pulling the strings."
Arman's mind raced with questions, but before he could speak, Ethan continued. "Our father was responsible for her mother's death. He covered it up, and I had to protect Annie from the truth. She can't handle it, not after the accident."
Arman felt a mixture of anger and confusion. "Why kidnap her then? Why all this?" His voice cracked with the weight of his emotions.
Ethan's expression softened, a hint of vulnerability breaking through his steely facade. "I needed to keep her safe while revealing the truth slowly. You are the only one I could trust to follow the clues and understand the gravity of the situation."
Arman’s eyes narrowed with skepticism. "Why should I believe you? You’ve done nothing but manipulate us," he demanded, his anger rising.
At that precise moment, Arman's phone buzzed with a new message. The screen displayed a new set of coordinates, leading to an isolated cabin in the woods. As he stared at the screen, the street lights around them flickered and then went out, plunging the entire area into darkness. The sudden blackout added to the tension, making the air feel thick with impending danger.
Ethan stepped closer, his face barely visible in the dim light from Arman’s phone. "Believe me or not, we don't have time to waste. Annie's life is at stake. Follow the clues, and you'll understand everything."
Arman clenched his fists, torn between distrust and the urgency to save Annie. He realized that, for now, he had no choice but to go along with Ethan’s plan. “Fine,” he muttered, “but if anything happens to her, you’ll answer to me.”
Together, they raced towards the cabin, the path ahead uncertain and fraught with peril. Every step brought them closer to the truth, a truth that held the power to change everything they thought they knew.
