Chapter 343
Chapter 343:
“That’s her,” Stefan confirmed. “Rose would love the symbolism of using Camille’s own phoenix against her.”
Agent Chen approached with a tablet. “Satellite imagery from this morning shows a structure in those woods. Looks like a modern cabin, much larger than the original would have been. And there’s something else.” She swiped to another image. “This was taken thirty minutes ago. There’s a black van parked at the cabin. Wasn’t there in the morning image.”
Alexander’s heart raced. “That’s them.”
“We need a tactical plan,” Chen said. “The property is isolated, at least a mile from any other structures. Heavily wooded. Limited access roads.”
“And Rose will have security,” Stefan added. “People like the ones who took Camille. Professional. Dangerous.”
Victoria’s voice cut through the tension. “Alexander, what do you need?”
He thought for a moment, tactical options flooding his mind. “Thermal imaging. We need to know how many people are in that cabin. Where they’re positioned. Where Camille is being held.”
“Done,” Chen said, already making the call.
“I want my own team on this,” Alexander continued. “People I trust absolutely. Working alongside the FBI.”
Victoria nodded. “Whatever you need. Whatever it costs. Just bring her home.”
The room fell silent for a moment as the weight of what they faced settled over them.
Forty-seven hours remained in Rose’s deadline. Forty-seven hours to plan a rescue, to extract Camille from a fortress designed specifically to hold her.
Stefan broke the silence. “There’s something else you should know about Rose. Something that might help.” All eyes turned to him.
“She’ll want to break Camille completely before she kills her. Want to see the light go out in her eyes, the hope fade. That’s what this is really about for Rose—seeing Camille utterly defeated.”
ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇꜱ ɪɴ ɢᴀʟɴᴏᴠᴇʟꜱ.ᴄᴏᴍ
“How does that help us?” Alexander asked, struggling to contain his rage at the thought.
“Because it means she won’t rush,” Stefan explained. “She’ll take her time, draw it out. And that gives us the one thing we need most right now.”
“Time,” Victoria finished for him.
“Yes.” Stefan turned back to the map. “She’ll want to savor her victory. Want Camille to suffer. As terrible as that is, it works in our favor.”
Alexander felt sick at the thought of what Camille might be enduring, but Stefan was right. Rose’s sadism might be the one thing that would keep Camille alive long enough for them to find her.
“We move at dawn,” he decided. “Full tactical approach. We’ll need the cover of darkness, and we’ll need the next twelve hours to prepare properly.”
Victoria nodded her approval. “Make it happen.”
As the room transformed into a hive of strategic planning, Alexander stepped away once more. He removed a small velvet box from his pocket—the necklace ring he had been carrying for months, waiting for the right moment to offer it to Camille. He had planned to give it to her when this was all over, when Rose was caught, when they could finally live without looking over their shoulders.
.
.
.