Chapter 6 - The Midnight Abduction
While federal agents secured Marcus’s bank records inside the chapel, Marcus managed to slip through a hidden service passage behind the altar, vanishing into the snowstorm outside.
Inside the West Wing, Ruth was helping Poppy put on her warm nightgown when the lights suddenly went out across the second floor.
A heavy hand grabbed Ruth from behind, clamping a chemical-soaked rag over her mouth before she could scream. She collapsed onto the carpet, unconscious.
Marcus stepped out of the shadow, his coat dripping with melted snow, his eyes manic and unhinged. He grabbed six-year-old Poppy by her arm, dragging her toward the rear balcony stairs.
"You're my bargaining chip, kid," Marcus hissed, forcing her down the frozen wooden steps toward his running car in the alley. "August won't touch me if I have you."
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Poppy didn't cry. She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a small wooden horse carving August had given her earlier that afternoon, dropping it silently onto the snowy steps to mark her path.
👉 Read PART 7 to see how August tracked Marcus through the winter storm!
