"How could you let this happen, Max?" Alex's voice trembled with a mix of fear and anger. Their chest heaved as they stood in the dimly lit living room, the weight of the moment pressing down on them like a suffocating fog. "She was right here! How could she just disappear?"
Max's jaw tightened as he paced the room, his hands clenched into fists. "I don't know," he admitted through gritted teeth. "But I swear, we'll get her back."
Alex's thoughts raced, their mind conjuring images of Sarah in danger, her face twisted in fear. It was unbearable. "What if they hurt her? What if..."
"They won't," Max interrupted, his voice firm. He stopped pacing and fixed Alex with a piercing stare. "We don't have time for 'what ifs.' We need to act."
---
The first clue came through a crackling phone call. The voice on the other end was cold, mechanical, and devoid of empathy.
"If you want Sarah alive, you'll come to the docks. Alone."