The Pact (A Sarah Roberts Thriller Book 17) Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Jonas Saul
inside.”
Anton wiped the tears from his eyes. This call had turned into a nightmare.
“What’s this about? Are you recording this call? Just tell me where Clara is.”
“One week, Mr. Olafson. A girl. Video it. A small mirror under her nose will be all I need as proof. A stranger’s life for Clara’s. Your daughter’s life is truly in your hands, Mr. Olafson.”
The line clicked, then died.
Anton pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it like he held a chunk of contaminated plastic in his hand.
He moaned as the conversation ran through his head.
“Clara …”
He couldn’t drive. The vibration in his hands scared him. His eyes were glazed over. All he could do was hunch over and wheeze until the panic attack ebbed.
What was he going to do? He would never kill an innocent girl. He wasn’t a murderer. Sure he had a little fun once in a while, but the little whores didn’t mind. Damien assured him the boys he hired were into it. Anton never hurt anybody. And he would never kill anybody.
Unless this was a trap. He was untouchable with the Damien business. Money transfers were from ghost accounts in false names. Damien helped him set things up so no one could ever trace it back to an NC3 man. Even NC3 couldn’t track their transactions.
So that’s what this was. Damien got himself arrested and now someone was trying to get Anton on murder charges because they knew Anton was untouchable.
But whoever they were, they had Clara. Unless the pictures sent to his phone were doctored. But if they were, why wasn’t Clara answering her cell phone? And how did Clara get to Toronto? The time since she last texted him fit with a sixteen-to-twenty hour flight to Canada. But why? Who was in Canada? How was she drawn there?
He turned off his flashers, dropped the Tesla in gear, and kicked up dirt as he slammed the accelerator to get back on the highway. In moments, he was traveling thirty kilometers over the speed limit. He needed to get home. He needed to see if Clara had left any clues for him. Maybe he could access her computer. Maybe she’d left her iPad behind.
Or perhaps she’d left a note for him.
He could only wish.
Worst case, he would check flights and airlines and see if his daughter’s passport was used recently. He had colleagues in high places that could help.
He’d get to the bottom of this immediately.
Anton Olafson screamed in frustration behind the wheel of the Tesla as the comfortable world he had enjoyed for decades crumbled.
Wherever the pieces fell, he would be ruined unless he found Clara.
It slowly dawned on Anton that this could be the beginning of the end of his life.
Chapter 4
Sarah plopped down on the couch. “You guys got letters, too?”
“They were addressed to us,” Caleb said as he took a seat in the easy chair across from her. He raised his right eyebrow. “Accurately too. It would be hard to believe that if I didn’t open the time capsule myself. And even harder to believe if I didn’t know what you’re capable of.”
Sarah looked at Parkman. “What about Aaron? Has anyone told him what Vivian said? We have to save his life.”
Parkman nodded. “He got a letter. It’s taken care of.”
“I have to call him. Warn him. Vivian said something about him dying because of time. It didn’t make much sense.”
Parkman shook his head. “Leave it. It’s all handled.”
She glanced at her mother, then back to her dad. “Okay, then. Will someone tell me what these letters say? I’m at a loss here.”
Parkman shook his head. “Can’t. Not this time. We have to trust Vivian.”
“What?” She nearly leapt off the couch. “Trust Vivian? Isn’t that what I’ve been doing for the past decade?”
“Sarah,” her mother whispered, her tone almost condescending. Her mother got a pass, well, because she was her mother.
Parkman crossed
Anton wiped the tears from his eyes. This call had turned into a nightmare.
“What’s this about? Are you recording this call? Just tell me where Clara is.”
“One week, Mr. Olafson. A girl. Video it. A small mirror under her nose will be all I need as proof. A stranger’s life for Clara’s. Your daughter’s life is truly in your hands, Mr. Olafson.”
The line clicked, then died.
Anton pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it like he held a chunk of contaminated plastic in his hand.
He moaned as the conversation ran through his head.
“Clara …”
He couldn’t drive. The vibration in his hands scared him. His eyes were glazed over. All he could do was hunch over and wheeze until the panic attack ebbed.
What was he going to do? He would never kill an innocent girl. He wasn’t a murderer. Sure he had a little fun once in a while, but the little whores didn’t mind. Damien assured him the boys he hired were into it. Anton never hurt anybody. And he would never kill anybody.
Unless this was a trap. He was untouchable with the Damien business. Money transfers were from ghost accounts in false names. Damien helped him set things up so no one could ever trace it back to an NC3 man. Even NC3 couldn’t track their transactions.
So that’s what this was. Damien got himself arrested and now someone was trying to get Anton on murder charges because they knew Anton was untouchable.
But whoever they were, they had Clara. Unless the pictures sent to his phone were doctored. But if they were, why wasn’t Clara answering her cell phone? And how did Clara get to Toronto? The time since she last texted him fit with a sixteen-to-twenty hour flight to Canada. But why? Who was in Canada? How was she drawn there?
He turned off his flashers, dropped the Tesla in gear, and kicked up dirt as he slammed the accelerator to get back on the highway. In moments, he was traveling thirty kilometers over the speed limit. He needed to get home. He needed to see if Clara had left any clues for him. Maybe he could access her computer. Maybe she’d left her iPad behind.
Or perhaps she’d left a note for him.
He could only wish.
Worst case, he would check flights and airlines and see if his daughter’s passport was used recently. He had colleagues in high places that could help.
He’d get to the bottom of this immediately.
Anton Olafson screamed in frustration behind the wheel of the Tesla as the comfortable world he had enjoyed for decades crumbled.
Wherever the pieces fell, he would be ruined unless he found Clara.
It slowly dawned on Anton that this could be the beginning of the end of his life.
Chapter 4
Sarah plopped down on the couch. “You guys got letters, too?”
“They were addressed to us,” Caleb said as he took a seat in the easy chair across from her. He raised his right eyebrow. “Accurately too. It would be hard to believe that if I didn’t open the time capsule myself. And even harder to believe if I didn’t know what you’re capable of.”
Sarah looked at Parkman. “What about Aaron? Has anyone told him what Vivian said? We have to save his life.”
Parkman nodded. “He got a letter. It’s taken care of.”
“I have to call him. Warn him. Vivian said something about him dying because of time. It didn’t make much sense.”
Parkman shook his head. “Leave it. It’s all handled.”
She glanced at her mother, then back to her dad. “Okay, then. Will someone tell me what these letters say? I’m at a loss here.”
Parkman shook his head. “Can’t. Not this time. We have to trust Vivian.”
“What?” She nearly leapt off the couch. “Trust Vivian? Isn’t that what I’ve been doing for the past decade?”
“Sarah,” her mother whispered, her tone almost condescending. Her mother got a pass, well, because she was her mother.
Parkman crossed
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