Her Dad My Daddy ✓

Chapter Thirty-Seven | Game Plan

When Ryan woke up things went from bad to worse.

He slept no more than an hour, with papers and notebooks scattered across his bed. He had been looking into everything he could to see if he had any information about where Karter and Ember were.

Last night he was up looking over all the security videos from the store, which was all easier said than done. The videos, however, were only so much help. It showed both abductions, yes, but what it didn't show who the second person was.

Greg was in both videos crystal clear, though Ryan knew he wasn't working alone. Greg might be manipulative, sadistic, and have a personality from hell, but he was never overly intelligent.

Today was Ryan's last shot.

When the pictures were sent of both Ember and Karter he knew better than to respond. She most likely had the phones destroyed. Ryan's theory was right when an unknown number texted with the meetup time for the exchange.

The only thing he could think to do given the time limit was to call a few old friends.

Ryan stumbled out of bed not caring if the papers stacked on the covers fell off. The apartment was dark, only the city lights shining through the windows. He wasn't sure what time it was but knew this had to be done now.

Ryan walked to his office in the dark and rifled through the contents of his desk until he found the old phone. It was a simple flip phone with a handful of contacts saved in the burner phone.

It took him a moment to look through the few contacts to make sure which one to call. Each of the contacts would connect him to a building and then to someone's assistant and if he was lucky, he'd reach the person he wanted to speak with.

Ryan pushed the green button and the phone began to ring. A woman with a thick New Jersey accent answered. "Navy, 2-9-1-7-5-0-3, Russo. Personal business," Ryan spoke.

"Connecting you to M. Navy's assistant, please hold."

The company Ryan had to work within the beginning years of moving to the United States might not have been the best in terms of legal-ness.

Ryan worked with a total of five different companies all in need of clean money. His business was and even still is the perfect place to launder money. Though he had cut ties with them all, he hated the feeling of having to look over his shoulder all the time.

When he no longer needed the extra cash the jobs offered he cut ties.

The phone was connected to M. Navy's assistant as the woman said. Ryan explained he needed to talk with the guy's boss and a simple explanation of who he was. All the information he needed to deem if it was a waste of his boss's time.

To Ryan's luck, he directed the line to Navy. That wasn't her real name, no one knew her real name. This name came from the fact all her agents would wear navy blue suits or in some cases navy blue casual wear.

"Mr. Russo, long time no talk," the woman greeted. She was in her mid-fifties and was one of the leading drug dispensers on the northern side of the states. She built the company on blood and bones, yet she treated those close to her like pure gold.

Ryan explained his situation and what he wanted from her. There was no use in small talk, it would only be a waste of time for both of them.

"At most I can send over two agents in an hour, much more than that will have to come out of state," she explained.

"That works," Ryan muttered.

They worked up a payment plan which was easy enough and then he hung up.