SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan) novel Chapter 229

Chapter 229

The FBI command center at Federal Plaza buzzed with desperate activity as agents worked through the night searching for any trace of Victoria and Camille Kane. Computer screens displayed maps of potential hiding locations, surveillance footage from traffic cameras, and cell phone records that might reveal James Whitfield's whereabouts.

Alexander sat at a table covered with photographs and documents, his eyes bloodshot from hours of staring at evidence that led nowhere. Every lead the FBI had followed turned into a dead end. Every potential location they searched turned up empty. James had planned this kidnapping with the same methodical precision he had used for his fifteen-year campaign of revenge.

Stefan paced the room like a caged animal, his face etched with worry and frustration. "There has to be something we're missing. Some pattern, some connection that points to where James would take them."

FBI Special Agent Diana Chen looked up from her computer terminal, exhaustion clear in her voice. "We've checked every property James Smith or James Whitfield has ever owned or rented. We've analyzed his financial records for warehouse rentals, storage facilities, even boat registrations. He's either using a location we haven't connected to him, or he had help from someone we don't know about."

Alexander felt his chest tighten with panic as the hours slipped away. Somewhere in the city, Camille and Victoria were prisoners of a man who had already proven willing to commit murder. Every minute that passed brought them closer to whatever James had planned as his final act of revenge.

"What about his known associates?" Alexander asked desperately. "Business partners, criminal contacts, anyone who might have provided him with a safe house?"

"We're running background checks on everyone James has had contact with over the past five years," Agent Chen replied. "But Alexander, this is going to take time we might not have."

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Time was the one resource they couldn't afford to waste, and it was slipping away with each passing hour.

Richard Lewis sat in the corner of the command center, his usually composed demeanor cracked by the terror of knowing his daughter was in the hands of a killer. Margaret Lewis had collapsed from the stress and was being treated by paramedics in another room. Senator Alvarez had mobilized every federal resource he could access, but even his considerable influence couldn't make James Whitfield appear out of thin air.

Alexander's phone rang, interrupting the tense atmosphere in the command center. The display showed an unknown number with a prison identification code.

"This is Alexander Pierce," he answered, hoping for any information that might help find Camille.

"Hello, Alexander." The voice on the other end made his blood run cold. "It's Rose."

Alexander felt rage and disbelief wash over him as he recognized the voice of the woman who had tried to murder Camille, who had manipulated and destroyed so many lives before her arrest.

"Rose? How are you calling me? Why are you calling me?"

"I'm calling because I know where Camille and Victoria are being held," Rose said, her voice carrying an odd mixture of desperation and calculation. "And I'm calling because you're running out of time to save them."

Agent Chen immediately began tracing the call while other agents gathered around Alexander, listening intently to every word of the conversation.

"You're lying," Alexander said. "You're in prison. You have no way of knowing anything about James Whitfield's operation."

"James Whitfield came to see me three days ago," Rose replied, her voice steady despite the explosive nature of her revelation. "He wanted my help kidnapping Victoria and Camille."

The command center fell silent as everyone processed this unexpected development. Rose Lewis, the woman who had tried to kill her own sister, was claiming knowledge of their current situation.

"Why would James come to you?" Alexander asked, though part of him already suspected the answer.

"Because we share the same enemy. Because we both hate Victoria Kane and everything she represents. Because James thought I would help him destroy the people who destroyed my life."

Stefan moved closer to Alexander, his face twisted with anger and disbelief. "She's lying. Rose would say anything to manipulate the situation for her own benefit."

"Maybe," Rose said, clearly hearing Stefan's comment through the phone. "But do you have any other leads? Any other source of information about where James might have taken them?"

The truth of Rose's words hit the room like a physical blow. They had exhausted every conventional investigative avenue. If Rose really did know something about James's plans, she might be their only hope of finding Victoria and Camille alive.

"What did you tell James when he asked for your help?" Alexander asked.

"I told him I knew the perfect place to hold them," Rose replied. "An abandoned textile warehouse in Queens that I used to use for storage when I was building my fashion business. It's isolated, soundproof, and has multiple exit routes."

Alexander felt his heart racing as Rose provided specific details about the location. But trusting Rose Lewis felt like making a deal with the devil - she had already proven willing to lie, manipulate, and kill to get what she wanted.

"Why are you telling us this?" Alexander asked. "What do you gain by helping us find them?"

Rose was quiet for a long moment, and when she spoke again, her voice carried an emotion Alexander had never heard from her before - something that might have been genuine regret.

"Because I tried to kill Camille once, and I've had months in prison to think about what that really means. I've had time to understand that destroying someone you're supposed to love destroys part of yourself too."

"So this is about guilt?" Stefan asked skeptically.

"This is about the fact that Camille is still my sister, even after everything I did to her. And James Whitfield isn't planning to just kill her quickly. He's planning to torture her psychologically before he kills her, the same way he tortured Alexander with lies about Victoria."