683: REPORTS

ARIEL'S POV The sound of Janice's cries tore through my heart, igniting a fire within me that I hadn't felt before. The fear in her voice was a stark reminder of the stakes at hand. "Mom! Please, help me!" she sobbed before her voice was cut off abruptly. The man's voice returned cold and callous. "Now that you know I'm not bluffing, I expect you to do as you're told. You have until midnight." The line went dead, leaving me with an overwhelming sense of dread. I stood there, paralyzed for a moment, before the reality of the situation set in. I knew there was no time to waste; I needed to find a solution to this as soon as possible. I clenched my jaw and bolted out of the house, with my heart pounding in my chest. Had some crazy news, you know, Harriet leaving out of prison. I could connect that to this situation, but I was wondering if she was the one responsible for this. It could be. Harriet might be the one who had arranged this whole thing after she had broken out of prison. It