Free The Ransom by Chris Taylor

was now growing up and less inclined to seek out her much-older sister, their bond was as strong as ever.
    Beneath the quiet stroking of Zara’s hand, Brittany stirred. Her eyes blinked open and for one moment, they were unclouded by the day’s events. Zara watched as realization slowly dawned and the light in the young girl’s eyes dimmed. She reached blindly for Zara’s hand and clutched it tightly to her face.
    “It’s all right, baby. I’m here. It’s all right,” Zara whispered in a lulling tone.
    Brittany quieted under Zara’s soothing hand. After awhile, the young girl drifted back off to sleep. Zara sighed. She got to her feet and stretched her arms above her head. They’d cramped from being in the same position for so long. Walking over to the window, she peered down at the parking bay below. Had it only been an hour or so since she’d watched Lane walk away? It seemed like a lifetime ago.
    Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t immediately notice the boy who pedaled a bicycle down the driveway. He’d passed the bed of begonias and the rose display before she spied his slight figure. She frowned and wondered at the reason for his visit.
    The long hours she put in at work precluded her from knowing much about the children inhabiting the neighbourhood, though properties in Point Piper had remained in the same families for generations. She thought she knew most of the people in the vicinity but the boy who jumped off the bike and ran toward the front door wasn’t familiar.
    Perhaps he was a friend of Brittany’s? From what Zara could tell from this distance, he looked about the same age. She glanced back toward the bed and was pleased to see her sister’s chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. It wouldn’t do for Emily or Mrs Harrow to disturb her sister with a knock on the bedroom door.  
    Zara strode across the carpeted floor and slipped quietly out of the room. She eased the door closed and then hurried down the stairs. She found the puzzled housekeeper in the entryway. The woman held a folded piece of paper.
    “Mrs Harrow, was that a visitor for Brittany?”
    The woman turned in surprise. “No, at least, I don’t think so. I’ve never seen the boy in my life. He knocked on the door and handed me this. He told me to give it to the Attorney General.”
    Zara stepped forward. “Here. I’ll see that he gets it.” Taking the paper from the housekeeper, she turned and headed toward her father’s office. When Mrs Harrow disappeared in the direction of the kitchen, Zara opened the note.
    Scanning the letter, her blood ran cold. Fear turned her feet to lead. It was like her life had become a slow motion movie and a horror one, at that. The words of the note seared into her brain.
    Finding her breath at last, she screamed for her father.

CHAPTER NINE

    Saturday, January 27, 2.53 p.m.

    Lane turned both the lights and siren on inside his unmarked police car and sped through the early afternoon traffic. Jett rode beside him, hanging on while Lane once again negotiated his way across the Harbour Bridge and headed toward the eastern suburbs.When they turned into New South Head Road and started climbing, Jett glanced across at him. “How much further?”
    “We should be there in about seven minutes.”
    “What did Dowton say?”
    “Not much. Just that he’d received a ransom note and we needed to get over there. Pronto.” Lane grimaced. “It looks as though he was right about his daughter being the target. The kidnapper snatched the wrong kid.”
    Jett shook his head, frowning. “Shit, what a mess. I guess we’ll get that joint taskforce, after all.”
    Lane nodded grimly. “Yep, now that we know for sure the AG’s involved, we don’t really have a choice. The boss was making the calls to the AFP as we left. No doubt the whole thing will be in full swing by the time we get back.”
    “Did you get a chance to take a look at the identikit photos?”
    “Yeah, thanks for putting it