A deafening wail pierced the air as Walter walked in from the garage. His wife, Abby, was seated in the kitchen, and from the strained look on her face, he could tell Logan’s crying was getting to her again.
“Honey,” he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. “How long has he been like this?”
“I’ve tried everything, Walter!” Abby’s voice cracked as she began to sob. “He’s been fed, changed, bathed, burped—I even took his temperature! I don’t know what else to do. He just won’t stop crying!”
Since becoming parents a month ago, everything in their lives had changed. But one thing that really unsettled Walter was the sound of Logan’s cries.
“Come on, we’ll figure this out together,” Walter said, leading Abby toward Logan’s room.
He approached the crib with a hopeful smile, but to his surprise, all he found was a dictaphone and a note. Walter hit the stop button on the dictaphone, and Logan’s cries ceased immediately.
“What’s going on?” Abby asked from behind. Walter didn’t respond, staring at the note in his hand. It wasn’t until Abby grabbed the note and read it aloud that he snapped back to reality.
“I warned you that you’d regret being rude to me. If you want to see your baby again, leave $200,000 at the luggage storage lockers near the pier. If you call the police, you’ll never see him again.”
Abby gasped. “What does this mean? Did I offend someone? Who would kidnap Logan?”
Walter recalled an incident with a janitor at the maternity hospital—a man he’d been rude to after tripping over his broom and breaking a gift for Abby. The janitor had muttered, “You’ll regret this.”
“We need to go to the police, honey,” Walter said. “It has to be him!”
“What? The note says if we go to the police, we’ll never see Logan again. We need to pay the ransom!”
“We don’t know if he’ll actually return Logan if we do that. Think about it, Abby. This janitor has no idea if we report him. And since we know where he works, the police could catch him before he disappears.”
Abby hesitated, then agreed.
Walter parked outside the police station, but before they could exit the car, his phone buzzed. A chilling message appeared on the screen:
“This is your first and last warning. If you go to the police, your kid’s going into the bay. Get the money to the location.”
Abby read the message aloud. Walter looked around but couldn’t spot the kidnapper. With no other choice, he decided to drive to the bank to withdraw the money, but Abby’s condition worsened. She threw up and was about to again, so Walter chose to take her home instead.
“I’m sorry, honey. This is the best thing for you,” he said softly, and Abby didn’t protest.
“Fine… But Walter, do you think the kidnapper even knows how to care for a baby?” Abby asked, her voice breaking.
Walter didn’t respond, focusing on driving. He couldn’t shake the image of Logan, alone in a dark room, crying.
He made it to the bank, then drove to the storage locker where he placed the ransom money. After waiting for the janitor, Walter spotted him and followed as he led him through a maze of streets. Finally, the janitor opened the locker, but when Walter approached, a group of tourists blocked his view. By the time they passed, the janitor was gone.
Walter’s pulse quickened as he scanned the crowd. He spotted the janitor, carrying the bag of money. Walter followed him, but when the janitor placed the bag in another locker and turned, Walter confronted him.
“Where is my son?” Walter demanded, pinning the janitor against the lockers. “I’ve done everything you asked. Give me Logan!”
The janitor seemed startled. “I was paid $100 to drop off a package. I don’t know anything about your son.”
Walter didn’t believe him. But when the janitor’s eyes filled with sincerity, Walter relented and let him go. He opened the locker, only to find it empty. Someone had cut a hole in the back.
Frantic, Walter searched the back of the lockers, finding the hole concealed by a thin steel plate. No one around had the bag. Walter’s heart sank. How would he tell Abby? Their miracle baby, Logan, was gone.
Back home, Walter searched for Abby. He found their bedroom empty and noticed her things were gone. The realization hit him hard—Abby had taken Logan. She was the kidnapper.
Walter’s only comfort was that the ransom money was fake. He had to find Logan.
Walter returned to the maternity hospital and found the doctor he needed. He offered a substantial sum for the doctor’s help and silence. The doctor agreed, and together, they called Abby, informing her of a fabricated emergency with Logan’s health. The plan was simple: Abby would rush to the hospital with Logan.
When Walter received Abby’s call, the truth hit him like a ton of bricks. She was behind the whole thing.
“Where’s the real money, Walter?” Abby screamed. “Logan needs treatment!”
Walter’s heart broke, but he was determined to get Logan back. He immediately transferred the money she demanded.
Later, at the hospital, Walter’s brother James entered with Logan in his arms. Walter had tipped off the authorities beforehand, and soon, the FBI surrounded Abby and James.
“You’re under arrest for kidnapping,” an agent declared. “Hand the child over.”
Abby screamed, claiming Logan needed urgent medical attention. Walter stepped forward, denying her claims.
Abby’s eyes narrowed in fury as she rushed toward him. But the police tackled her. Logan was finally safe in Walter’s arms.
“You think you’ve won?” Abby spat. “Logan isn’t even yours! You couldn’t get me pregnant, remember? And now look what’s wrong with you!”
Walter froze. His gaze locked with James’s, who avoided eye contact. It was painful, but Walter didn’t care. Logan was his son now.
“I’ll adopt him if I have to,” Walter replied fiercely. “I’ll watch him grow while you two rot behind bars.”
And with that, Walter left the hospital with Logan, relieved to have his son back.
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