Chapter 6 - THE MISSING PEOPLE WERE NOT RANDOM
Ryan mapped the missing victims.
Hannah Cole — emergency nurse.
Marcus Lee — network technician.
Tara Benson — payroll administrator.
Elliot Graves — retired building inspector.
No obvious relationship.
Then Robert Hayes noticed dates.
Each disappearance occurred within seventy-two hours after one victim accessed or handled something connected to old city corruption files.
Hannah treated an unidentified injured man brought in without insurance.
Marcus repaired a server for Municipal Archives.
Tara processed legacy payroll subpoenas.
Elliot requested old convention-center blueprints.
They were not selected for who they were.
They were selected for what they saw.
Adrian Mercer was not collecting victims.
He was cleaning a trail.
Then Ryan found Victor Hale’s corruption investigation.
Eight years earlier:
city contractors inflated invoices for underground infrastructure projects.
One company:
Mercer Municipal Systems.
Derek Mercer signed contracts.
But financial records suggested he was not the only beneficiary.
Several city officials received money.
Victor Hale built the case.
Before indictments expanded, Derek was found dead.
The corruption investigation narrowed.
Other suspects escaped charges.
Adrian blamed Victor.
But if Adrian wanted revenge, why abduct people years later?
Because one of those old officials had begun paying him.
Maybe Adrian had transformed from avenger into cleaner.
Ryan followed the money.
A shell security company tied to Adrian received monthly payments from:
Hawthorne Civic Consulting.
Owner:
Samuel Voss.
Former deputy mayor.
Named in Hale’s original notes.
Never charged.
Ryan leaned back.
Adrian was protecting the same corruption network he once hated.
Or exploiting it.
Then Michael’s kidnapping became more urgent.
If Michael had found this, Adrian needed to know how much he told Ryan.
That explained why the abduction happened in front of him.
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Ryan was not merely witness.
He was the next message recipient.
