I Am Your Daughters Gatekeeper Chapter 2

I stood there for a long moment, the cool night air biting at my skin. Tomorrow's mission was too important to jeopardize. Twenty thousand dollars was a fortune, but the cost of failure was higher.

"Fine," I said, my voice sounding like gravel. "We’ll pay. Bring the suitcase back. Now."

He chuckled, a sound like sandpaper on wood. "Good girl. I'm on my way."

Macy and I shared a look of guarded relief. But that relief lasted exactly two minutes. The phone rang again, and Ray’s voice had lost its jovial edge, replaced by a calculating, slimy tone.

"Actually... I was just thinking. Twenty thousand is a bit low for the risk I'm taking. Let's make it twenty-five. Add another five grand and I'll put the car in gear."

The anger I had been trying to suppress exploded. I gritted my teeth, my voice a low, dangerous hiss. "Ray Garrity! Don't push your luck! We agreed on twenty. What is wrong with you?"

He didn't care. He was a bottom-feeder who had found a gold mine. "Think fast," he urged, sounding like a bored telemarketer. "I’ve got other passengers waiting. Every minute you stall is money out of my pocket."

"If you keep wasting my time, the price is only going to go up. Do the math, lady. It's cheaper to just pay me now."

I was shaking, my body vibrating with a cocktail of fury and helplessness. This man wasn't just a thief; he was a vulture. If I gave him the extra five thousand now, what was to stop him from asking for ten more when he was a block away?

I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to remain steady. "No. Absolutely not. If you don't turn around right now, I'm calling the police."

Ray let out a derisive snort, completely unimpressed. "The cops? Go ahead. Call 'em. My daughter is a high-ranking official in the city. You think some beat cop is going to touch me? One word from her and any report you file disappears."

"Sounds to me like you don't really want that suitcase," he added, his voice dripping with arrogance.

He knew he had us over a barrel. He knew those files were our leverage, and he was using them to squeeze us dry. I opened my mouth to negotiate, but he cut me off.

"Tell you what. I'm done haggling. One price. Fifty thousand dollars. Total. You agree, and I’ll drive straight to you. You say no, and I handle this suitcase my way. Let’s stop wasting each other’s time."

Fifty thousand.

Macy gasped, her hand over her mouth. We were both trembling now. "Fifty thousand? You're insane!" I shouted.

"Maybe," he replied breezily. "But you were willing to pay twenty. Fifty shouldn't be that much of a stretch for someone with your... credentials. I'll give you five minutes to pull the funds together. Call me back when you're ready to be serious."

Beep.

The silence that followed was heavy. I rubbed my temples, feeling the pulse thrumming in my veins. Macy looked at me, her voice breaking.

"Joanna, what are we going to do? The department will never reimburse fifty thousand dollars. We’ll be paying this out of our own pockets. I've only been on the job a year—I don't have that kind of money."

Before I could answer, my phone buzzed. It was a photo from Ray.