Chapter 6 - Laura calls
At 7:51 that evening, Laura called 911 from a gas station thirty-four miles west of Columbus.
Alive.
Injured.
Alone.
I learned from Detective Marisol Vega while sitting with Emily at my sister’s house.
“Laura’s alive.”
I stood so quickly I knocked over a lamp.
Emily froze.
“What?”
I looked at Detective Vega.
She nodded.
I crouched.
“Mom’s alive.”
Emily stared.
Then screamed.
Not fear.
Relief.
She threw herself at me.
Laura had a concussion.
Bruised ribs.
A split lower lip.
No skull fracture.
No internal bleeding.
No stab wound.
No gunshot.
Warren had driven her toward a rented storage unit connected to his remodeling business.
Why?
Laura later said he wanted her to unlock a cloud accounting account from her laptop.
At a gas station, Warren went inside to pay cash.
Laura opened the passenger door.
Ran.
Locked herself inside the women’s restroom.
An employee called 911.
Warren drove away before police arrived.
The manhunt expanded.
Again:
No helicopters tracking a supervillain across America.
Local and state alerts.
Vehicle information.
Family contacts.
Known business locations.
Phone warrants and location work after proper process.
Warren was arrested fourteen hours later at a cousin’s hunting cabin.
Unarmed.
May you like
He surrendered.
The story was frightening enough without inventing a shootout.
