Small Exchange

The office was quiet, and while Noah had his back against the wall, the only sound in the room was the noise of Nico's footsteps pacing from end to end, glancing at the phone more times than he breathed. It had been over thirty minutes since they arrived, waiting for the phone to ring again

Was the call a prank? Had he somehow raised a false alarm? He hoped not, for Nico was already at his wit's end. He wished the man would grab a seat, for his continuous movement was making him dizzy to the point he had to rub his eyes to focus.

"Boss, grab a seat; your pacing is helping nothing. You know, right?" Noah suggested.

To his surprise, Nico stopped, but his eyes remained fixed on the desk, waiting for the next ring to tell them what they were in for. Hopefully, a ransom. If it was, there was no problem; the kids had a chance.

"What did the caller say?" Nico's voice cut through his thoughts, and when he looked back up, the President was close to the table before the phone, his finger drummi