The Art Thief

Description:

Phoenix Sinz, the sharp-witted and determined assistant to a renowned private investigator, has long been eager to prove she’s more than just a researcher and errand-runner. For weeks, she and has been tracking a high-end art-theft ring responsible for a string of museum heists across the city. Their leads have been thin—until Phoenix discovers unusual activity around an abandoned house on the edge of the industrial district.
Acting on instinct, she stakes out the house alone. What she sees convinces her she’s found something big: pictures matching those reported missing, a moving truck with its plates covered.
Excitement and anxiety pulse through her as she ducks behind a French door and calls her boss. She manages only a few rushed sentences “I think I found where they’re storing everything… You need to get here fast,” before a hand clamps over her mouth.
Dragged backward, Phoenix’s phone clatters to the ground, the call still open but her voice silenced. The thieves, startled at first, quickly regain their composure. Recognizing her from earlier tailing attempts, they decide she’s seen too much. She’s bound wrists behind her back, ankles tied, and a tight over-the-mouth gag wrapped around her head to keep her quiet while they argue over what to do with “the snooping girl.”
The house becomes her prison as the criminals bicker: whether to flee, relocate the stolen art, or deal with Phoenix more permanently. Meanwhile, Phoenix struggles against the ropes, trying to stay calm.