章節 10: Hostages

Every passing second was like torture to Bernard. He tried to focus on some work or get some rest or keep himself busy but his mind repeatedly wandered to Anya Owen being kidnapped.

All his plans were ruined due to the stupidity of his son and the partner in crime. He had clearly instructed them to take the lady with the hard disk. He couldn't believe they left her behind.

If his plan had played accordingly, the officers would have concluded as Anya escaped with the information failing to trace her. Then he would have announced in the press conference that the big hands of the country either kidnapped the lady or she compromised with the criminals.

Even though Anya wouldn't have fallen to Harper Johnson's hands with Bernard's plan, she would have been entitled as a wanted criminal. Then Harper wouldn't go behind Bernard or his family members or the whole cabinet's lives, while Anya would be safe somewhere, away from the eyes. To save so many people, Bernard had to risk Anya's livelihood.

He had to think of a new plan when he found Anya at her house. If she had the information, he wanted to convince her to keep it hidden and state it as stolen. He was planning how to free her life after it. However, she was kidnapped by most likely Harper's men. And he started to feel suspicious of Kyle.

If the security team fails to get Anya, Bernard was very much sure Anya would return dead. He really didn't wish for that.

'Knock, knock…'

When he heard a knock on the study room door, he opened it quickly hoping it would be good news about Anya. The butler was standing with the kitchen trolley and an officer who would taste the coffee and snacks.

"President Collins, would you like to have your coffee in the study? Or please let me know where you would like to enjoy your coffee." The butler asked with a small bow.

Bernard wanted to ask them to leave but held back his temper and pointed inside the study room. The butler arranged coffee decoction, hot milk on the coffee table with some snacks and stood aside. The officer made himself a coffee and drank it. They waited for ten minutes. When the officer was all good, they wished Bernard, "Enjoy your coffee, President Collins." Then they left, closing the door behind.

He sat down to prepare his coffee but the thought about the kidnap didn't let him focus on it. He really didn't wish for Anya's life to be sacrificed and he felt worse recalling Zane. The little man had held his finger, showing their home to him on his secret visit. Thinking of him losing his only parent started to worry him more.

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At the other end,

The security team increased the speed to track the kidnapper. To keep the case low profile, they didn't take the help of local cops. Soon they caught up but two cars of kidnappers split into two ways. Thanks to GPS, they followed the right car in which Anya and Kyle were present.

Inside the kidnappers' car, the driver reported to the men inside, "They are following us so accurately." There was a hint of panic in his voice.

The man in the middle row who was giving out orders, turned to Kyle and demanded, "Where is your mobile? Are you sending them the location?"

Kyle responded immediately shaking his hands, "No, my mobile is confiscated… And why will I put us in danger?" He wasn't sure if he should be happy about being saved or be scared of Harper's men. Both the ways, his heart was shuddering in his ribs.

However, the man still checked Kyle by running his hands over his clothes. Then he turned to Anya. The previous night they had broken her mobile so he was sure she had no device with her. However, he still checked the blazer pockets she was wearing. He found absolutely nothing.

"Dammit!!" The man cursed in frustration. He looked behind the car. The black car was right behind them trying to overtake. It was a bulletproof car that's used by the President and his team. If they were normal cops, it wouldn't have been risky.

"Check if the backup could come." He ordered the bald man who was on the shotgun seat. Then he turned to the driver, "Mac, drive faster and try to trick them."

The driver increased the speed while the bald man tried to check for backup. Kyle didn't know what to do. He looked front and back, then at Anya. He was puzzled why she wasn't waking up yet. The car was in chaos, the driver was trying to dodge the black car from overtaking, yet she was lying there without any movements.

His trembling hand reached near her nose and breathed in relief when her calm breath hit his skin. He removed his blazer and covered her, hoping it could keep her warmer.

The other three men didn't bother with his actions. Now the important goal was to get rid of the chasing car.

The leader started mulling about throwing Kyle out so that the chasing car could stop while they take the chance and escape with Anya.

At the same time, two men reported one after the other after ten minutes, "They are coming behind us without a pause or delay." He couldn't fathom the situation. He took consecutive left turns, the black car wasn't stopping or delaying at all. They took the same turns very precisely.

"No backup around." They had come too far while being chased, "We are asked to hold the two as hostages and escape." The bald man looked at Kyle and unconscious Anya. He regretted injecting sleeping drugs into her body. He hoped others would think of her as unconscious instead of dead.

The bald man cued the team leader with his eyes. 'The lady should be safe. Kyle isn't.'

The leader faintly nodded at the bald man under Kyle's fearful gaze. They didn't want Kyle to freak out. "Alright, take us to a backstreet." ordered, the leader fetched the button knife out and pulled Anya towards him.

"Don't…" Kyle shut his lips as soon as he met with the man's murderous gaze. He watched all of them covering their faces with a mask.

The next minute, they were in a small pathway where the fog was yet to disperse. Kyle was the hostage to the bald man. The unconscious Anya was the hostage of the leader but he didn't know how to hold her in a hand and put a knife at her neck without exposing himself much.

The security of the President stood behind the car door, pointing their firearms at the kidnappers. An officer tried to pressure them, "Give them to us, we won't hurt you."

The bald man dictated loudly, "Drop your guns and lower to the ground. Else we will kill these two right here." He moved the knife closer to Kyle's neck. The fear clutched the latter's throat and froze in his spot.

"You won't get anything by that." The officer tried to negotiate. He knew they needed Anya, and they couldn't let them kill Kyle either.

Meanwhile, none of them noticed the fog behind the kidnappers was getting denser by each second.