Chapter 2362
Time had become a hazy concept as they finally reached their destination. Balfour and Victoria found themselves thrown into a room.
The kidnappers, having delivered their captives, seemed to forget about them as quickly as they had appeared, leaving them bound and confined.
Balfour was not one to resign to fate.
When the surrounding silence assured him of their captors’ absence, he began to cautiously wriggle against his restraints, but the ropes binding his wrists and ankles were wound tight.
The more he struggled, the more the coarse fibers of the ropes bit into his skin, refusing to give way.
Meanwhile, Victoria, feeling the weight of their grim situation, had begun to sob quietly in the darkness.
“Shh-don’t be scared,” Balfour managed to whisper, his voice strained. He wasn’t sure if Victoria could hear him over her whimpering, but at the sound of his voice, her crying subsided ever so slightly.
The creak of the door sent a jolt through them, and Balfour instantly ceased all movement, tilting his head toward the sliver of light that now breached the room.
“Boss, let’s have them make a call,” one of the kidnappers suggested with a sense of urgency. “They’re loaded. We tell ’em to cough up a cool million, and we can live the high life for the rest of our days!”
The others laughed, the sound cruel and eager. The idea of never having to worry about their next meal again brought them unspeakable joy.
“We’ve got the upper hand. They’ll pay whatever we ask. And if they even think about calling the cops, we’ll just cut our losses. Worst case, we spend the rest of our life in jail. So what?”
Balfour’s heart sank. These men were desperate, ready to risk everything for a payday.
Victoria was trembling, her teeth chattering audibly-a sound that didn’t go unnoticed by their captors.
thought you said there was only one boy.” one of them said, eyeing Victoria suspiciously.
The ringleader, lighting up a cigarette, shrugged nonchalantly. “Who knows? She was with the boy, so I had them both brought in. If it adds to the ransom, great. If not, we can always ‘take care’ of her later.”
1/2
08.13
Their callous disregard for human life was unmistakable, and Balfour was acutely aware that if they found out Victoria wasn’t worth anything to them, her fate could be sealed.
It wasn’t long before they ripped the tape from their mouths with such force that it split Victoria’s lips.
Finally, they removed the blindfolds. Balfour blinked against the light, taking in their captors. Contrary to his expectations, they weren’t the burly thugs of movies and novels; some were actually quite scrawny, but every one of them had a look that said they were not to be crossed.
“Listen up, kid,” the leader said, a mocking tone in his voice as he patted Balfour’s cheek with his phone. “You’ve fallen into our hands now. You do what we say, and you won’t get hurt. Step out of line, and all bets are off.”
He dialed with practiced ease, and Balfour braced himself for what was to come.
“Hello-”
“Who’s this? Why aren’t you speaking? Did you take my grandson?” Alyssa shouted, her voice frantic with worry.
Balfour’s heart clenched, but he shot the kidnappers a look, silently assuring them he would play along.
As Alyssa’s pleas grew increasingly desperate, the leader finally spoke, his voice low and measured. “That’s right. It’s me.”
212
08:13
