"Boss, doesn't the car feel lighter to you?"
Among the three people lost in the heavy metal music, the fat man in the back seat noticed something off.
"That's just your imagination. Besides, we're on a mountain road. The bumps are normal."
The thin black man driving said to his brother behind him.
"But I keep hearing a dragging sound from the back."
The fat man turned around to look.
Big mistake.
The trunk was wide open. He quickly told the boss up front.
The thin black man slammed on the brakes. All three jumped out of the car. The trunk was completely empty.
The thin black man kicked a nearby tree in frustration.
"I told you to lock the damn trunk! Now she's gone!"
"Boss, let's just go back. That woman was tied up tight. Even if she fell out, she can't go anywhere. She's probably lying on the road somewhere."
The fat man grabbed the thin black man's arm, trying to calm him down.
The thin black man knew he was right, but he still kicked the tree again. They got back in the car and drove back the way they came, searching for Emma.
Meanwhile, Emma was running through the forest as fast as her legs could carry her. But she didn't follow the road. She knew those men would realize she was gone soon. They'd come looking for her along the road. No matter how fast she ran, she couldn't outrun a car.
So she headed deeper into the woods, looking for a place to hide. That way, when Liam sent people to find her, she'd be safer.
Maybe because she was a woman, the men hadn't tied the ropes very tight. But even so, the rough hemp rope had cut into her delicate skin, leaving bloody marks. Emma didn't care about that. She pulled the handkerchief out of her mouth and threw it into the bushes along with the rope. The cut on her forehead was still bleeding, but there was nothing she could do about it. Nothing mattered more than getting away.
She didn't know how long she walked. Her legs were numb. The forest was too big, too deep. Then she saw a cave, hidden behind some bushes. Without thinking twice, she went inside.
Luckily, no wild animals lived there. Otherwise, she'd be attacked by beasts before the gangsters even found her.
She curled up into a ball. The blood loss from her forehead was making her dizzy. Her thin coat couldn't keep out the cold. The wind howled through the cave entrance. Emma's head lolled to the side, and her thoughts faded into darkness. She fell asleep without realizing it.
"We're almost at the main road. How haven't we found her yet? Did she grow wings and fly away?"
The thin black man turned off the heavy metal music and slapped the steering wheel.
"Don't worry, boss. She's a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. As long as she's still in this forest, we'll find her."
The fat man had just finished comforting his brother when the sound of police sirens echoed in the distance. The sound grew closer, like a drum beating on their hearts.
"Stay calm. Maybe they're just out investigating another case. Don't panic."
The experienced thin black man knew that turning the car around now would only attract attention. So he spoke calmly to his brothers.
But deep down, he was praying. And his prayers went unanswered. The police car stopped right in front of them.
When they saw Liam Williams step out of the police car, their first thought was that they were doomed.
Several police officers surrounded their car, guns drawn. The three men were forced to raise their hands and get out. But even during the interrogation, they kept yelling that they were innocent. The police were suspicious, but they couldn't find Emma in the car. So they could only treat them as suspects for now and put them in the police car.
Liam personally inspected the car. When he opened the trunk, he saw bloodstains on the inside of the lid. Not much, but very obvious.
At that moment, it felt like a hammer had hit his chest. His heart ached so much he could barely breathe. Before the three suspects could be taken away, the thin black man felt a sudden force behind him. He was spun around. Liam's cold, slender fingers were wrapped around his throat.
"Tell me. Where is Emma Johnson now? If you don't speak, I'll kill you right here."
Liam's voice was ice cold, like a demon from hell. His eyes were as sharp as blades. The thin black man felt like he was about to pass out from lack of oxygen. An unprecedented fear consumed him.
"I'll talk. I'll talk."
He forced the words out, barely audible. Liam loosened his grip slightly, but the veins on the back of his hand were still bulging. It was clear that if the answer wasn't satisfactory, the man would be dead in seconds.
"We were taking her to the mountains. But the trunk popped open, and she fell out. By the time we noticed, we couldn't find her. Then you showed up. I think she's still in the mountains, but I don't know exactly where."
The thin black man's words came out with great difficulty. But at least Liam finally let go, letting him live.
The police quickly took him into the car. It was the first time he was so eager to get into a police car. Anything was better than being strangled by that man.
"Sir, I'm afraid Mrs. Williams is really in the mountains. We didn't see her on the road."
Christopher Martin forced himself to speak to Liam, whose aura had dropped to freezing point.
"Search. Carpet search. I don't believe we can't find her."
Liam's whole body radiated coldness, like the Arctic. His handsome face was as sharp as a knife. Without another word, he led the way into the mountains. Christopher and the police officers soon launched a carpet search.
When Liam reached a certain spot, he saw a hemp rope and a handkerchief thrown into the grass. His dark eyes lit up. Finally, a glimmer of hope.
"Emma."