?Chapter 121:
As the dawn crept across the sky, painting it with hues of orange and pink, Norah’s heart raced against time.
The urgency was palpable in the tight grip she had on her steering wheel, her mind a tumult of worry for Kason. The GPS coordinates on her phone had directed her to a remote location, a solid half-hour’s drive from where she had been, and the uncertainty of what awaited her there gnawed at her nerves.
Kason’s recent injury, his right hand still in the throes of recovery, addedyers of anxiety to her already frantic thoughts. What if he was in danger? What if he needed help?
At a red light, a moment of pause in her hurried journey, Norah swiftly tied her hair back, a physical manifestation of her readiness to leap into action. Her resolve was clear. “Kason, I’ll be there soon.”
Upon Norah’s arrival, the sight of two police cars already stationed at the scene offered a sliver of reassurance.
The police captain, spotting Norah, approached her vehicle with a brisk stride. “Were you the one who called the police?” he inquired, peering into the car. “What about the victim?”
Upon their arrival at the deserted location, all the police had encountered were grass and leaves, with no sign of any individual present.
Norah nodded, her voice steady butced with concern. “Yes, I did. It’s about Kason. He should be here somewhere.”
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She dialed Kason’s number, and his ringtone faintly sounded from within the bushes.
Guided by the sound, she discovered his phone, swiftly unlocking it to find it open to a text message conversation.
A sinking feeling took hold. Something dire had befallen Kason.
“I believe the phone’s owner may have been abducted, making this the crime scene,” Norah announced, holding the device aloft, a sense of urgency in her voice. “This gives us a critical opportunity to unearth any leads.”
As the captain examined Kason’s phone, the discovery of bloodstains and numerous footprints in the vicinity prompted a grave look to wash over his face. “Understood!” he eximed, signaling the gravity of their findings. Their timing was crucial. The surrounding woods and the likelihood of any vehicles leaving traces behind became focal points for their search.
Noticing fresh blood specks on the foliage, a stark red against the green, tugged at Norah’s heartstrings.
Had Kason been wounded even before she reached out to him? The silence on his end now haunted her. If only he had given some indication of his predicament or any detail about his assant.
Engrossed in her thoughts and barely feeling the physical pain, Norah’s hand brushed against the grass, the sharp edges of the leaves nicking her skin and drawing a bead of blood.
Yet, the physical difort paled inparison to her confusion and concern over Kason’s silence.
With a resolve strengthened by the ordeal, Norah presented the police with the necessary information. “The individual believed to be abducted is named Kason Hayes. Typically, he is apanied by two bodyguards. It might be worthwhile to inquire if his bodyguards have any information regarding his current location.”
Upon learning the identity of the missing individual, the police captain’s demeanor shifted noticeably.
Kason’s name resonated with recent police operations. It was a name linked to a distinguished, albeit retired, individual known for his upromising methods and exceptional detective work.
The possibility that Kason might have encountered trouble during an assignment crossed their minds, especially given theck of any reports to their department regarding an incident involving him.
“Miss, we appreciate this information. You’re free to go now. We’ll keep you updated on any developments,” the captain informed Norah, hinting at the sensitive nature of the case tied to an ongoing mission, which led to his suggestion for Norah to depart the scene.
Norah’s concern for Kason was palpable, her voice tinged with urgency. “Kason is my friend. I’m deeply worried about his disappearance. Please, prioritize his search!”
The captain reassured her. “The police are fullymitted to this search. We’ll mobilize all resources to ensure his swift recovery. You have our word.”
Despite the captain’s words, Norah remained on edge, unable to shake off her anxiety.
She lingered by her car, observing the police as they diligently gathered evidence and coordinated their next moves.
The thought of Kason’s potential abduction tightened a knot of worry within Norah. She understood all too well the despair and hope that came with being held captive.
Then something caught her eye.
It was a small, ck fox charm hidden among the bushes.
Stooping to retrieve it, Norah recognized the trinket instantly.
It was identical to one she had seen with the girl involved in a previous attempt to draw her into a fake rescue operation.
The charm, norger than a pinky fingernail, was a clue she found by mere chance.
The emblem of the ck fox stirred a suspicion within her.
Could the notorious Fox Alliance be involved once again?
“I’ve found something significant!” Norah announced, her voice firm as she held aloft the small ck fox charm, instantly drawing the focus of the nearby officers to her discovery.
“Ssh!” Meanwhile, in a starkly different scene, Kason endured the harsh chill of a sudden dousing.
A bucket of icy water cascaded over him, making him quiver from the cold. His leg wound, still fresh and bleeding, had be a distant ache, numbed by the intensity of his situation.
A taunting voice broke the silence, its toneced with mockery. “Quite bold of you, venturing alone into their of our Fox Alliance. Did you really presume we’d be sox in our defenses?”
The source of the voice, a woman adorned in provocative attire, lounged on a stool, her legs elegantly crossed. Her presence filled the room with a dangerous allure.
“The Fox Alliance isn’t some yground for your infiltration. Are you a cop? Did they send you as a scout, hoping to dismantle us in one fell swoop? Laughable. Now that you’re in our grasp, escape is but a fanciful dream.”
Rising, she approached Kason, who was bound and helpless, and with a slow, deliberate motion, her red-manicured fingers brushed away the beads of water from his face. “Such a waste of a handsome man. Align yourself with me, and I may yet spare your life.”
Kason, engulfed in darkness both literal and figurative, responded only with defiant silence, his jaw clenched as he averted his gaze.
His background in the special forces, specializing in reconnaissance and sniping, had prepared him for perilous solo missions. Yet, this unforeseen capture by the Fox Alliance was a scenario he hadn’t anticipated.
“Still so unyielding?” the woman sneered, her voice cold with menace. “Your defiance will crumble under our will.”
The woman gave a curtmand to one of her subordinates.
“Fetch me one of our strongest spirits. I n to take care of him personally tonight.”
Kason, with his sharply defined jawline and ruggedly handsome features, exuded a charisma that was hard to ignore.
Hilda, uponying eyes on him, was instantly captivated.
Kason’s affiliation with the police was of no consequence to Hilda. The prospect of spending a night with him overshadowed any such considerations.
“Attend to his leg wound,” Hilda ordered, her fingertips lightly grazing Kason’s face, a gesture of possessive anticipation.
To Hilda, Kason wasn’t just another attractive man. His allure was unparalleled in her eyes.
Despite Kason’s strong resolve, his physical state—hampered by a gunshot wound to his leg, an injured wrist, and his restraints—left him powerless, prey to the mercy of his captors.
Hilda’s lips, painted a deep shade of red, exuded a maic charm. Her proximity was intoxicating. “Your defiance only fuels my desire,” she taunted, reveling in his helplessness. “Tonight, there will be no rescue, no escape. You are mine.”
The men forcibly opened Kason’s mouth, pouring golden liquor over his lips. The liquid spilled down his jaw and stained his clothes, an act of domination that delighted Hilda.
Taking a bottle herself, Hilda insisted on feeding Kason the alcohol, further asserting her control.
“If your fingers can consider it, then it’s an unspoken agreement to stay and be a permanent fixture within the Fox Alliance, at my side,” Hilda whispered, her eyes alight with a mix of madness and adoration.
Kason, coerced into drinking, struggled against the overpowering taste of the alcohol and the pain from his injuries. The liquor coursed through him, blurring his senses, while his drenched chin and attire only served to amplify Hilda’s fascination.
“Drink up, embrace the fate that awaits us,” she urged, watching as Kason’s resistance waned under the dual assault of alcohol and agony, his will teetering on the edge of oblivion.
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