L felt a pang of sadness at Ash''s words.
She broke the bread in half and handed a piece to him. "I can''t finish it all. Will you help me eat half of it?"
Ash shook his head.
"Grandma said one for each of us. I can''t take yours, L," he said earnestly.
His eyes suddenly caught sight of the man in the military coat, and his face lit up with a cheerful smile. "Mr. Mapleford!"
Said man looked up briefly. He had taken off his mask, but his long hair and lowered head still obscured most of his face. When he heard Ash calling, he gave
a low grunt in acknowledgment without looking up further.
L hadn''t heard James speak when she met him, so she didn''t recognize his voice.
After finishing his meal, the man in the military coat quickly put his mask back on, as though afraid someone might see his face.
L asked Ash, "Have you ever seen what Mr. Mapleford looks like? Why does he always wear a mask?"
"Because he''s not handsome," Ash replied with a child''s bluntness. "I asked him once, and Mr. Mapleford said he has scars on his face and doesn''t want to scare people."
L''s grip on her spoon tightened. "Have you seen those scars? Where are they? What do they look like?"
Sensing her urgency, Ash tilted his head in thought before pointing to the side of his face. "Here."
L couldn''t tell if she felt more disappointed or relieved at his answer.
Her parents'' deaths would remain unavenged if she couldn''t find James.
But the inte had been flooded with police bulletins seeking James, and news could spread even in this remote vige.
She feared that if cornered, he might act out in desperation and harm innocent people.
L nced at the man. He kept his head down as he worked, silent amidst the asional chatter of others.
Her gaze shifted to the cameras filming the area. If this man were James, wouldn''t it be far too reckless for him to appear on camera?
Ash had never seen cameras and was fascinated by them. In the afternoon, he followed L around, sometimes even helping her carry a few pots of nts.
Since he was well-behaved, the production team didn''t stop him.
After filming wrapped up, L washed up and prepared to head back, holding Ash''s hand.
As they walked, something felt off.
The vige seemed unusually crowded today.
"Ash, do you know those people?" L asked warily.
Their clothing didn''t stand out much from the locals, but Louise had mentioned there were few young people left in the vige. The sudden appearance of several strong, 30-something men in military style coats struck her as odd.
Ash shook his head. "I don''t know them."
L tightened her grip on his hand and quickened her pace.
But just as they turned a corner, she felt the cold press of an iron rod against the back of her head.
"Don''t move," a low voice ordered.
L''s heart raced. She instinctively pulled Ash into her arms to shield him.
The man deliberately kept his voice low, but L caught a glimpse of green fabric out of the corner of her eye.
She recalled the name John had mentioned earlier and spoke slowly. "Should I call you Reggie Mapleford, or James Lloyd?"
The man chuckled. "You''re sharp like your father. Keep walking. Don''t let those people see us."
L had a hunch that those men
from earlier were undercover police officers. Janies must have realized this too, which was why he hade for her.
"I''ll go with you. Just let Ash go home," L negotiated.
James smirked. "Do you think you''re in a position to make demands?"
Ash wriggled out of L''s arms and clung to James'' leg. "Mr. Mapleford, please don''t hurt L!"
"Shut up!" Reggie snapped.
L reached out to pull Ash back. "Be good, Ash. Mr. Mapleford is just ying a game with me."
She then turned to James and
added, "Kids can be noisy. Why not
let him go home? You came for me because you wanted leverage rigi The police won''t abandon any hostage. But Kieran will be far more concerned about me, right?