It seemed like a long dream. In drowsiness, Xia Shiyu woke up from unconsciousness.
“Do you know how to speak English?”
With her thought returning to her, she sensed that she was in a mobile environment.
On a car?
“Yes.”
“Perfect, my Han is terrible.” Caitlin chewed on her bubblegum and grinned.
She tried to focus her vision, but her iris seemed to be covered by a thin layer of a veil which made her unable to see anything clearly.
In haziness, she saw a figure.
“Where is… this? What, what did you do to me?”
Xia Shiyu suddenly woke up from her drowsy state, and her body jerked in anger.
The chair began to squeak, but her motions were ineffective. When she discovered her hands and legs were tightly tied to the chair, her face began to lose any sign of life as her vibrant red lips quivered.
She remembered the instant before she lost her consciousness; she despairingly realized the severity of the situation.
She was kidnapped.
“We didn’t do anything to you, at least for now. You better pray that your boyfriend makes the right decision,” Caitlin smiled, but her voice was cold.
“How, how much money do you want?”
“Unfortunately, we don’t need money.” Caitlin shrugged.
Xia Shiyu desperately attempted to force his pupils to gaze onto the kidnapper’s face, but it was futile.
She seemed to be surrounded by a thick fog, unable to render anything clearly.
“To prevent you from seeing things you shouldn’t be seeing, we used medicine to obstruct your vision. Trust us, it is for your benefit,” Caitlin seemed to have read Xia Shiyu’s mind as she said casually.
Kaching-
It was the sound of a gun being loaded.
She wriggled backward with fear written all over her face.
“Michael, it is not funny to scare the hostage,” The black man playing with the radio device worked on the equipment while he spoke.
“Is that so? Perhaps it is because I spent too much time in Iraq.” Michael shook the M9 in his hand as the Caucasian man grinned, “I heard Griss is here, I wonder where that guy is.”
“Team A, responsible for providing support. If we encounter the PLA, he might be up,” Caitlin said emotionlessly, then looked at the driver in the front. “Adam, how much longer?”
“Half an hour more.”
Before the police could set up blockades, they left Hucheng already. Since they were no ordinary kidnappers, if the local police could capture them, then they shouldn’t be agents anymore.
Based on Zhang Youjie’s plan, Team B would be responsible for making the last attempt in convincing Jiang Chen. Team C would bring the hostage to location while waiting for Team B’s news to see if they should leave Jiangxi and head to Fujian on the coast. Once there, they would use a special channel to pass through the strait before leaving the border through Yizhou.
If negotiation fails, Team B will execute Jiang Chen, Team C will also kill the hostage. If negotiation is successful, Team C would continue according to the plan and take Xia Shiyu out of the country. Team B will immediately follow and transfer Jiang Chen overseas.
As to Team A, they were responsible for any of the agents or soldiers that would appear and cover for Team B’s retreat.
Caitlin already memorized the mission brief in her mind, she just didn’t expect it to be so smooth.
With eyes narrowed, she examined the frightened Xia Shiyu with a grin as she leaned the SCAR assault rifle on its side.
“He is not my boyfriend…” Xia Shiyu said with a trembling voice in an attempt to convince the kidnappers to let her go.
She had never seen anything like this living in the peaceful world.
“Is that so? Then we’ll have to find out. But you better pray that he loves you, or we might kill you.” Caitlin laughed and completely disregarded her words.
Xia Shiyu felt her hands turn cold as a grave despair started to engulf her.
Her lips trembled, her throat felt as if it was stuffed by a marshmallow, she couldn’t say anything.
[Please, who could save me…]
She closed her eyes in hopelessness.
…
Jiang Chen drove while Ayesha sat in the passenger seat. The two already left Hucheng on a small route. When they passed by the temporary inspection station, the police didn’t detain them. By the looks of it, Dagger was still not awake and didn’t report Jiang Chen missing to his superior.
Jiang Chen’s phone rung and he scanned the caller.
<Zhang Youjie>
A sneer surfaced on the corner of his lips.
[Of course, it is him.]
It was not a coincidence that he appeared at the Near Lake Restaurant.
“Prepare the equipment and prepare to track his location,” Jiang Chen without any emotion.
Ayesha nodded and took out the wireless tracking device and opened the map on the EP around her wrist.
With the car parked on the side of the road, Jiang Chen pressed the pickup button.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Mr. Jiang, what’s your decision?” Zhang Youjie said in a cheerful voice.
“Where is Xia Shiyu?” Jiang Chen said distantly.
“Who is Xia Shiyu? Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying, I’m only a consulate worker,” Zhang Youjie spoke with a smile.
“A consulate worker? Then why are you not in Wanghai City and here in Hucheng?” Jiang Chen scorned.
“Of course here to deal with diplomatic affairs. Does your country have a law restricting consulate worker’s mobility?” Zhang Youjie pretended to be surprised.
Ayesha displayed the EP on her wrist, the red dot stopped at the Wanghai City consulate.
[When he left the restaurant, he returned to Wanghai City right away?]
“I will ask again, where is Xia Shiyu?”
Sensing Jiang Chen’s rage, Ayesha worriedly held his hand caringly.
The cold touch on his hand calmed Jiang Chen slightly as he looked at Ayesha gratefully before taking a deep breath and recollecting his thoughts.
In a moment like this, the more he panicked, the more likely a mistake would occur. He must have a clear mind to think of a solution.
Just like when he was in Veit.
Seeing Jiang Chen calm down, Ayesha gently smiled and let his hand go.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. But if you are looking for someone, why don’t you provide me with your email? I have a particular location that might be of help?
If he said anything he shouldn’t have said on the phone, it could be recorded as evidence, and he would face prosecution for espionage. He would never do something to dig his own grave.
Jiang Chen read out his email. Quickly, the phone beside his ear buzzed. The email; was already sent to his phone.
“If anything happens to Xia Shiyu, trust me, I will make you regret it,” Jiang Chen said calmly.
“That’d be really scary then. Also, you better go alone. If I find out that the General Staff Department follows you, something bad may happen-”
The phone went dead.
Zhang Youjie paused before he threw his phone on the desk and smiled.
“Interesting.”