The relief was palpable when Elton discovered the wire fence was unexpectedly pliable, perhaps due to years of neglect, its edges curling up invitingly.
Elton didnât dare linger. Having assessed the fenceâs material, he carefully made his way back and settled onto the ground, but this time he misjudged his strength and crashed down with a thud.
Victoria gasped softly.
The reaction from the kidnappers was swift. The raucous sounds of their drinking from the next room hadnât ceased, but a very sober-looking thug with a lead pipe in hand pushed open their door.
Seeing Elton simply lying on the ground, the thug warned, âDonât even think about running. This pipe in my hand isnât picky about where it lands.â
âWe can be sure now thereâs one less enjoying the booze next door,â Elton whispered, his voice trembling.
Victoria listened, her heart pounding, âDad, whatâs wrong? Donât scare me!â
That group of kidnappers coming in once in a while already left Victoria in cold sweat. If her father were to be hurt, she didnât know how she would cope.
âIâm okay, itâs just⦠that guy bursting in gave me quite the jolt. But listen, Balfour, Iâve figured out the mesh-itâs tough but flexible. A bit of force and we could bend it to escape. through the back window!â
Hearing the good news, Balfour exhaled in relief, âMr. Lewis, take a break. Youâre not in a very good state. Weâll make our move once theyâre drunk.â
Even without Balfourâs advice, Elton needed to rest, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. He frowned, biting his lip hard, desperate not to worry the kids.
Captain Aidanâs hunch was spot on. There were quite a few ex-cons with a history of kidnapping out there, one named Jaxon caught his eye.
âThis guy guy was a big shot behind bars, commands a lot of respect,â one of the officers remembered, âWe spread his cronies across different prisons to cut off their ties. You recall that?â
Captain Aidan nodded.
If Jaxon was leading, this case was bigger than he had imagined.
âTrace his movements over the last month. Iâve got a gut feeling heâs involved.â
The data came back quickly, confirming Jaxonâs frequent trips to A City, a change from his usual haunts in C City.
âHeâs rallied a few old prison mates here. I think heâs planning a major heist before skipping town!â
âYouâre on point. We need to call in backup.â
Support for major cases was swift. Now they had to pin down the final location through. Jaxonâs van, last seen heading into C City.
The tension in the office was thick; everyoneâs breathing was hushed, and the drop of a pin wouldâve been thunderous.
âCaptain, check this out. They were spotted near this park at noon. Is that Jaxon?â
The suspect disembarked, lit a cigarette, and arrogantly disregarded the police watching him.
âHeh, thatâs him.â
Captain Aidan never believed anyone could face real punishment without fear.
They were brazen because they were arrogant and dismissive, but those bound by greed would also be split by it.
Only when these crooks spend their lives behind bars will they pay for their crimes.
Mara, clenching her hands, was all ears as the officers discussed. So, they had a lead on the suspects now?