Chapter 383 The Castle
At that moment, the young boy lay with his eyes shut, unconscious from the effects of a sedative. Around him, five or six burly men lounged in the plane's seats, their voices occasionally punctuating the silence. The boy made a valiant attempt to pry his eyes open, but the sedative's grip was too strong.
Two hours later, the plane descended with a gentle hum. One of the men scooped up the boy, and the rest followed suit, exiting the plane. A car idled on the side of the road, ready to receive them. They piled in, unceremoniously tossing the boy, Billy, into the back seat.
After being jostled around, Billy began to regain consciousness. His eyes fluttered open, taking in the unfamiliar car roof. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. As he shifted his small body, he felt the constraints on his hands and feet. The fog in his mind started to clear. He remembered he had been kidnapped!
The memory of the school restroom came flooding back. A man, disguised as a janitor, had followed him in. Before he could react, a handkerchief was pressed against his mouth and nose. He'd tried to hold his breath, to stifle a scream, but the sedative on the cloth had quickly taken effect.
Billy's gaze darted around the car, landing on the foreheads of the burly men. His lips tightened into a thin line. Who were these people? Why had they taken him?
"Kid, awake now?" The man next to him, his face obscured by a thick beard and mustache, asked in Spanish. The others in the car turned to look at him. "Woken up so soon?" They conversed amongst themselves in Spanish, but Billy understood.
Pretending to be terrified, Billy let out a loud wail. "Mommy, where are you? I want to go home, I want Mommy!"
His cries prompted a question from the front seat.
"James, what is he saying?"
The man next to Billy, presumably James, translated, "He says he wants to go home to find his mom."
Billy continued to cry, stealing glances at James. The man was watching him. Billy feigned fear and continued his cries. "Where are you taking me? I want my Mommy, Mommy, where are you?"
The men in the car covered their ears, shouting impatiently, "This kid is so annoying! James, scare him a bit, make him shut up!"
The man patted Billy's face and said, "Don't cry; if you cry, we'll throw you into the sea and feed you to the sharks."
Billy looked at him, his sobs subsiding. "Sir, I need to pee; whenever I get scared, I need to pee."
The man raised an eyebrow, "Hold it in for a bit."
Billy crossed his legs. "But I can't hold it anymore; I'm going to wet my pants."
A slight smile played on the man's lips. "Little guy, do you want to escape? Do you think you can get away with your small body?" Billy's intentions were clear, and his eyes flickered with determination. He looked at the man, his lips pursed. For some reason, he didn't sense the same murderous intent from the man as he did from the others.
"Billy's hand throbbed with pain. "Sir, could you help me untie the rope?" he asked. The man's gaze lingered on Billy for a moment before he wordlessly complied, untying the rope that bound him.
"Stay put, and don't get yourself killed," the man advised.
Billy detected a hint of concern in his voice. He stopped speaking and moved his hands and feet a bit.
One of his companions turned back, questioning his actions. "What did you say to him? Why did you untie his rope?"
"He claimed the rope was uncomfortable and he needed to relieve himself. I was afraid he would actually pee in the car and cause an unpleasant odor," the man replied.
At this, several of the companions erupted into laughter. "Isn't this boy supposed to be a prodigy? He's so timid? He's all talk!" they jeered.
"European children are useless!" another chimed in. The man's face darkened at their words.
One of his companions turned to him, "James, why so glum? You may not be a pure European, but you still carry the brave genes of our people from country H."
"If you were a pure European, do you think Stov would let you freeload in the club?" another added. A chill ran through James's body as he kicked the chair in frustration.
"Enough!" he snapped.
His companion also grew angry, standing up and taunting, "James, you're itching for a fight, aren't you?"
"If you want to fight, I'm ready," James retorted, his face impassive.
"Alright, Arthur, enough. Remember what Stov said: we need to unite, not fight amongst ourselves," another companion quickly intervened.
Arthur spat at James, "James is always flirting with that European woman. I don't know what Stov sees in her."
"Enough, Arthur. You know Stov has put that woman on a pedestal; he doesn't like others talking behind his back. Be careful. Stov might hear and come after you," another warned.
As the companions continued to bicker, James remained silent, his aura dark and brooding.
Billy sat quietly in the back seat, observing the unfolding scene with darting eyes. From the conversation, he concluded that this man named James was not on friendly terms with his companions.
The car continued on its journey.
After a while, Billy felt the car jostling along. He looked out the window to see a few streetlights piercing the darkness ahead. Rolling hills and dense forests filled his line of sight.
Suddenly, a castle-like structure came into view. A man with a gun patrolled the high watchtower. Billy gazed at the buildings, wondering where he was.
"We're almost there, James. Tie the kid up," a companion instructed. James grabbed Billy, retying his hands and feet.
Billy furrowed his brow, looking at James as if he wanted to say something.
The man spoke first, "Don't utter anything unnecessary. If I were you, I would remain silent."
Billy swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and obediently closed his mouth. The car came to a halt outside the castle. The door opened, and the man got out, carrying Billy on his shoulder as he walked towards the castle.
Billy's head hung uncomfortably low. He had intended to remain silent but eventually couldn't hold it in. "Sir, I feel uncomfortable," Billy said.
The man didn't say anything, but a few seconds later, he grabbed Billy under his arm. Billy thought to himself, 'Can't he just carry me normally?'
Being carried, held, squeezed - it all seemed the same to him. At least being held under his arm was better than being carried over the shoulder. Billy's head no longer felt congested, and the urge to vomit subsided.
The group entered the castle, and James took Billy into a room. "Stay put," he ordered. As he was about to leave, Billy panicked and shouted, "Sir, I need to relieve myself."
James glanced at him, untied the rope, and pointed to a corner of the room. "Go there."
The room was cold and damp. There was nothing except a window high up on the wall. As James was about to leave, Billy grabbed him, "Sir, why have you captured me? What can I do to get released?"
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