Chapter 264 When Kidnapping Becomes a Trend
"Fuck!" Ryder said. It was the only thing he could think of to say at that moment.
He hadn't expected that, nor had he expected that Barbara couldn't swim. As soon as she jumped in, she started sinking. She instinctively began to struggle.
Barbara was getting farther and farther from the shore. She was about to drown.
Ryder was shocked. Why would she jump into the river if she couldn't swim?
"Fuck! Just my luck! I have to save her!" he said.
Ryder didn't even bother to take off his clothes and jumped into the river.
It was early autumn, so the water was cold. As soon as he jumped in, Ryder felt a shiver run through his body.
He took a deep breath and swam towards Barbara. Soon, he reached her.
Ryder grabbed her under the arms and started swimming towards the shore.
Barbara started struggling. "Let go of me! Let me die! Don't save me!"
Saving a drowning person was already dangerous, but if the drowning person struggled, even a good swimmer could have a hard time and might even lose his own life.
Ryder cursed, "You'd better stay still!"
"I don't want you to save me! Let me die!"
Barbara didn't listen and struggled violently, causing Ryder to gulp a few mouthfuls of water.
At this point, even the usually good-tempered Ryder couldn't take it anymore.
Without a word, he slapped Barbara across the face. She was stunned. She stopped crying, stopped struggling, and stopped shouting about wanting to die.
Ryder took this opportunity to drag Barbara to the shore with all his might.
Then he carried Barbara to the grass on the side of the road and threw her down. Barbara landed with a thump.
Ryder sat down beside her, gasping for air, feeling like his lungs were about to explode.
He glanced at Barbara and saw her lying on the grass, coughing, her clothes soaked through. At least she wasn't dead.
Just as Ryder was about to wring out his clothes, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right cheek.
Barbara had slapped him.
Turning to look at her, he saw Barbara staring at him angrily.
"Are you crazy? Why did you slap me?"
Barbara complained, "I didn't ask for you to save me! Besides, you slapped me first!"
Ryder rolled his eyes. "Was it wrong for me to save you? If I hadn't slapped you, I would have drowned with you. Yet this is the thanks I get! You repaid my kindness with resentment!"
Barbara retorted, "It would be better if you drowned with me so you wouldn't drag Sarah down anymore!"
"If you want to be so stubborn, fine! Go ahead and jump into the river again. I won't meddle anymore!" Ryder said. He was furious.
"You think I won't do it?" Barbara said angrily as she tried to get up. However, after being thrown to the ground by Ryder, her butt and waist were in so much pain that even moving was difficult, let alone standing up.
Ryder sneered. "Put your back into it! Weren't you all raring to go before? Anyway, let me remind you, this river is full of piranhas, the kind that love to eat meat! If you drown this time, I guarantee that your body won't be recovered. You'll be gnawed down to the bone. What a waste of your pretty face and figure! Still, it doesn't matter to me. Once you're dead, no one will meddle in my and Sarah's marriage anymore, and I can do whatever I want!"
Hearing these words, Barbara, who had just been gritting her teeth, immediately turned pale!
A flash of fear crossed her big eyes as she cursed, "Ryder! You are a bastard! A despicable scoundrel!"
Ryder looked indifferent. "That's just how I am, and there's nothing you can do about it. You said you wanted to die, so go ahead. The moment you drown, I'll take a picture and post it online! I've already got the title in mind."
This time, Barbara opened her mouth but couldn't think of anything to say.
For the first time, she realized that Ryder was much harder to deal with than she had imagined.
Just then, they heard a series of footsteps coming from behind them.
Before Ryder and Barbara could react, several figures suddenly appeared.
These people didn't hesitate and immediately pounced on them, putting bags and ropes over their heads.
Ryder and Barbara had just escaped from the river and were extremely exhausted. They had no strength to resist and were quickly subdued.
Next, wet towels were pressed against their noses and mouths, and a strong, pungent smell filled their nostrils. Ryder and Barbara passed out.
"Quick, get them in the car!"
Several people quickly lifted Ryder and Barbara into a van parked by the roadside.
The vehicle drove off, disappearing into the night. Just as the van left, a black Santana pulled up by the roadside, and three burly men got out. Leading them was a bald man wearing sunglasses.
He scratched his head, looking confused. "Fuck! What's going on here? Did Matthew send more than just us?"
A subordinate next to him said, "Orlando, why don't you call and ask?"
Orlando nodded, took out his phone, and dialed Matthew's number.
Matthew answered immediately. At that moment, he was reading in his study at home.
Seeing Orlando's call, Matthew smiled and asked, "Did you catch Ryder?"
"What?" Orlando asked.
"Ryder Clark! Weren't you supposed to be watching him?"
Orlando retorted, "Matthew, we've known each other for years, and we follow the rules. Your people clearly took Ryder, so why are you asking me about it?"
This time, it was Matthew's turn to be confused.
His voice lowered slightly, "Orlando! I don't have time for jokes. Hand Ryder over immediately, or you won't see a penny from me!"
Orlando's eyelid twitched. "Matthew! Out of respect for you, I won't argue. But don't push it. My men and I need to eat, too! Using such tricks to fool us will ruin your reputation!"
At this point, Matthew sensed something was wrong. He quickly said, "Orlando! Calm down and tell me exactly what happened!"
Orlando then recounted how Ryder had been kidnapped before they could act. After hearing this, Matthew was confused. He had only sent Orlando's crew to kidnap Ryder and hadn't dispatched anyone else.
Who could tell him what was going on?
Could kidnapping have become some sort of game?
Despite his many doubts, Matthew immediately gave Orlando an order. "I'll add another sixteen grand. You must get Ryder back! Alive or dead, I need to see him!"