Chapter 103
Caroline was utterly exhausted. Slumped in her seat, she drifted in and out of sleep, vaguely aware of the car exiting the highway.
They arrived at a small town, and the car drove directly into a courtyard. The heavy iron gate closed immediately.
In the corner, several black wolfhounds stared menacingly. Their presence triggered Caroline's childhood memory of being bitten by a dog, filling her with fear. She couldn't even tolerate larger pet dogs, let alone these fierce wolfhounds. Seeing this, the fake cop smirked with satisfaction.
He pointed at the dogs and then at the surveillance cameras on the wall, warning, "Don't move, or you'll regret it."
Caroline nodded slightly.
"There's a room inside where you can rest. Sleep during the day; we'll leave when night falls," he instructed.
"But what about my children? Where are they?" Caroline asked.
"You'll see them later," the man replied.
Caroline walked into the house and noticed that other rooms had people sleeping in them. The fake cop followed closely, his eyes lingering on her with ill intent.
He pulled out a rope and said, "To prevent you from escaping, I have to tie you up."
"There are dogs and walls around. Where could I run to? Besides, my children are still in your captivity. How dare I escape?" Caroline argued.
"I have to do this," he insisted.
Caroline stepped back and asked, "I've been very cooperative and never made any rash moves. Who ordered you to tie me up?"
"Do you know my boss?" he asked, surprised.
"Don't touch me, or I'd rather die! You should know my connection with the Kennedy Family. If anything happens to me, they won't let it go. You'll be in big trouble, and your boss wouldn't want any unnecessary complications, right?" Caroline said coldly.
He was silent for a moment, ultimately saying nothing. He stared at Caroline unwillingly for a few seconds before turning and walking into another room.
Caroline couldn't sleep peacefully, but she was exhausted. She closed the door and sat on the cold floor, leaning against it. Though uncomfortable, this position gave her a sense of security, and she soon fell asleep.
When she woke up, she felt much more refreshed but physically weak and hungry. To face the unknown challenges, she needed to replenish her strength.
Leaving the room, she found instant noodles and beer in the living room. She took an unopened pack of noodles, poured hot water over it, and devoured it. Extreme hunger made the noodles taste exceptionally delicious.
While looking for the bathroom, she discovered that the small shed next to the pigsty seemed to be the toilet. But it was near the vicious dogs, and Caroline approached it cautiously. Fortunately, the dogs didn't attack her.
After relieving herself, she hurried back to the room and continued to rest against the door.
She was awakened again by a commotion. The other occupants seemed to be up, and the air outside was filled with the strong smell of instant noodles and alcohol. Caroline couldn't understand most of the language they were speaking, but she occasionally caught words like "path," "plane," and "rain."
She pretended to be asleep until someone knocked on the door and left after getting no response.
The day dragged on endlessly.
Finally, night fell, and another car arrived. Soon, a rough kick on the door was accompanied by broken English. "Get up, your kids are here."
Caroline jumped up and opened the door. Standing there was not the fake cop from before but a more burly man.
"You said my kids are here?"
The burly man gestured for her to look at the entrance.
Caroline ran over and saw a woman leading Ryan and Sophie inside. Ryan and Sophie, upon seeing Caroline, tried to break free and run to her.
Tears streamed down her face as Ryan and Sophie's mouths were taped shut, allowing them only to make muffled sounds, which tore at Caroline's heart.
The woman initially held onto Ryan and Sophie tightly but eventually let go. Ryan and Sophie rushed into Caroline's arms, and the three of them hugged and cried.
"Take the tape off, but don't scream," a man warned.
Ryan and Sophie nodded vigorously.
Once the tape was removed, Sophie immediately burst into tears.
"It's okay, baby, don't cry. Mommy's here," Caroline gently comforted.
Ryan's tears flowed freely, but he stifled his sobs.
"Behave, and nothing bad will happen," the woman said.
Caroline nodded. "Thank you for taking care of my children."
This woman, around thirty years old, muscular, and dark-skinned, seemed worlds apart from Caroline. She appeared somewhat taken aback by the unexpected gratitude, clearly not anticipating Caroline to thank her instead of placing blame.
Caroline's gratitude was anything but sincere. She knew this dark-skinned woman would likely follow them all the way. To avoid conflict and spare Ryan and Sophie further distress, thanking her was the smartest move. As it turned out, Caroline's decision was right; the woman's eyes softened noticeably after being thanked.
"Mommy, who are they? Why are they doing this to us?" Sophie asked Caroline with wide eyes.
Caroline gently shook her head. So far, she was just as confused about these people's identities.
"Where are they taking us?" Sophie asked again.
Caroline still shook her head and said softly, "Don't ask too much."
The woman then took bread and milk from the car and handed them to Caroline, indicating she should feed Ryan and Sophie.
Seeing this, Sophie shook her head, probably tired of eating bread these past few days.
"Be good, eat to keep your strength up. Even if you don't like it, you have to eat some," Caroline coaxed softly.
Ryan was much more obedient, taking the bread and biting into it. When it became too hard to swallow, he washed it down with milk.
Though the taste was not good, it quickly replenished their strength.
Soon, Caroline and her kids were urged back into the car, which drove away from the courtyard under the cover of night.
Meanwhile, Nathan and the other arrived at the Star Valley of Silvercrest.
"Mr. Kennedy, the local police have checked all the hotels and inns, but found no trace of the targets," John reported.
Nathan nodded slightly; this result was within his expectations, as those people would never choose easily exposed hotels to stay in.
"So what do we do next?" John asked.
Nathan remained silent, his brow furrowed, deep in thought. "What's the situation at the border?" he asked.
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