Chapter 126 Find the Person or Face the Consequences
Raymond observed Paige in silence, his question hanging in the air unanswered. She hesitated, her reluctance causing a pang of disappointment in Raymond's heart. It was impossible to hide the hurt that flickered in his eyes. After all, how could he not feel let down?Raymond had always been willing to fulfill Paige's desires without a moment's hesitation. He was even prepared to monitor and secure her entry into the secret chamber, all to appease her Curiosity, but when it came to a matter of life and death, Paige faltered. She hesitated. Before this moment, Raymond had dismissed Paige's talk of divorce as mere playful banter, but now, a chilling realization dawned on him. Her words might have been a reflection of her true feelings!Paige was at a loss for words. She didn't want to lie to Raymond. "We'll definitely make it out safely. We will, just hang in there!" she reassured him. Her skills were formidable, honed through five years of adversity. Wasn't it all to protect the people she cared about during crucial moments?Despite her reassurances, Raymond's expression remained tense. Paige wondered if her hesitation had wounded his spirit. If she were in his shoes, she would have felt the same disappointment, the same anger. Raymond, however, was just pale, a testament to his consideration under such circumstances.The helicopter hummed as it carried the shipping container through the sky. Paige had already begun securing the bed and wheelchair, preparing for the inevitable landing. The helicopter wouldn't stay airborne forever, and the landing was bound to be rough. Raymond remained silent throughout the journey, making the already cramped space feel suffocating. After about half an hour, Paige suddenly felt a sense of weightlessness. "The plane's starting to land. We're going down," she announced.Raymond murmured an acknowledgment and, following Paige's instructions, seated himself in the wheelchair without making any significant movements. Paige had secured the bed, and the wheelchair was fixed beside it. As the plane descended, the container hit the ground first, causing a jolt as Paige had predicted,but after the turbulence, there came a reassuring sense of solid ground beneath them. The container had landed.The soundproofing in the container was non-existent, and it didn't take long before they heard someone approaching. Paige immediately stood up, gripping a steak knife and fork tightly in her hands, but before she could reach the door, a voice from outside warned them, "Stay away from the doors and windows, or you'll be responsible for the consequences."Paige wasn't sure what the people outside were planning, but she was about to find out. The window hissed a few times and was welded shut, leaving only small cracks for air. The container door was also quickly locked from the outside.Paige was taken aback, "They actually aren't planning on letting us out!"Finally, Raymond spoke up, "They probably want to trap us in here for now. Welding the window is just to prevent us from escaping. Don’t worry, we won't die in here."As soon as Raymond's voice faded, the container's power supply started to function normally again. The lights came on, and the heating system kicked back in, gradually warming the room.Paige, not ready to give up, walked over to the door and tried to open it. The inside lock gave way, but the outside had already been firmly locked. This meant that unless someone outside wanted to let them out, they were definitely trapped.Paige clenched her fists tightly, "I'm sorry, I dragged you into this."It seemed that other than apologizing, Paige really couldn't think of anything else to say to Raymond. It was her fault, after all, that she had pulled Raymond into this dangerous situation.Raymond said, "If you want to apologize, just make it up to me when we're safely home. I can accept your compensation!"Raymond didn't specify what he meant by compensation, but it was clear there was only one kind of compensation he'd accept from Paige!At this moment, Paige's mind wasn't really on that. She and Raymond were trapped in there, not even knowing what their enemy really wanted. Did they want Raymond? Then why were they both brought here? Was it just because she happened to be in this container turned dwelling, that they were both caught in the same net?
However, if their adversaries had orchestrated this snare with meticulous forethought, they must have anticipated her presence with Raymond.Their marital bond was well-known, and Raymond's involvement in the deal she was supervising was no secret. They would naturally remain vigilant in such circumstances, wouldn't they? The loss of a person could precipitate a myriad of complications.The only logical conclusion to this conundrum was that both Paige and Raymond were the intended targets!The time for self-recrimination and guilt was not now. Guilt would serve no purpose for Paige in this predicament.With the door proving impenetrable and the window serving merely as a ventilation outlet, they were undeniably trapped.Even in such dire circumstances, Paige's honed skills found no outlet for application.Observing Paige's restless pacing, Raymond implored her, "Sit down. It's the dead of night, and we're still grappling with jet lag. Besides, we're in the dark about who's orchestrating this abduction.Given the magnitude of this operation, it can't be the handiwork of just any common thug. Our identities are known, and we've been transported here without a scratch, with no one attending to us for the time being. Let's seize this opportunity to rest."Paige's anxiety was palpable, "We've been abducted just like that. Won't Charles immediately report to Bradley? And it's uncertain whether Julian can accurately trace our current location."Once the container was stationed, Paige discerned that her cell phone signal had been jammed. It went without saying that Raymond's phone was undoubtedly in the same predicament. The perpetrators had managed to power the container, so it was a given that a signal-blocking device had been installed outside.Raymond addressed Paige's initial concern, "Charles won't lose his cool, and he won't communicate impulsively with Bradley's side. You needn't worry about that."Paige nodded, "That's reassuring." She couldn't pinpoint why, but Bradley seemed to place unwavering trust in her, and Paige had no intention of betraying that trust.If Charles reported back home, Bradley might stumble upon a clue, or conceive a plan. In that scenario, Paige couldn't bear the thought of facing Bradley again.As for the Carnegie family, even if she managed to return unscathed with Raymond, she couldn't explain the situation away!Charles, indeed, reacted as Raymond had predicted, maintaining his composure.However, on Julian's end, Cecil West had been tracking Paige's location, but abruptly, the red dot on his computer screen faded. Cecil West furrowed his brow and bolted upright from his seat.Julian, seated beside him, might not have comprehended the intricacies of Cecil's computer, but he understood that a red dot transitioning to gray spelled trouble. Julian inquired nonetheless, "Has the tracking failed?"Cecil West responded, "Signal lost."Julian persisted, "Can you pinpoint the last known location?""We can identify the last location, but we must act swiftly, with utmost urgency. Otherwise, if they're relocated, we'll truly lose Xanthe," Cecil informed him."I understand," Julian said. "Contact Pearl immediately, instruct her to come to Country M and mobilize all available resources, regardless of the cost. Initiate a comprehensive search from the last known signal point if necessary, but we must locate Xanthe! Otherwise, we'll be left with no choice but to apologize with our heads bowed in shame."
