Chapter 130 A Natural Cage
Raymond's voice echoed with conviction, "Yes! I have but one condition, and that is the liberation of my wife."In two swift strides, Paige was by Raymond's side. Could Raymond truly be requesting her release?The woman, her face heavily adorned with makeup, cast a smile at Raymond, "Such devotion, Raymond! Cornered yet still striving to shield Mrs. Carnegie. It stirs envy within me. The saying goes, 'In times of calamity, every man for himself.' Yet here you are, Raymond, insisting on setting Mrs. Carnegie free while bracing yourself to face the peril alone. It's a sight I've never witnessed before."As she uttered these words, her gaze shifted toward Paige, seemingly devoid of any ill-will. However, when her eyes met Paige's once more, a vague smirk played on her lips.Paige's gaze remained fixed on Raymond, "She won't release me. The more you express concern for me, the more she'll want to retain me. Whether she uses me to threaten you or uses you to threaten me, the mutual leverage is what she desires."Paige was no simpleton. In this moment, she refused to let her emotions cloud her judgement due to Raymond's actions. Instead, she was acutely aware of the woman's intentions. Even so, she was still uncertain as to what this woman, or rather, the people she represented, truly desired from Raymond.Raymond clasped Paige's hand, "Then we face it together."Paige returned Raymond's gesture with an affirming glance. With her presence, the situation might not necessarily improve, but it wouldn't deteriorate significantly either. The woman shot Paige a frosty smile, her gaze deepening with a hint of surprise. She hadn't anticipated Paige's perceptiveness and rationality, which starkly contrasted her initial expectations.Paige's first impression was that of an extraordinary woman.Most women, faced with such circumstances, would be in a state of panic, either relieved at the prospect of Raymond requesting their release, eager to escape at the earliest opportunity, or they would be weeping, pouring their hearts out to Raymond without a moment's hesitation.On the other hand, Paige was the epitome of calm composure, a rarity indeed.The woman took a few steps, then pivoted to issue a command to her black-clad men, "That's enough, please escort them. The chill in this container is rather biting."Her bodyguards promptly advanced. Paige rose to her feet and positioned herself behind Raymond's wheelchair.As she watched the woman's retreating figure, she declared, "I'll push."The woman offered no objection but instructed her subordinates, "She wishes to push, let her."With that, she led the way.Paige, maneuvering Raymond's wheelchair, followed suit, encircled by a contingent of bodyguards who maintained a vigilant watch, guarding against any potential escape attempts.Upon exiting the container, Paige surveyed her surroundings. The environment was significantly colder than the base of Echo Peak, and as she scanned the area, she realized they were ensnared by mountains.In the depths of winter, the snow lay thick, but in this particular spot, it had been cleared away.Encased by snow-capped mountains with no discernible exit, it felt utterly cut off from the world.Both Paige and Raymond scrutinized their surroundings, arriving at the mutual conclusion that there appeared to be no road leading to this location.It was no wonder their captors had opted for a container for their transportation.Beyond the nearby containers, Paige spotted buildings blanketed by a thick layer of snow. It was truly peculiar to find houses in such a location.Previously, she had assumed that residing in containers might be the norm there. Perhaps the materials for these houses had been airlifted, hence the absence of visible roads.With helicopters at their disposal, they could easily commute by air, she reasoned.This also clarified why she had lost the signal while tracking it to this location; perhaps there was no signal to begin with.To confirm her suspicion, Paige glanced back towards the container area and indeed, there was no evidence of a signal jammer.This revelation caused her to pause. Could it be possible that this secluded location had no signal coverage at all?Paige inhaled deeply, recollecting that whenever individuals from this side had contacted her, they had always done so via her satellite phone.If there was no signal, not only would Julian and Cecil West be incapable of tracking anything, but it was highly probable that she and Raymond could perish here without anyone being aware.In this moment, Paige's calm exterior was merely a façade.
Anxiety gnawed at her heart, a relentless beast that refused to be silenced.Raymond, his gaze as intense as Paige's, lifted his eyes to meet hers. A wordless conversation passed between them, their expressions fraught with unease.It was evident to both of them that this place was unlike any they had encountered before.The woman leading them had not once glanced back, yet it was as if she had effortlessly deciphered Paige and Raymond's thoughts.Her laughter, light and teasing, echoed around them as she spoke, "Don't exhaust yourselves, don't even consider Raymond's impaired mobility. Even if you were seasoned warriors, escape would be impossible.This place is a world unto itself. Helicopters are the sole means of ingress or egress.Have you wondered why, after bringing you here, we didn't bother confiscating your cell phones?Because once you're here, those devices are as useful as bricks."Paige's thoughts echoed her words, 'Just as I suspected.'Her eyes swept over the surrounding snow-capped mountains, a landscape perpetually shrouded in snow, situated at a dizzying altitude.Both she and Raymond were in peak physical condition, which was why they didn't feel particularly unwell.However, for anyone less fit, survival here would have been a daunting challenge.Paige inhaled deeply, the realization dawning on her that this place was indeed a natural prison!Locating this spot from the outside world would be a Herculean task.Even with all the resources that she and Raymond's allies could marshal, they likely wouldn't be able to pinpoint it.Their only recourse, it seemed, was to devise a plan to rescue themselves."We're here."The woman halted in front of a diminutive two-story building.Paige cast a questioning look at the black-clad bodyguards encircling them. Dozens of them for such a minuscule building—how could it possibly accommodate them all?Could it be that they resided in shipping containers?While container homes might suffice for a brief sojourn, long-term habitation was an entirely different matter.The woman patiently waited for Paige to maneuver Raymond's wheelchair closer, then extended her hand in a welcoming gesture: "Come in, it's much warmer inside."Paige noted that the woman's mermaid dress exposed her bare calves beneath.It seemed she had acclimated to the harsh climate here.As Paige observed, the woman warned, "Don't harbor any false hopes. You won't be able to escape, I assure you of that!"Her words were a clear warning.Paige remained silent but shot the woman a piercing look.Raymond gently patted the back of Paige's hand, a silent plea for her to remain calm.He didn't need to see her face to understand the panic coursing through her.Yes, Paige was in a state of panic!If she had been alone, she could have battled fiercely.But she wasn't alone; it was she who had ensnared Raymond in this predicament. She had to devise a plan to extricate Raymond.However, it appeared that Raymond's strategy was to secure her freedom first.Paige fought to quell the anger simmering within her. Now was indeed the time to remain level-headed and ponder the situation.After all, she had never anticipated that things could spiral so out of control.
