Chapter 531
531:
The helicopter’s searchlight cut through the darkness and lit up the deck. More than 20 armed men were scattered across it, rifles in hand. The instant they spotted the military chopper, a wave of panic swept through their ranks.
They knew that if the helicopter opened fire, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
Brenna snatched the mic wired to the chopper’s loudspeaker and, in a sharp and commanding voice, said, “This is Brenna! Where’s Patrick? Hand him over right now!”
For a moment, the men on the yacht hesitated. The helicopter hadn’t fired, and that gave them a flicker of hope. Their fear dulled, replaced by a creeping regret. Maybe they shouldn’t have let the boy go. Without a hostage, they had nothing to bargain with now.
But Jade had prepared them for this. She had given them clear instructions. They needed to kill Brenna, no matter what.
Jade had already left. Before departing, she had promised large payouts to their families if they died. If they made it out alive, there would be an even bigger reward. They were mercenaries. They hadn’t signed up expecting to survive. The presence of the military had shaken them, but not enough to make them back down.
Their leader stepped forward with a megaphone in one hand and a large backpack slung over his shoulder. Then, he bellowed, “Over here, Brenna! Bring the ransom down. Alone. The rest of you stay back! If anyone gets within 50 miles, the hostage dies!”
Jayceon’s gaze locked on the backpack. It was large; Patrick could be inside. “No one make a move. Do exactly what they say,” he said. The chopper’s side door was already open. The ladder dropped, swaying in the wind.
Brenna didn’t hesitate. Without a word, she stepped toward it.
Ethan reached for her arm to stop her. “I’ll go instead.”
Brenna met his eyes. “If you go, they’ll kill him. These men have no conscience. They don’t care who they hurt. I can’t risk Patrick’s life.”
Jayceon gave a firm nod. For all the chaos, he was pleased with Brenna’s decision. She never wavered, not even with danger waiting below. She had a deep sense of duty and refused to leave Patrick behind.
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 ⧸ ɢ𝖆𝗅𝗇𝗈ⲩ𝖊𝗅𝗌．ⅽ𝗈𝗆
He said to Ethan, “Just listen to her.”
Ethan shot him a cold look, displeased with his decision. “You won’t risk your son, and I won’t risk my woman.”
Then, he turned to Brenna. “I’m going down with you. That’s final.”
From below, another shout rose up from the mercenaries. “No weapons! If we see even one, the kid dies!”
A single gunshot rang out and cracked beside the backpack. It was a warning that they weren’t bluffing.
The military was not fazed. “Hurt the hostage, and we’ll blow you to hell!”
With that, the military fired into the water, a thunderous burst meant to rattle nerves.
Ethan grabbed the mic and called out, “This is Ethan, Brenna’s fiancé. I’m going down with her!”
On the yacht, the mercenary leader cracked a sly grin. So this was the man Jade had her eye on. And now, he wanted to walk straight into their hands? Interesting.
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