Chapter 210
Mr. Sallow's Sinful Wife by Maisie Chasey
Chapter 210 Heart-pounding Rescue (2)
As the couple descended the mountain, Nicholas tightly held Nancyâs hand, finding solace in its delicate, comforting touch.
The kidnappers watched them leave. One of Puckâs lackeys went ahead. âAre we letting them go just like that, Mr. Wolfe?â
Puckâs response was brief and cold. âYes.â
Another lackey came forward. âAre you sure heâll give us the remaining money, Mr. Wolfe?â
âI donât know,â Puck said.
âWhat should we do? Donât worry. Give us the word, and weâll capture them.â
Puck turned around and smacked the head of the lackey who just spoke. âYou idiot. We canât capture them now. Didnât you hear Sallow? If we didnât let the woman go, heâd kill us.â
âYou donât have to be scared of them, Mr. Wolfe. Weâve gotten a lot of money, so why donât we...â The lackey drew his hand across his throat, implying the sinister notion of killing the couple.
Puck smacked his head again. âIs murder all you can think of? Once I do that, the whole nation will be after me. Iâll be living in the shadows forever like a rat. Even if I donât get the remaining money, I have enough to spend. And besides, the boss told us to lay low for a while. If it werenât for the gambling debt, I wouldnât have done this. This was risky. Listen here, if anyone tells the boss about this operation, Iâll skin him alive.â
âYes, Mr. Wolfe.â
Just then, they received a message. It was the location of the hidden money sent by Nicholas. They quickly dug it out, discovering 150 grand in the hole. Ten minutes later, Nicholas and Nancy were already one-quarter of the way to safety. Puck secured another 150 grand.
The couple kept looking behind them, but they saw no pursuers. She finally heaved a sigh of relief. âAre we safe now, Nicholas?â
âNot yet. Ten more minutes,â he said.
âHow did you know they would let us go?â
âGiven the choice between a pile of money and certain death, no one would choose the latter. Thatâs human nature. And Iâve asked Lynn to look into that guy. He has a complex background, but he fears death. A lot. So, I gambled on the possibility that he would want to live.â
âWhat if he did shoot?â She was still shuddering from the memory of having a gun pointed at their heads.
Nicholas held Nancy tightly, and he breathed quickly. âIâm not afraid of death, but Iâm terrified of losing you. I wonât let that happen.â
Touched by his words, she gently caressed his face. âBut Iâm scared for your life too, you dummy.â
âAlright, you donât have to worry, Nancy. Iâm alive and well, arenât I?â
âYeah.â She nodded.
With a loving look exchanged between them, Nicholas kissed Nancyâs hand and continued leading her down the path. It was at that moment that shouts erupted from behind them.
âGet them! Get them!â
âGet them!â
âYou called the police? Iâll kill you!â Puck shouted.
âYou called the police, Nicholas?â she asked.
âNo time to explain.â Nicholas grabbed Nancyâs hand tightly and ran down as fast as he could. âHold on, Nancy. We have to leave this mountain as soon as possible.â
âOkay.â She nodded and followed him without asking.
However, the kidnappers were familiar with this terrain, routinely navigating the mountain. Running down the path was effortless for the couple, and the kidnappers swiftly closed in on their trail.
Puckâs eyes were red with fury. âOpen fire! Open fire!â
Gunshots erupted through the woods, and fear gripped Nancy. She clutched Nicholasâ hand with one hand and her head with the other, sprinting at full speed. Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past her ear. Her grip on her head tightened, and she began to tremble.
He shielded her, lifting her into his arms as he continued to race downhill.
The pursuers relentlessly pursued them. A few minutes later, he came to a sudden stop, still holding her hand. As she looked ahead, she realized there was only a cliff before them. It wasnât a bottomless abyss, but the ridge was almost a sheer drop, with jagged rocks protruding from all angles, a truly terrifying sight. A wide ravine yawned beneath the cliff.
The pursuerâs were closing in. âThatâs a cliff! They have nowhere to go! Get them! I need them alive!â
âNancy, come here,â Nicholas said gently.
She stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
âAre you scared?â He looked at her.
âI was,â Nancy said. She then smiled. âBut Iâm not scared now, as long as youâre here.â
âGood. Hold tight.â
âYeah.â She held Nicholas tightly. He extended his hand and held her in his embrace, covering her head at the same time.
âThey canât escape. Get them!â
As the thugs closed in, Nicholas made a split-second decision, leaping off the cliff with Nancy in his arms. The couple tumbled down the stone wall, prompting Puck to charge forward and unleash a barrage of gunfire in their direction.
âOpen fire!â
The command echoed, and the thugs began shooting at the falling couple.
Nicholas, his eyes widened with fear, spotted a bullet hurtling straight toward Nancy. Without a second thought, he pulled her even closer, sacrificing his arm to shield her. His face contorted in pain, and he let out a stifled groan.
âWhatâs wrong, Nicholas?â
âI broke my finger, but Iâm alright now.â He shook his head. âDonât worry.â
The gunfire poured like rainfall, relentlessly targeting the couple. Determined to keep moving, she was unable to focus on anything else amidst the relentless barrage of bullets. However, the unending gunfire eventually wore her down. Clutching him tightly, she couldnât help but ask; âAre we going to die, Nicholas?â
âNo,â Nicholas responded firmly. He was determined not to let her die.
At the crescendo of the gunfire, a squadron of police suddenly surged forward, their weapons unleashing a cacophony of shots.
The intense exchange continued for about ten minutes until the entire woods fell into an eerie silence.
Some time passed before Nancy cautiously peered out from Nicholasâ embrace. She whispered, âAre we out of danger now?â
Nicholas shook his head. âOur reinforcements havenât arrived.â
Surprised, she asked, âDidnât you call the police, and they came to save us?â