Chapter 192
Sylvia’s phone buzzed again. She quickly glanced down at the screen–it was another message from TeddyBot. “The kidnapper took Zack straight ahead,” said Sylvia.
Powered by advanced Al, TeddyBot covertly trailed both the kidnapper and Zack, feeding live Intel to Sylvia.
Joanna sneered at Sylvia. “You can’t be serious, Sylvia. You said the kidnapper was here, and we didn’t see a single trace. We need to just give them the money and get Zack back.”
Byron frowned, pausing for a moment. “Sylvia,” he said in a low voice, “call the kidnapper. Give him the money and make him release Zack.”
Sylvia said urgently, “No, we can’t give him anything. He’s not letting Zack go.” The truth was, people got greedy. Once the kidnapper had the money in his hands, there’d be no stopping him. He’d ask for more.
“But we can’t just search for Zack without any leads, can we?” Byron said coldly, his disapproval evident.
Joanna stood aside, secretly delighted and practically dying for Sylvia to piss Byron off.
Sylvia fell silent for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh. She thought, “Rescuing Zack will require Byron’s men. Otherwise, even if we find the kidnapper, he’ll just slip away.”
She walked over to Byron, hesitated briefly, then reached up to gently caress his cheek. “Trust me on this, okay?”
Byron felt a gentle touch, like a jolt of electricity shooting through him. His heart raced, and his face flushed red.
Sylvia was pulling her old tricks again, treating him like a child. Byron took a deep breath, but finally nodded. “Alright.”
Joanna had been eagerly waiting for Byron to finally snap at Sylvia, but to her shock, he listened to Sylvia yet again.
Joanna couldn’t hold back her annoyance and snapped, “Sylvia, where exactly are we supposed to find Zack? Or are we just going to wander around
blindly with you?”
Turning a deaf ear to Joanna’s taunts, Sylvia forged ahead, leading the group deeper into the woods. With TeddyBot’s message in mind, she anxiously scanned her surroundings.
Since the area had been abandoned for years with no clear landmarks, the intel TeddyBot provided was somewhat imprecise.
Sylvia blurted out, “Where around here is there a big oil patch?” That was what the bot had just sent–Zack had been taken past an area with oil fields.
Joanna couldn’t help but sneer. “Don’t tell me you mean a gas station, Sylvia? We’re out in the middle of nowhere. Where would you even find a gas
station out here?”
Byron hesitated, looking at Sylvia with uncertainty. “Sylvia, are you sure about this?”
Sylvia frowned, certain that TeddyBot’s intel wouldn’t be wrong. She suddenly sniffed the air, her eyes lighting up. Without a second thought, she dashed off in a particular direction.
Up ahead among the trees, she spotted an abandoned well, from which a pungent smell of petroleum was wafting.
Sylvia leaned down to sniff at the edge, then yanked the rope with force. A rusty bucket emerged, filled to the brim with thick, black crude oil.
She froze for a second before it suddenly clicked. “There are rich oil deposits beneath us,” she exclaimed. “When I mentioned the oil field earlier, this is exactly what I meant–Zack must be nearby.”
Joanna and Byron stood frozen in shock at the sight. Joanna’s eyes gleamed with greed as she surveyed the area. “If there’s oil under all this, just imagine the fortune we could make.”
She instinctively glanced at Sylvia. ‘How did she know there was oil here?‘ she thought bitterly. If only the Moore family had known about these underground reserves earlier.
Sylvia turned to Byron. “Byron, as soon as you can, acquire this land, and make sure to develop it.”
Sylvia’s words made Joanna’s face darken instantly. If Byron stepped in, the Moore family wouldn’t even stand a chance at acquiring this land.
Joanna fumed inwardly. ‘Why does Sylvia always get all the good luck? Even out here in the middle of nowhere, she manages to stumble upon an oil field.
Sylvia’s gaze fell on a patch of grass not far away. Her eyes narrowed sharply as she spotted a shoe. She dashed over and picked it up–it was Zack’s.
Byron strode over, his expression hardening as he looked down at the shoe. “Sylvia, you were right–Zack is nearby.”
Joanna’s face tensed instantly. To her surprise, Sylvia was on the right track again. Joanna started to worry. She thought, ‘What if she really does find
Dallas?‘
Sylvia checked her phone again; TeddyBot had just sent her another update.
Joanna quickly leaned in, her mind brimming with curiosity. ‘What on earth is going on? How does Sylvia always know where Zack’s been taken just by checking her phone?‘ she wondered.
Sylvia brushed Joanna aside and looked up. “Byron, Zack’s in an ancient temple.” Then she took off running. It was the newest update from TeddyBot.
Byron and his men followed close on Sylvia’s heels as they pushed through the dense woods. Finally, an ancient temple came into view up ahead.
The temple was in ruins, its roof tiles cracked and missing in patches. Withered vines crept along the mottled walls, swaying in the breeze–a silent witness to the passage of time.
The temple door was ajar. Through the crack, a dim light could be faintly seen inside. Byron swiftly deployed his men to surround the temple, then led
the team in stealthily.
No sooner had they stepped into the temple than Dallas‘ furious voice rang out from inside. “Shut the hell up, kid.”
Zack was tied to a pillar, tears streaming down his face. Dallas was ranting furiously at him, his eyes blazing with menace. Terrified, Zack finally stopped crying aloud, reduced to quiet, stifled sobs.
Sylvia’s heart twisted with anguish at the sight. In a flash, she drew several needles, poised to hurl them at Dallas.
Seeing this, Joanna quickly whispered, “Sylvia, please don’t. You could easily hurt Zack.” Though her voice feigned concern, it effectively tipped Dallas
off.
Dallas’s ears pricked at the sound. He snapped his head around and spotted the group sneaking in. Dallas reacted instantly, yanking Zack in front as a human shield. With a cold sneer, he growled, “Don’t you come any closer.”
Sylvia’s eyes narrowed. She glanced at Joanna, uneasy. Joanna had been acting off all day. At this point, even if Joanna claimed it wasn’t on purpose, no one was buying it.
Joanna was still scrambling to explain. “I didn’t mean to. I swear, I just-”
Before Joanna could finish, Byron’s face darkened/with rage. He stormed over and delivered a vicious kick, sending her sprawling to the ground. Once again, Joanna had jeopardized Zack’s rescue.
Joanna let out a sharp cry of pain, clutching her stomach as terror twisted her features.
Byron fixed Joanna with an icy glare. “Keep your mouth shut, or you’ll regret it.”
Joanna didn’t dare say another word, her eyes red–rimmed as she stifled even the slightest whimper.
Sylvia took a deep breath, steadying herself as she locked eyes with Dallas, who was holding Zack hostage, “You want money, right? Let Zack go. There’s a vault hidden behind that wall. Take whatever you want.”
