Chapter 308
Shortly afterward, Theodore received a text message.
[Transfer three million to my account within two hours, or your sister won’t live to see another day.]
A bank account number followed beneath the threat.
Theodore paused, frowning. The sudden increase in demand suggested the kidnappers had discovered Barbara’s true identity. Fearing exposure, they were trying to expedite the exchange.
That urgency and carelessness hinted they were amateurs with no real backing.
After a moment’s thought, he replied. [Fine. But in two hours, I want to see Barbara unharmed and in one piece.]
He then placed a call. “Julian, I need your help with something.”
Inside an abandoned warehouse, Jamal removed the SIM card from his phone after receiving Theodore’s reply and handed it to the man
beside him.
He said, “Darnell, get rid of this. Far from here. I don’t want Theodore tracing it.”
Darnell took it but hesitated. “What if he tries to reach us again?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Jamal said. “If I don’t have that money in two hours, we stick to the plan. Cut her face.”
He nodded toward Barbara, tied to a chair on the ground. “Danny, get her up.”
Danny lifted Barbara, chair and all. She stared at him with quiet intensity, and he instinctively looked away.
Trying to mask his unease, he raised his voice. “What are you looking at? We were only going to leave a little cut. Now Theodore’s offering three million to keep your face intact. That’s a pretty good deal, no? You don’t want to scare off every future suitor.”
Barbara gave a cold, amused laugh. “Theodore is my stepbrother. Ask him for three hundred thousand, maybe he’ll consider it. But three
million? You’d be better off just making the cut.”
Danny glanced at Jamal. “Maybe we should stick to the original arrangement. We already took someone else’s payment. Backing out now wouldn’t look great.”
Jamal kicked his leg lightly. “Enough. Don’t let her mess with your head. What time is it?”
Danny checked his watch. “Seven–thirty.”
Jamal ordered, “Alright. Go grab some food. We’ll eat while we wait. If Theodore comes through, perfect. If not, we leave our mark and walk away. Either way, we come out ahead.”
Barbara, listening carefully, spoke up. “Who paid you? I’ll double whatever they offered. Just give me a name.”
Jamal smirked. “Ms. Russell, if we start selling out our clients, no one will ever trust us again.”
Half an hour later, the six of them had eaten and gathered to play cards.
An hour and a half passed. Still playing, someone broke the silence.
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Chapter 308
“You really think Theodore will cough up ten million?”
“He might. That kind of money’s nothing to the Russells,” Jamal said, then turned to Danny. “Half an hour left. Go get a few sodas,
“Yeah, alright.” Danny stood, brushed off his pants, and headed for the door.
But the moment he pulled open the rusted metal gate, he froze.
Another member, Javier, stepped toward the doorway, frowning. “Danny, what are you standing there for?”
Before an answer could come, Danny dropped backward, crashing to the ground in eerie stillness.
It was then that Javier saw the clean, blood–rimmed bullet wound between Danny’s brows, dead before he hit the floor.
Panic surged. He spun to retreat, but pain erupted in his chest like a hammer blow. Staggering, he glanced down to see a hole torn through his heart.
With a dull thud, he fell beside Danny, lifeless.
The remaining four stared in stunned silence, their playing cards slipping from their hands. In the space of seconds, two of their own had been killed, without a single glimpse of the shooter.
Jamal snapped back to his senses. “Grab her, now!” he shouted. “She’s our only way out of this.”
Barbara instantly became their shield. The four scrambled behind her, untying the ropes that bound her, preparing to use her as a hostage.
She looked to the entrance, eyes alight with relief. “It’s Theodore. He’s come for me!”
A blade suddenly pressed cold against her neck. “Don’t move,” came the hissed warning. “Theodore took out two of ours. We won’t let it go unpaid.”
Before anyone could react, two figures stepped into the warehouse, measured, poised, and unmistakably dangerous. It was Theodore and
Julian.
Jamal’s face drained of color. He took an involuntary step back. “Mr. Black?”
To men like them, Julian wasn’t just a name. He was a myth, the kind that made even seasoned criminals flinch.
Julian raised a brow. “You boys with Caruso’s crew?”
The four hesitated, then nodded in unison. “Yes, sir.”
A faint smirk touched Julian’s lips. “Your boss tells me none of you’ve been seen in days. Now I see why. Kidnapping a Russell. That’s bold.”
“Mr. Black, surely you’re not serious,” one of them stammered, the fear in their voices unmistakable. They knew all too well that when it came to uncovering secrets, Julian, the underworld’s most powerful figure, never needed more than a moment.
Julian waved a hand toward Barbara. “Let her go.”
They exchanged uneasy glances.
“Sir, with all due respect… we know what you’re capable of. But if we let her walk, how do we know we’re not next?”
“You’ve already taken out two of us,” another added, voice tow. “We can’t be sure we’ll leave here alive.”
A third tightened his grip on Barbara, desperation rising. “Push us too hard, and we’ll take her with us!”
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Chapter 308
A thin line of blood appeared on Barbara’s neck where the blade pressed deeper.
Julian was silent for a beat. Then, without a word, he clapped his hands.
The echo hadn’t faded before a group of towering men strode in, dragging behind them several terrified women and children, crying trembling, defenseless.
The four captors froze, eyes locked on their families.
Julian spoke softly, his words calm and deliberate. “Your wives. Your parents. Your children. All of them are here. Their lives, in exchange for hers. That decision belongs to you.”
A metallic clink rang out as the knife dropped to the floor. Barbara bolted, stumbling straight into Theodore’s arms.
The four men fell to their knees, pleading for mercy, not for themselves, but for the ones they loved.
Julian scanned the room, his voice now cold and measured. “This place is yours. I’ve overlooked the small stuff, snatching runaways, dealing scraps. But Theodore is a friend. You crossed a line.”
Jamal, shaking, snatched the knife from the ground and raised it with trembling hands. “We’ll each give a finger,” he said hoarsely. “An apology to Mr. and Ms. Russell.”
Theodore gently placed a hand over Barbara’s eyes. “Don’t look.”
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