Just then, Maxine suddenly caught sight of a furtive figure darting past the second–floor window.
Recalling Cleo’s kidnapping ordeal, Maxine suddenly realized what might be happening. A chill ran down her spine.
84%
(+28)
Her heart pounded wildly as she forced herself to appear calm, clearing her throat. Pretending nothing was wrong, she muttered to herself, “I’m pretty sure I turned off the lights when I left this afternoon. Maybe it’s at the hospital… I should go check.”
With that, she turned and walked away.
Maxine didn’t stop until she rounded the corner where the building was no longer in sight. With trembling fingers, she dialed 911.
Maxine took a deep breath and thought, ‘They’re boldly keeping the lights on, probably because Lucas is still home. The police will be here any minute, but what if the intruders find him before they arrive…‘
Maxine took a deep breath and reached into her bag, pulling out the stun gun she always carried with her.
Maxine deliberately chose a spot out of sight from the second floor and cautiously approached the back door of the villa. Beyond it was a small garden. She tentatively pushed the door, it wasn’t even closed.
‘They must have come in this way,’ Maxine thought.
Maxine gripped the stun gun tightly as she crept into the back garden, holding her breath. The only wooden door leading inside stood wide open, a sight that confirmed her worst suspicions.
Given his profession, Lucas had OCD tendencies that made leaving doors
sunlocked completely
character for him.
Just as she expected, the moment she stepped inside, frantic footsteps thundered from the second floor, intruders were clearly ransacking the rooms above. Amid the chaos, gruff male voices echoed through the house.
One of the men snarled, “I fucking told you to keep it down! Now the target’s gone. If we fail this job, you won’t be walking out alive, don’t you dare drag me down with you!”
The other man said, “What the hell are you yapping about? If you’d just moved faster, I wouldn’t have let him get away!”
“Fuck!” The first man roared furiously, “You think I won’t fucking blow your head off?”
Maxine’s blood ran cold. She thought, ‘They actually have guns?‘
At that moment, the third man snapped, “Enough with the goddamn arguing! Get moving and search! If that bitch figures out the guy isn’t at the hospital, she’ll be back with the cops, and then none of us are getting out of here.”
A wave of regret washed over Maxine. ‘I should’ve just waited for the police. Rushing in like this was a foolish mistake. My impatience got the better of me,, she thought, berating herself for her reckless impulsiveness.
Maxine was about to retreat when heavy footsteps approached from upstairs. One of the men growled, “There’s a landing here, the bastard probably just ran downstairs. I’m gonna check it out.”
airs
Maxine was standing right at the foot of the stairs, if that man came down now, he’d spot her instantly.
As Maxine debated whether to charge forward and stun the man, a hand suddenly clamped tightly over her mouth from behind.
Maxine jumped, her hand instinctively going to her stun gun, when Lucas’s low, urgent voice came from behind her. “It’s me!”
Relief washed over Maxine as she and Lucas slipped behind the staircase. Only then did she discover a concealed door beneath the steps, deliberately hidden, virtually invisible unless people looked closely.
1/2
09:16 Tue, 24 Jun
Chapter 194
Lucas pulled her closer and hissed, “Maxine, you knew it was dangerous, why did you come in?”
Maxine’s voice shook as she stammered, “I was afraid you were in danger… so I brought a weapon.”
Maxine showed Lucas the stun gun. For a moment, Lucas was speechless. After a long pause, he said with exasperation, “Normally, bringing that in would be enough to handle intruders… but these guys are armed.”
As he spoke, Lucas turned slightly, pulling back his shirt to reveal the gunshot wound on his shoulder.
AD
