Chapter 388 On the Cargo Ship
After Inken finished speaking, Braxton angrily approached him, demanding. “Why didn’t you inform me if you had a lead?”
Inken tightened his lips, his parched mouth showing his concern. “Freya made the call. Initially, we believed there was no danger, and that we had enough manpower. We didn’t anticipate the sudden. increase in the enemy’s strength.”
Braxton’s fist hung in the air, but he held back. “Go gather reinforcements! I’ll contact them immediately.” he instructed through gritted teeth.
Radley’s eyes were cold and determined. “I’ve already instructed Connor to search the entire city of Caltun.” Yet, he couldn’t understand how that convoy seemed to have vanished without a trace.
At the Harbor Haven Dock in Eldoria, right on the border of Florin, a massive cargo ship belched out thick white smoke.
Freya was on board a cargo ship, blindfolded with a black cloth, her mouth taped shut, and her hands and feet bound. Her world plunged into darkness, and she was cut off from sight and sound for a couple of agonizing hours. When the black cloth was finally removed, she blinked and glared at the man before her.
Jamie, seated opposite her, greeted her with a smile and said, “Let her speak.”
Moonblade, who stood nearby, promptly tore the tape off Freya’s face. It stung as it left her skin, turning her fair complexion red in patches. Yet, even after the painful ordeal, Freya remained silent.
His eyes carried a hint of amusement as he inquired, “Miss Kaufmann, do you have any questions for me?”
Freya fixed him with a cold stare and retorted, “If I ask, will you answer?”
He chuckled softly and replied, “Not necessarily.”
She sneered and said, “You’ll only share what you want me to know, won’t you? You’d even tell me things 1 didn’t ask for.”
Jamie maintained his gentle demeanor and replied, “Miss Kaufmann, you are quite smart.” With those words, he got up and approached her. While his expression remained gentle, he suddenly brought his foot. down hard on her shoulder.
The immense pressure caused her to gasp and slowly collapse onto the deck, biting her lip in pain.
“Being overly clever isn’t always a good thing, you know,” he remarked.
He pinned her to the deck and then crouched down, gently patting her face. “I need a small favor from you, so I’ll be gentle from now on. But remember your place. If I catch wind of any escape attempts, -someone will die.”
Her heart raced upon hearing that. “What do you mean?” She instantly thought of Inken and Brisa. “You promised to release them!”
Jamie clapped his hands, and three individuals with black hoods covering their heads were brought up to the deck. He grinned. “Of course, I always keep my promises. But these three people must be important to you, too, right?”
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The hoods were removed, and Freya’s eyes widened in shock. “Russell, Lucius, Maddox!” These were the three individuals from her medical laboratory. She clenched her teeth. “Jamie! Don’t drag innocent people into this!”
He smirked and replied, “Naturally, I despise unnecessary trouble. That’s why I spared Miss Monaghan and Mr. Callahan. I even had someone tend to their wounds before we left. So, Miss Kaufmann, do I not deserve your trust?”
She clenched her teeth and glared at him. “Release them!”
Lucius, a teenage medical prodigy, was poised for greatness. Russell had a loving family waiting for him. Maddox, with his askew glasses, trembled in fear.
“No.” Jamie’s smirk vanished, replaced by arrogance. He pressed his foot on Freya’s shoulder. “I took them during an award ceremony. It was tough. I’ve released those you asked, but if you want these three, we’ll need to continue our trade.
“What trade?” Freya winced in pain, her shoulders aching from the pressure.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he replied, his gaze fixed on the captives. “But remember, any attempt to escape, successful or not, will result in someone’s death.” With that threat, he finally lifted his foot and helped Freya up. “Alright, my esteemed guest, let’s get you to your room.”
Jamie’s cold and indifferent gaze finally unveiled his true character to Freya. Gone was the once elegant, and amiable man she knew as Edward’s brother. Questions swirled in her mind about Edward’s
involvement in this kidnapping scheme. Had he deceived her from the beginning? She couldn’t help but feel betrayed, closing her eyes in pain as she thought about the boy she had treated like a younger brother. If Edward had tricked her, she would have been blind to it all along.
She was then led to the guest room on the ship’s lower deck. It was windowless but freshly decorated, hardly resembling a cargo ship’s interior.
After Jamie’s men brought her here, they left without locking the door behind them. Before leaving, they informed her, “This ship will be sailing for a while. There’s a clock on the wall, and someone will escort you to the restaurant at mealtimes. You’ll have one hour of fresh air in the morning and afternoon. Apart from that, you’re not allowed to leave this room.”
After hearing that, Freya looked at the unlocked door with clenched teeth. Then, she realized Jamie had earlier put another lock on her. She couldn’t risk leaving the room without permission, knowing the lunatic might go after Lucius and the others.
The room was fully furnished with four sets of bedding, and there was a fixed television and an old- fashioned DVD player across from it, with a row of discs for entertainment.
At that moment, her eyes were drawn to the upper right corner of the room, where she noticed a visible camera with its light on. Now that the ropes binding her had been removed, she found clean clothes on the bed. After a brief pause, she collected the clothes, went into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. As the water cascaded down, she washed her face and massaged her sore shoulders where Jamie had stepped earlier.
After freshening up and changing into clean clothes, she returned to the bedroom and went straight to bed to rest. Her medical training brought back her rationality and composure. No matter the circumstances, she needed to regain her energy and strength to escape from here, along with the three others.
Lucius was relatively young, so it would be easier to help him. Maddox was always timid, and Russell,
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turning thirty-five this year, had always been physically weak from working in the laboratory.
Meanwhile, Jamie monitored the screen before him in another lavish room on the cargo ship. He watched. as Freya, without hesitation, went to bed and drifted into slumber. His eyebrows raised slightly at her calm demeanor. Her composure surprised him, but he knew that the more composed she appeared, the closer he needed to keep tabs on her.
He sighed and turned his attention to his unconscious brother lying on the bed. Upon discovering Edward’s advanced-stage stomach cancer, Jamie had given him medication to induce a temporary coma. He couldn’t afford Edward’s strong attachment to Freya jeopardizing their plans, knowing his brother would risk his life to protect her.
