Chapter 4

The night wind was bitterly cold. Alya wore nothing but a thin nightgown with one of Charlie's coats draped over her shoulders.

When she noticed me looking at her, she shyly brushed her fingers through her freshly washed, fragrant hair. "I came here so suddenly that I didn't bring enough clothes. I had no choice but to borrow Mr. Fenton's coat. I hope you don't mind."

I replied coolly, "You can wear mine instead. Would you like me to get you a few things? I'm sure his coat doesn't fit you very well, either."

Alya was briefly at a loss for words. Her smile faded a little.

I was about to ask what she really wanted when I heard rustling behind me. Heavy, slow footsteps were approaching.

Before I could turn around, I saw Alya's pupils shrink in terror. I was just about to scream when someone behind her struck the back of her head with a wooden club. She collapsed to the ground.

It was the innkeeper we'd seen earlier that day.

I tried to call out Charlie's name, but a handkerchief that smelled strongly of chemicals was quickly pressed over my mouth.

The man clamped it tightly over my nose and mouth. I struggled desperately, but soon lost consciousness.

When I woke up again, my head was spinning. My hands and feet had been tightly bound with rope. Alya was still unconscious beside me, sprawled on the floor. A large pool of blood had formed beneath her head.

I forced myself to stay calm and tried to stand up, but the drug hadn't worn off completely. My entire body was still weak.

I heard low voices coming from the doorway. The men were speaking a language I couldn't understand, and every now and then, they burst into laughter.

Then I heard another man's voice. Charlie was here.

The door swung open, and they walked into the room. The moment Charlie saw us, he frowned deeply and turned to the kidnapper. "What do you want? Money?"

The man spoke in broken English, "Both money and chick. 500,000 dollars for one. Then the other one stays here to be our woman!"

Charlie snapped. "I'll give you a million dollars! Just let both of them go!"

The Fentons and the Souzas were both wealthy families, so I wasn't worried about the ransom. We could easily afford it. The kidnapper hesitated. For a moment, he seemed tempted by the offer. But another man spoke up, "No! I haven't touched a woman in six months. You have to leave one for me!"

I was furious, but Charlie wouldn't meet my eyes. Instead, he stared at the large pool of blood beneath Alya's head and shouted, "You hit her? She has sepsis! If she keeps bleeding like this, she'll die!"

The kidnapper seemed to find the situation amusing. "In that case, you'd better choose quickly. Which one are you taking with you?"

Charlie looked torn. After a moment, his gaze finally fell on me.

I had a terrible feeling about what was coming, and I desperately shook my head. "Charlie, take me with you! I don't want to stay here!"

He spoke in a low voice, not even daring to look at me. "I'm sorry, Josie. I'll come back for you as soon as I can. But this time, I have to take Alya first."

I couldn't hold back my tears. The kidnapper grinned at me, his eyes filled with eager desire.

"Charlie! No! Please, don't leave me here! How can you abandon me? You promised you'd protect me for the rest of my life!" I struggled with all my strength, but the thick ropes around my body wouldn't loosen.

All I could do was watch helplessly as Charlie walked past me with Alya in his arms. He looked at me guiltily. "Josie, wait for me."

Then he left. The moment he was gone, all the strength drained from my body.

I sat there in a daze, my tears blurring everything around me. The man walked toward me and ran his rough fingers over my chin. "Yeah, she's a good one," he said with a grin.

I burst into tears. "My family is rich! Please, let me go! I'll give you as much money as you want!"

He moved closer. No matter how hard I tried to turn away, I couldn't escape him. Then the other man said something in a language I couldn't understand. The first man grew impatient. He quickly untied the complicated knots around my body and began tearing open the buttons of my sweater.

"Help! Help!" I fought with every bit of strength I had left, but nothing worked.

At last, I fell into complete despair.

Bang!

Just as I was about to break down completely, the front door suddenly burst open.

A man rode in on horseback. The moonlight shone behind him, leaving his face hidden in shadow.

Yet to me, he looked like a savior sent from heaven.

The kidnappers' faces turned deathly pale. They didn't dare make a sound. Instead, they scrambled to their feet and bowed their heads in fear.

Through my tear-filled eyes, I finally saw the man's face.

He was the same man I'd exchanged glances with at the rest stop.

He now wore a traditional highland robe. A turquoise ornament hung over his forehead, bringing out the striking lake-blue color of his eyes. His expression was calm and unreadable.

Still sitting on his horse, he reached out his hand toward me. "Come here."