Chapter 606

"Travis," Gabriel whispered, his voice raspy from the medication.

The room was cramped, with just two beds and an old wardrobe.

The only window was boarded up, letting in just a few slivers of sunlight.

The air was thick with the smell of mildew and fish, making Gabriel wrinkle his nose in discomfort.

He slowly sat up, feeling a wave of nausea, but managed to climb out of bed and stagger over to Travis's bedside.

"Travis, wake up," he said, gently nudging Travis.

Travis's eyelids fluttered a few times before slowly opening.

He looked around in confusion, finally resting his gaze on Gabriel's face. "Gabriel, where are we?"

"I don't know," Gabriel shook his head. "Those bad people brought us here."

Surprisingly, Gabriel and Travis didn't cry or panic.

In fact, this wasn't their first time being kidnapped.

"Are we kidnapped again?" Travis asked quietly, sitting up in bed.

Gabriel nodded and put a finger to his lips. "Keep it down. We need to wait for Mom and Dad to come find us, just like last time."

But just then, voices came from outside the door.

Gabriel and Travis immediately fell silent, straining to listen.

"I've arranged everything. They'll come to pick them up at three this afternoon," a woman's voice said. Gabriel recognized it as the blonde lady, but her tone was no longer sweet; it was cold and harsh.

"Are we selling both kids?" Another voice asked, belonging to the red-haired lady.

"No, we'll sell them separately. Gabriel and Travis are too noticeable, easy to track. One stays in Marigoldia, the other goes to Thalassia. The buyers have already paid the deposit."

Gabriel and Travis exchanged a glance. They didn't fully understand the conversation, but they knew it wasn't good.

Travis's eyes started to well up, but he bit his lip to keep from crying.

"I'll check if they're awake and give them some water. Don't want the kids dehydrating," the blonde woman's voice approached the door.

Gabriel immediately pulled Travis under the bed.

The sound of the doorknob turning was followed by footsteps.

From their hiding spot, they saw a pair of sandals walk over to Travis's bed.

"Where are they?" The woman said in surprise.

Gabriel clamped his hand over Travis's mouth, their small bodies curled up in the darkest corner under the bed. The woman walked around the room, then hurried out to call for help.

"They've escaped! Find them!"

Under the bed, Gabriel whispered in Travis's ear, "We need to hide until Mom and Dad come."

Travis nodded, clutching Gabriel's shirt tightly.

Gabriel and Travis huddled together like frightened little animals, listening to the chaotic footsteps and shouting outside.

What they didn't know was that just a few miles away on the ocean, Henry had rented three speedboats, bringing bodyguards and local police to search in their direction.

Meanwhile, Zoey was at the resort's command center, analyzing surveillance footage to track the kidnappers' possible routes.

The air under the bed was hot and humid, filled with the smell of rotting wood.

Gabriel and Travis stayed motionless, listening to the footsteps and shouting gradually fade away.

A bead of sweat formed on Travis's nose. He was about to wipe it away when Gabriel gently held his wrist, putting a finger to his lips.

Gabriel whispered, "Wait a little longer."

The two three-year-olds lay still under the bed, like scared little animals.

Travis's knees started to go numb, but he remembered Gabriel's words and held back any sound.

The outside noise had completely disappeared, leaving only the rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the shore.

After a few minutes that felt like hours to Gabriel and Travis, Gabriel finally moved.

"I think they're gone," Gabriel whispered. "Let's go check."

Travis nodded, following Gabriel as they slowly crawled out from under the bed.

The room was still dim, with only a few rays of sunlight coming through the cracks in the boards.

Gabriel tiptoed to the door, pressing his ear against the rough wood to listen.

"No one," he said to Travis. "Let's find a phone."

Travis's big eyes were filled with unease, but he trusted Gabriel.

After all, the last time they were kidnapped, it was Gabriel's advice that led to their rescue by their parents.

Gabriel carefully turned the doorknob, opening it just a crack.

Outside was a short hallway leading to a small living room.

The house was silent, except for the hum of an old refrigerator.

"Quick," Gabriel whispered, pulling Travis's hand as they tiptoed barefoot down the hallway.

The living room was barely bigger than the bedroom, with a worn-out sofa, a low table, and a small kitchen area.

Sunlight streamed through a dirty window, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Suddenly, Travis tugged on Gabriel's hand, pointing to the table.

"Gabriel, look!" Travis whispered excitedly.

Gabriel followed Travis's finger to see a smartphone lying on the table, screen down.

Gabriel and Travis's eyes lit up. Gabriel quickly ran over and picked up the phone.

Gabriel's hands were small, barely able to hold the large phone, but he managed to turn on the screen.

"It needs a password," Gabriel said, disappointed to find the phone locked.

But just then, a notification popped up, showing "Swipe to answer call." The kidnappers had left the phone's call function unlocked for convenience.

Gabriel's eyes brightened. He quickly tapped the emergency call button and began entering Zoey's number, one digit at a time.

His hands trembled slightly from nerves, but he focused on pressing each number.

The sound of the call connecting was loud in the silent room, making Gabriel and Travis shrink back, afraid the kidnappers might hear.

At the resort's command center, Zoey was staring at the surveillance screens, her eyes red and dry.

She hadn't slept for hours, each minute feeling like torture.

Henry had gone out with the search team, leaving Zoey to wait for a possible ransom call.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, showing an unknown number.

Zoey's heart raced, her fingers trembling as she swiped to answer.

She tried to keep her voice steady, ready to negotiate with the kidnappers.

But instead, she heard a voice she had been longing for, "Mom!"

Zoey nearly jumped out of her chair, gripping the phone tightly as if it were her lifeline.

"Gabriel? Is that you, sweetheart?" Her voice was high-pitched with excitement.