Chapter 173

Chapter 173

Serenity Health Center, VIP Intensive Care Unit.

Aiden stood outside the isolation glass wall, gripping a tablet. He'd just rushed up from the chaotic underground garage, and his usually pristine suit was dusted with grime.

"Mr. Adams, I've checked. You've filed for a special flight route directly to international waters?" Aiden pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose, his gaze sharp as he stared at Sawyer. "Are you really planning to hand over the helicopter to him?"

Sawyer leaned against the wall of the ICU, his face pale.

"He had a gun pressed to Scarlett's temple! He only gave me two hours!" Desperation flooded Sawyer's eyes. "If I don't do exactly what he says, he'll kill her right now! I have to keep him calm first!"

"That's exactly what Ulysses wants. He's using your feelings for Ms. Savoy to make you panic and lose control." Aiden remained unmoved by Sawyer's emotion, analyzing coldly: "You know very well that once that helicopter enters international waters, he'll have absolute control. Ms. Savoy won't be leverage anymore. She'll just be a liability he can dispose of whenever he wants. You're basically handing her a death sentence yourself."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Sawyer shot to his feet, his voice a suppressed roar. "Even if there's a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I have to keep her alive first! As long as she's on that helicopter, I can use the tracking system to lock onto him and arrange an intercept over international waters!"

"Intercept?" Aiden said flatly. "There's no law enforcement in international waters. Ulysses has a crew of mercenaries. Even if you can pinpoint his location, how do you guarantee Ms. Savoy's safety when you're up against heavily armed, desperate men in a firefight?"

"Mr. Adams, I understand how you feel. But right now, any impulsive compromise could lead to consequences we can't undo."

Aiden's words hit like a bucket of ice water dumped over Sawyer's head.

Sawyer's fists clenched tight. How could he not know Aiden was right?

But what else could he do? He didn't dare gamble!

With the clock ticking down on life and death, Sawyer felt like a gambler trapped on the edge of a cliff. No matter which way he turned, there was nothing but a bottomless abyss.

He looked through the glass at Thaddeus lying still on the hospital bed, frustration washing over him. If Thaddeus were awake, what would he choose? Would he have a better way to save her?

The desperate questions and suppressed argument filtered through the glass wall into the ICU.

The monotonous, steady rhythm of the heart monitor suddenly changed without warning.

Aiden and Sawyer both froze.

"Mr. Getty!" The calm mask Aiden always wore shattered instantly. He circled around the glass door and crossed to the bedside in several quick strides.

Sawyer followed close behind. Both stared at the wildly jumping waveform on the screen, thinking Thaddeus's condition was deteriorating, his vital signs failing.

Aiden quickly hit the emergency call button at the head of the bed.

Just as he was about to call for the doctor, the man on the bed—the man the doctors had said might never wake up—suddenly opened his eyes!

There was no confusion or fog from a long illness.

In those deep eyes burned a terrifying sharpness.

His dry, pale lips moved slightly, his voice hoarse: "…What… happened to her?"

Aiden's eyes widened in disbelief. "Mr. Getty… you're awake?"

Thaddeus's chest heaved violently, his fingers gripping the sheets. "Scarlett… what happened to Scarlett?"

"Move! Move aside!"

Several on-call specialists and nurses heard the alarm and rushed in with resuscitation equipment, panicked.

But when the lead specialist saw Thaddeus with his eyes open, even trying to sit up, he froze in shock.

"This… this is impossible…" The old specialist stared at the monitor readings in disbelief, his voice shaking. "Severe intracranial hemorrhage plus multiple organ failure, and he wakes up in a month? This is a medical miracle!"

"Mr. Getty!" The specialist quickly recovered and hurried forward, pressing down on Thaddeus's shoulders. "You absolutely cannot move right now! Your blood pressure and heart rate are extremely unstable. You must lie flat immediately and undergo a comprehensive neurological examination!"

"Get off me." Thaddeus spat out the words coldly, his eyes showing no concern for his own injuries.

He ripped the oxygen mask off his face, yanked off the electrodes and IV tubes attached to his body. Blood immediately gushed from the back of his hand.

"Mr. Getty! You need to rest!" the doctor shouted, trying to physically restrain him.

"Don't touch me!" Thaddeus let out a low growl.

He shoved the doctor aside hard, braced one hand against the edge of the bed, and rolled off. The moment his feet hit the floor, his body swayed violently from extreme weakness. He dropped to one knee with a thud, cold sweat instantly pouring down his forehead.

But he gritted his teeth, used his trembling arms to push against the floor, and slowly straightened his body.

"Clothes."

Thaddeus turned his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Sawyer. "Tell me. Where is she?"

Sawyer looked at the man before him, his shock beyond words.

He took a deep breath and handed Thaddeus the tablet. "Ulysses has taken her hostage. He's demanding a fully fueled helicopter and a direct route to international waters within two hours."

Sawyer cut straight to the point. "There's an hour and a half left. I've already arranged for a helicopter to wait on the rooftop. I planted a micro tracker in the armored car beforehand. This is Ulysses's current route."

Sawyer paused. "He's very cunning. He's been circling the city, trying to throw us off."

Thaddeus grabbed the tablet and stared at the constantly blinking red dot on the screen.

His sharp brows lifted slightly, cold understanding flashing in his eyes.

"He's waiting for low tide." Thaddeus tossed the tablet back to Sawyer, his tone certain.

"What do you mean?" Sawyer didn't understand. Aiden looked equally confused.

"Ulysses doesn't trust you at all." As Thaddeus spoke, he took the black trench coat from Aiden's hands and threw it on. The oversized coat covered his hospital gown and instantly replaced his weakened state with a bloodthirsty coldness.

"The helicopter is just bait. His real escape route is by water."

Thaddeus looked at Sawyer, killing intent in his voice. "East outskirts of Silverlight City. There's a deep-water dock there. It's littered with hidden reefs. Smuggling boats only dock during low tide at dawn."

Sawyer's whole body jolted. He instantly understood what Thaddeus meant.

"Sawyer, let's make a deal." Thaddeus forced down the metallic taste rising in his chest and looked at Sawyer. Two men who'd once been bitter enemies now reached an understanding for the same purpose.

"You continue with your plan. And cut off all air traffic signals in Silverlight City. Make Ulysses think he's in complete control." A cruel smile curved Thaddeus's lips as he said quietly, "And I'll handle the killing."

Sawyer looked at Thaddeus. He knew Thaddeus would bring Scarlett back.

"Fine." A flash of resolve crossed Sawyer's eyes. "But my men go with you to the east dock."

He looked at Thaddeus, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Scarlett needs someone alive to bring her home."

"Suit yourself." Thaddeus didn't refuse. He turned and strode toward the door. His steps were unsteady at first, but after a few paces, he was once again the unstoppable force that neither gods nor demons could block.

"Today, I'm turning that east dock into Ulysses's grave."