Chapter 314

Chapter 314

"Boss, where do we go now?" Scorpion gasped, desperation bleeding through his voice.

Owen didn't answer. He pulled out a specialized satellite phone—his last communication tool. He dialed a number he knew by heart. A drug lord he'd planted. One of his escape routes.

The call connected. One ring. Then disconnected.

Owen froze. Dialed again.

This time, a cold electronic voice: "The number you have dialed does not exist."

Doesn't exist? Impossible.

He tried another number. A money laundering channel in Europe.

"Sorry, the user you are trying to reach is unavailable."

Owen's hand began to tremble. Frantic, he cycled through every "backup" stored in his phone.

Disconnected.

Unavailable.

Cannot be reached.

All his contacts—severed overnight.

Lucas.

While Owen thought he was in control, Lucas had already cut off every exit. Ripped his underground empire out by the roots. He wasn't some international crime lord anymore. He was just a fugitive. Wanted. With nothing.

Owen let out a roar of rage and hurled the satellite phone against a rock. It shattered.

"Boss…"

"Shut up!" Owen's bloodshot eyes glared at Scorpion. "Find somewhere to hide! Don't make a sound before dawn!"

Juliana stumbled through the forest, feet unsteady. Her eyes strained to adjust to the darkness, identifying plants underfoot. Her shoulder wound had gone numb. All her focus was on Kate—back in that cave, barely alive.

Faster. Need to move faster.

Kate didn't have much time.

The urgency made Juliana oblivious to everything else. The distant barking of dogs. The police drones circling overhead. The danger lurking in the shadows.

She searched single-mindedly for that sliver of hope, completely unaware that less than fifty meters to her left, behind a thicket of bushes, a pair of eyes—twisted with fear and venom—were locked onto her.

Owen covered Scorpion's mouth with one hand. His other hand gripped his gun tight.

A slow, vicious smile spread across Owen's face.

The game wasn't over yet.

Back in the cave, Kate's body heat burned against Juliana's palm like fire. It burned through her composure too.

She could only hope to find common plants with cooling properties. Dandelions. Plantain. Even just their leaves soaked in cold water would be better than that tiny scrap of fabric.

Her foot caught on something. Juliana pitched forward.

She didn't cry out. Just braced herself and slowly got up.

As she lifted her head, her peripheral vision caught sight of a low shrub. Serrated leaves clustered around a fluffy yellow ball.

Dandelion.

Juliana's heart skipped.

She scrambled over, fingers trembling as she carefully tried to pull the life-saving plants from the ground.

Then—

Crack.

A faint sound. A branch breaking underfoot. Behind her.

Juliana froze.

She held her breath. Not an animal. Animals didn't step that heavily. Or that deliberately.

A person.

Slowly, she turned her head.

Two figures emerged from the shadows behind a large tree. The first was hunched, hair like tangled weeds, face smeared with mud. Only his eyes gleamed—sick, excited—in the darkness.

Owen.

Behind him, Scorpion limped forward, gun raised, barrel sweeping the area.

Owen's gaze coiled around Juliana like a cold snake.

He smiled.

"Well… what a coincidence."

His voice dripped with recovered joy and bone-deep malice.

"Lucas's woman."

Juliana's heart plummeted. She slowly stood, instinctively stepping back until her spine hit cold rock.

Nowhere to go.

"Owen." Juliana's voice was steadier than she expected. "You can't escape. The entire mountain's surrounded. Surrender now. It's your only way out."

"Way out?" Owen laughed like he'd heard the funniest joke. His shoulders shook. "You people blocked every way out I had! Lucas, Milo, and you!"

His expression twisted. He moved closer, step by step.

"But it's fine. Now I've got a new way out." He pointed a filthy finger at her. "With a prize like you in my hands, you think Lucas will dare disobey? Should I cut off your hand this time? Or carve up that pretty face?"

Scorpion had already moved to the other side, blocking Juliana's only escape route.

Cold sweat broke out across Juliana's back. She knew you couldn't reason with a gambler who'd lost his mind.

Her brain raced.

Kate was still in the cave. She couldn't get caught. Couldn't die here.

"You take me, you still can't escape." Juliana forced herself to meet Owen's gaze. "You've seen what Lucas is capable of. You think he'll let you go just to save me?"

She tried to provoke him. Find a gap in his defenses.

Owen's steps paused.

Lucas's ruthlessness was a thorn in his side.

"Whether he will or not, I don't know." Owen's smile turned crueler. "But I'd love to find out. I've got nothing left anyway. Dragging Lucas's beloved woman to hell with me? That's a deal I'll take any day."

Owen stopped talking. He nodded at Scorpion.

"Grab her! Just keep her breathing!"

Scorpion raised his gun and advanced.

Juliana's heart leapt into her throat. She had nothing to use as a weapon. Her only advantage—she knew this darkness better than Owen and Scorpion.

When Scorpion was less than ten feet away, Juliana suddenly crouched, grabbed a handful of rocks and dirt, and hurled it at his face.

Scorpion flinched, instinctively closing his eyes and turning his head.

Now!

Juliana bolted like a deer into the dense forest.

"Useless!"

Owen cursed and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

BANG.

The bullet grazed Juliana's ear and struck a tree in front of her. Wood chips exploded.

The gunshot rang in her ears. She stumbled and fell again.

Before she could get up, a boot slammed down on her back—right on her shoulder wound.

"Ahh!"

Pain exploded. Her vision went black. She nearly passed out.

"Run?" Owen's voice came from above, mocking. "Where exactly do you think you're going?"

He crouched down, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and yanked her head up. His mud-smeared face loomed close, breath reeking of sewage.

"I changed my mind." He grinned, pulling a knife from his belt. The cold blade tapped lightly against Juliana's cheek. "I won't kill you yet. I'll take you back. Make you watch while I torture your friend to death. Slowly. Then I'll send the video to Lucas and Milo. Let them enjoy the show."

Juliana's pupils contracted.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Watch me!"

Owen's patience snapped. He tossed the knife aside and reached for Juliana's throat.

Just as his fingers were about to touch her skin—

A shadow appeared behind Owen. Silent as a ghost.

The figure made no sound. Just extended one hand and locked onto Owen's wrist with precision.

Time seemed to stop.

Owen's grin froze. He felt his wrist caught in a grip like steel. His bones groaned under the pressure.

He turned his head in terror.

Lucas.

He didn't know when Lucas had arrived. Or how long he'd been standing there. He still wore that black coat, the hem swaying slightly in the night wind. He looked like a demon risen from hell.

On the other side, Scorpion noticed the commotion. He started to swing his gun around.

"Don't move."

Another cold voice came from behind him. A gun pressed against the back of his skull.

David.

Cold sweat poured down Owen's forehead.

"Mr. Sharp…" His voice shook. "This is a misunderstanding…"

Lucas didn't acknowledge him.

His gaze moved past Owen's shoulder to Juliana—pinned to the ground, battered.

The hand gripping Owen's wrist slowly tightened.

CRACK.