Chapter 165
Finally, after a few seconds, Jason spoke again, his voice carrying an unprecedented gravity.
"Boss, listen to me. This isn't something you can handle alone."
"Their identities are too sensitive. If we want to take them all down, we'll probably need to contact the police. So get out of there first, send me the coordinates, and I'll handle it."
Charlotte knew perfectly well that was the best approach!
But could these children afford to wait?
She shook her head, her voice low. "No. I can't leave them here."
Most of the children seemed relatively stable, but the two in one cage in the corner were clearly in bad shape.
One boy's cheeks were flushed with an unnatural redness, his lips cracked and peeling—he was obviously running a fever.
The little girl beside him looked even weaker, her small body curled in the corner, her breathing shallow and labored.
Seeing this, Charlotte drew a deep breath. "Since I've found them, I can't leave them here to die!"
"Jason, I'm at a warehouse by the harbor docks. I'll send you the exact coordinates through an encrypted signal in a moment."
"The guy who kidnapped me goes by 'Butcher.' He's one of Richard's most trusted lieutenants—ruthless methods, absolutely vicious."
"I've done a quick scan. There are at least fifteen thugs in this warehouse. They've got cold weapons—machetes, steel pipes—and I can't rule out firearms."
"Be careful when you bring your people."
Charlotte spoke rapidly, conveying the critical intelligence in the shortest time possible.
"Boss!"
Hearing this, Jason immediately understood Charlotte's plan, his heart leaping into his throat. "You've lost your mind?! I've heard of Butcher too—he's a complete psycho who doesn't care if he lives or dies!"
"You're alone right now, and you're not in good physical condition. He's not someone you can take on. Why not wait until I—"
"Don't say another word. I've made up my mind."
Charlotte cut him off.
"Where are your people now? How much longer?"
Hearing her cold tone, Jason pressed his lips together. He knew her personality well enough. Finally, he sighed.
"They're already on the road. About fifteen minutes out by car."
"I've contacted the brothers closest to your location. They'll be there in ten minutes, max."
"Boss, unless absolutely necessary, don't engage them head-on."
"Okay. I understand."
After ending the call, Charlotte leaned against the wall and slowly exhaled a turbid breath.
She forcibly suppressed the churning weakness in her body and began carefully observing her surroundings.
Just then, footsteps accompanied by crude cursing approached from a distance.
Someone was coming!
Confirming the situation, Charlotte's expression changed, her body reacting first.
She immediately scanned the area and slipped into the narrow gap between the cages and the wall.
Soon, a tall, thin man shuffled over from the darkness nearby.
As he searched for a corner and fumbled with his belt, he muttered curses under his breath.
"Damn it, what rotten luck!"
"That woman ran off, and now I'm stuck here freezing my ass off in the sea breeze!"
"She'd better pray she doesn't fall into my hands, or I'll make her sorry!"
He continued his filthy cursing, his gaze sweeping carelessly around the warehouse.
When he spotted the children in the cages, his face filled with disgust, and he spat on the ground.
"Money-losing brats! All they do is cry, cry, cry all day long. Annoying as hell!"
After cursing, he was about to turn and relieve himself in the corner when suddenly something caught his eye, and his gaze froze.
"What's this...?"
He slowly approached the wooden crate, squinting as he examined the marks on it.
When he saw it was a bloody handprint, his expression changed abruptly.
Someone had been here?
"Who's there? Get out here!"
The man drew his knife and shouted as he advanced step by step toward Charlotte's hiding place.
At that moment, Charlotte's heart sank. She understood she'd likely been exposed.
She bit her lip, a flash of killing intent crossing her eyes.
She had to take this man down!
If she didn't deal with him, things would definitely get messy later!
So the instant the man approached Charlotte's hiding spot and prepared to peer into the gap, Charlotte moved.
The man only felt something flash before his eyes. Before he could react, he sensed a fierce gust of wind rushing toward his face.
Shocked, he instinctively swung his dagger, thrusting it toward his opponent.
But Charlotte was much faster. The moment she dodged the blade, she struck his knife-wielding wrist hard.
A sharp "crack" rang out, the crisp sound coinciding with the man's muffled groan of pain.
But Charlotte gave him no chance to save himself. She immediately delivered a knife-hand strike, chopping viciously at the back of his neck.
Before the man could even scream, his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground.
The entire sequence happened in a flash—Charlotte had silently taken down an opponent in mere seconds.
Looking at the unconscious man on the ground, she gasped for breath, her body gradually relaxing.
If she hadn't moved quickly, she might already be...
As this thought crossed her mind, something in her peripheral vision suddenly caught her attention. She immediately bent down to look.
It was a ring of keys.
Suddenly, Charlotte seemed to realize something, her gaze falling on those iron cages in the distance.
Immediately, she quickly picked up the man's dagger and walked toward the cages.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here to save you."
Charlotte unlocked the cages while comforting the terrified children.
"Click!"
The soft sound of locks opening seemed especially clear in the deathly quiet warehouse, and the children in the cages began to stir.
"Shh—" Charlotte made a silencing gesture, signaling them not to make too much noise. "If you want to live, don't make a sound. Understand?"
The little girl who had been crying in her sleep was now staring at Charlotte with big, tearful eyes, timid and uncertain.
"Are you an angel come to save us?"
The question brushed across Charlotte's heart like a feather, bringing a gentle smile to her face.
"Yes. So you need to be good."
The little girl nodded, her small hands tightly covering her mouth, afraid of making even the slightest sound.
A minute later, all the cages were open.
"Come out and follow me. Move quietly. No one speaks."
She commanded while lifting out the children who were too weak to move on their own, then instructed the others to support each other.
But just then, disaster struck.
A boy who looked about ten years old stared fixedly at the deep darkness beyond the warehouse and began screaming.
"No! I won't go out! They'll kill me! They'll kill me!"