"Is this some kind of kidnapping? Are we going to be taken and have our organs sold on the black market?" Jeff muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning every face in front of him.
"Or maybe it’s some sort of assault, something tied to someone we offended?"
He glanced down at Jessica, who was burying her face in his chest, clutching his shirt tightly.
"Is the target Jessica? Or maybe... it’s me?" he continued, his thoughts racing.
"Could it be because I helped that unreasonable girl about the case? Hmm, maybe it’s my act of heroism. I should’ve been more careful." He said it in his mind.
The reason why he helped Jasmine wasn’t because he was dazzled by her looks.
It was because of what she told him, the pain in her voice when she spoke about the girl who had been sexually assaulted.
He remembered hearing from her aunt that the victim had been taken to the hospital. He perfectly thought the case had already been handled by the police.
But when Jasmine explained the truth, when she revealed that the evidence had been destroyed and nothing had been done, it was not what he had expected.
So that is why he made that decision. He didn’t take on the job out of sympathy or obligation. He took it because it aligned perfectly with his own sense of justice.
He’s mind raced as he analyzed the situation, his eyes sharp and calculating. With Jessica held protectively in his arms, he tried to make sense of what was unfolding around them.
Statistically, the odds of this being a kidnapping were incredibly low. In recent years, there had only been 32 reported kidnapping cases across the entire region.
That accounted for roughly 0.01 percent of all recorded crimes.
In practical terms, that meant only about 0.03 out of every 100,000 people ever experienced such an incident.
It was so rare that unless someone was connected to high-risk environments or syndicates, the average person had nothing to fear.
Assault, on the other hand, was more frequent, though still uncommon when viewed in the broader context.
Recent reports showed around 4,900 assault cases, which accounted for about 1.4 percent of all crimes.
Statistically, that translated to roughly 4.5 people per 100,000 being attacked each year.
Even if the chances were low, they were still high enough to keep someone cautious, especially when walking through quiet, isolated paths one.
Since it is now so quiet even though it’s a famous place. And right now, all these signs pointed to danger.
Lastly, the most reported among the three, was rape.
Why would such a thought cross his mind? Because he wasn’t alone. He had a girl with him and not just anyone, but someone undeniably beautiful.
That kind of attention, rare as it was, could sometimes draw the wrong kind of eyes.
In the past year alone, authorities had recorded around 7,400 rape cases. That made up approximately 2.2 percent of all crime reports.
Statistically, that meant about 6.7 out of every 100,000 people had fallen victim to it. A grim and persistent threat, especially in vulnerable or poorly lit areas just one again.
"Is this place really so ghostly that no amount of people are coming down or going up right now?" Jeff grumbled since this is so unlikely.
Maybe the area was only crowded in the morning. But now, as night approached, it was quiet and nearly empty.
Jeff wasn’t panicking. Instead, his mind remained clear as he tried to process what might happen next.
He had always been the type to watch the news, to read articles and dive deep into research. He understood this country’s dark corners better than most.
He and Jessica were just ordinary citizens. Realistically, the risk of being kidnapped was close to zero. Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮※𝓷𝓮𝓽
The chances of experiencing assault or rape were also low, especially when someone avoided dangerous areas, traveled in groups, and stayed informed.
But those low chances actually happened to them? What are the odds.
The man who had finally caught up was drenched in sweat. He let out a breathless laugh, his smile was twisted.
"Damn, you run fast like a rat. You almost tired me out to death," he said, standing behind the stairs leading upwards with the other two.
"Are we going to die?" Jessica asked softly from within his arms.
A few tears had slipped down her face, "Stop thinking like that. Nothing bad is going to happen," Jeff replied, his voice calm and steady.
His words carried weight, and the determined look in his eyes made something inside her settle. Slowly, with that she stopped crying.
She gently climbed down from his arms. As he then wrapped an arm protectively in front of her, placing himself between her and the men, his body shielding her as he stood his ground.
"Why are you targeting us?" Jeff asked, his tone relaxed and almost casual.
But his eyes were anything but that they were sharp and unblinking, fixing on the man with a tattoo on his neck.
It was the very one who seemed to be in charge.
"Oh? And how can you tell we were targeting you?" the man replied with a grin, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it up with a calm flick.
"You think I didn’t notice? You’ve been following us since we were on the road. Two hours of trailing and keeping distance as you keep watching our every move," He responded.
The man paused all of a sudden, clearly surprised by Jeff’s words, "Wow, kid, you’re amazing. I didn’t expect your perception to be this sharp for someone your age," he said with a short laugh.
"That’s right. We’re targeting you. And don’t get your hopes up about anyone coming to help. We’ve scared off everyone else. It’s just the two of you now," he added, blowing out a cloud of smoke with a cruel smile stretching across his face.
Jeff finally understood why no one is walking up its because of this.
But he’s expression didn’t change, "What’s the purpose?"
"The purpose, you ask?" the man repeated, flicking his cigarette to the ground.
He stared at Jeff for a moment, but then his eyes slid slowly over to Jessica that is behind him. His gaze lingered, fully locking onto her.
"The girl behind you. Our young master took a liking to her," the man said coldly.
"So here’s the deal. I’ll give you one minute. You either willingly, or I’ll break your bones while we drag the girl to ."
"Your choice, kid," he added, glancing at his watch and starting the timer.
Hearing those words, he was dumbfounded. This kind of thing could actually happen in real life?
He had always thought it was the kind of scene you can only read about in Chinese novels something fictional, dramatic, far removed from reality.
But now it was unfolding right in front of him. And it was all too real.
Jeff’s eyes moved slowly, scanning the men around him. Each one was staring at him with a cruel look.
Some of them even looked amused, smiling without a hint of pity. Jessica stood close behind him, tense and silent, gripping the edge of his shirt tightly.
Time was ticking, but Jeff’s mind was already moving faster than any clock.
"Is the world really this cruel?" Jeff thought, his expression calm and unreadable even as the weight of the moment settled in.
"I can’t believe I ended up in that 0.01 percent." he could not help but laughed inwardly.
He greatly wondered why he wasn’t feeling fearful at this moment, this really made him wonder for a while.
Behind him, Jessica stood frozen. But when she heard that she was the reason they were being targeted, the fear in her eyes slowly changed.
It was no longer fear for herself, it was worry, not for herself but to him.
She stepped out from behind him, slipping away from the arm he had placed behind her like a shield.
Moving in front of him, she stood as a barrier, her body trembling but her resolve was clear.
"Jessica, stay beh—" Jeff said, but she cut him off.
"Jeff, let me," she said softly.
"This situation happened because of me. I’m really sorry." she continued.
"What are you talking about, sta—" he tried again, but she interrupted once more. Her voice was gentle, but firm.
Jessica looked straight at the man who was watching them with an amused smile.
"Hey!" she shouted, her voice catches the attention of everyone around.
"I’ll follow you," she said, biting her lip, her voice trembling slightly.
"But can you let my friend go?" Her body shook as she said this.
Fear gripped her, not knowing what would happen if she went with them. But deep inside, she felt this was something she had to do.
She was the one who brought Jeff here. She was the one they were after. And now, she felt she had to take responsibility for it.
Even if it terrified her, so be it.
"Wow such a good girl for you to do that, but too bad he can’t since we don’t want to leave any witness," the man laughed.
"But, but, mister... if you let my friend leave, I won’t resist. I’ll go with you. You can do anything you want with me," Jessica said, her voice trembling, her lips barely able to form the words.
As soon as she spoke, the men around them burst into laughter. It was not the kind of laugh that came from humor.
It was dark and twisted, the kind that echoed with cruelty. For them, this moment brought back memories of their past crimes of people begging, sacrificing themselves, hoping to protect someone else.
What made it all the more thrilling for them was when that hope failed. When sacrifice turned into helplessness and when courage turned into despair.
That was what excited them the most. Despite the laughter and the cold air around them, Jessica stood firm.
Even as Jeff pulled on her arm, trying to get her to move back behind him, she remained where she was.
Seeing her stubbornness, Jeff let out a sigh.
"You’re not just a cutie, but pretty brave too," the man said, exhaling a puff of smoke as his eyes narrowed in amusement.
"Sixteen," Jessica replied.
The moment the words left her mouth, the atmosphere twisted. All of their eyes lit up, gleaming with something dark.
"Sixteen? Really? That’s hard to believe. You look so developed for someone your age," the man said, a note of mock surprise in his voice.
Then the grin on his face grew colder, "As for that little deal you offered earlier, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. Because watching you resist will be a lot more fun. It’s more exciting when you don’t have a choice."
He flicked his cigarette to the ground, stepping on it slowly, "Well, the minute’s up. Boys, cripple the guy but keep him awake. As for the girl, leave her to me."
With those words, the others started to move in, closing the distance. Their footsteps were heavy filled with a cruel look.
Special thanks to ’Meiwa_Blank👑’ – the GOAT for this month, for the Golden Tickets! Love you, brotha!
Special thanks to ’Devon1234👑’ – the GOAT for this month, for the Gifts! Love you, brotha!