The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 2608

The relief was palpable when Elton discovered the wire fence was unexpectedly pliable, perhaps due to years of neglect, its edges curling up invitingly.

Elton didn't dare linger. Having assessed the fence's material, he carefully made his way back and settled onto the ground, but this time he misjudged his strength and crashed down with a thud.

Victoria gasped softly.

The reaction from the kidnappers was swift. The raucous sounds of their drinking from the next room hadn't ceased, but a very sober-looking thug with a lead pipe in hand pushed open their door.

Seeing Elton simply lying on the ground, the thug warned, "Don't even think about running. This pipe in my hand isn't picky about where it lands."

"We can be sure now there's one less enjoying the booze next door," Elton whispered, his voice trembling.

Victoria listened, her heart pounding, "Dad, what's wrong? Don't scare me!"

That group of kidnappers coming in once in a while already left Victoria in cold sweat. If her father were to be hurt, she didn't know how she would cope.

"I'm okay, it's just... that guy bursting in gave me quite the jolt. But listen, Balfour, I've figured out the mesh—it's tough but flexible. A bit of force and we could bend it to escape through the back window!"

Hearing the good news, Balfour exhaled in relief, "Mr. Lewis, take a break. You're not in a very good state. We'll make our move once they're drunk."

Even without Balfour's advice, Elton needed to rest, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. He frowned, biting his lip hard, desperate not to worry the kids.

...

Captain Aidan's hunch was spot on. There were quite a few ex-cons with a history of kidnapping out there, one named Jaxon caught his eye.

"This guy was a big shot behind bars, commands a lot of respect," one of the officers remembered, "We spread his cronies across different prisons to cut off their ties. You recall that?"