Chapter 241
They must have swapped tools nearby, but the lousy surveillance missed it. The cops had to lock down several blocks to check the footage and look for any suspicious vehicles.
This investigation was turning into a massive workload.
Christina stayed up all night, just like the police. Everyone's eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion.
William was worried about her. "The cops are already on it. Staying here won't help. Get some rest. You can go back once there's a lead on the kid."
Christina didn't want to miss any clues.
"Who do you think did this? Kidnapping a kid here costs way more than doing it on the street. Why would they do this? Is someone targeting me?"
William felt heartbroken seeing her like this.
"Christina, don't overthink it now. Let's trust the police, okay? I'll take you home to rest."
"Harper is my child. I carried her for nine months and gave birth to her. You don't understand. You can't understand how important a child is to a mother." Christina pushed him away, shouting hysterically.
William felt a mix of emotions.
Maybe it was the tension from the whole night, or the sudden outburst, but it seemed like something snapped in Christina's mind. She collapsed softly to the ground.
The last thing she saw was William holding her tightly, anxiously shouting, "Christina, Christina!"
Christina had a dream. It was so real she couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality.
She dreamt that Harper was taken to an underground market. The faces of the people there were twisted by greed and money. They were touching Harper's little face.
"Such a pretty little girl is rare, but she's a bit old."
The trafficker tried to persuade them. "She's only three or four. She'll forget everything after a while. Look how beautiful she is. She'll grow up to be prettier than a star, a real money-maker. It's worth it."
She watched as Harper was priced like a commodity, powerless to do anything. She screamed, but no one listened.
"Harper!"
She shouted and woke up abruptly from the dream.
William was no longer by her side. She looked around and saw that she was in a hospital.
"Harper!"
She shouted, pulling out the IV needle from her hand, ready to leave. A nurse rushed over upon hearing the commotion.
"Ms. Windsor, please stay in the hospital. Mr. Cavendish said he's already at the police station waiting for news. Finish your IV before you leave."
Christina couldn't sit still and pushed the nurse's hand away.
"Move!"
The nurse couldn't stop her and felt helpless.
Just as Christina was about to leave the hospital and head to the police station, her phone rang.
She checked the message after getting into the car.
It was from an unknown number.
[Harper is with me. If you want her safe, don't tell anyone. Come alone to South Star Scrap Factory. If I see anyone else, I'll kill Harper immediately.]
Christina's eyes widened in shock.
This wasn't a random kidnapping. It was targeted at her and Harper.
She tried calling the number, but it was always busy, with no one answering.
Her heart sank, feeling like she had fallen into an icy pit.
Who was it? Who would do this to her and her daughter?
She gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. She took a deep breath, telling herself to stay calm and rational for Harper's safety.
She sent a message to William, telling him that someone had kidnapped Harper but not to call the police. She asked him to find a way to South Star Scrap Factory.
Then, she told the taxi driver the destination and sped towards South Star Scrap Factory.
After getting out of the car, she took a deep breath, composed herself, and walked into the scrapyard.
The scrapyard was empty, with only a few rusty steel frames and an old, rusty machine. She looked around but saw no one.
Her heart tightened. Had Harper been taken away? She anxiously searched around and finally came to an abandoned warehouse.
The warehouse door was closed. She hesitated but pushed it open.
"Is anyone here? I'm here alone. Where's Harper?"
The warehouse was vast and empty, with a complex structure and some old equipment piled up. In the center, there was a burning oil drum, emitting a pungent smell.
She fanned the air and asked again, "Where is she? I'm here!"
Her voice echoed in the empty warehouse, but no one answered. Christina's heart was in her throat again. She began to doubt if she had been tricked. Was Harper really here?
Just then, she heard light footsteps behind her. She turned around abruptly.
A person dressed in black stood there, staring at her with eyes full of malice, like a predator ready to hunt.
"Who are you?" Christina asked nervously.
"Who I am doesn't matter. If you want to save your daughter, you'll have to pay the price!" The person sneered, opened the door, and walked out.
The door closed in front of Christina. She rushed forward, pounding on the door.
"What do you want? Where's my daughter?"
No one responded.
Had they left?
Christina took out her phone to call for help, but there was no signal. This place wasn't remote enough to lack signal towers, so someone must have set up a signal jammer.
She kicked the door in frustration.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
The oil drum nearby was still burning fiercely, emitting a noxious smell that hit her head.
She felt something was wrong. It seemed like harmful gas. If she stayed here too long, she might be in danger too.
She looked around and saw a row of windows about thirteen feet high.
There was equipment nearby. She tried pulling it, and it was heavy, but it seemed movable.
The fire couldn't keep burning. Although the space was large, it was enclosed and would soon run out of oxygen. She pushed the oil drum over and stomped out the flames.
After exhausting herself, the fire finally went out.
With some free time, she dragged the old equipment piece by piece under the window, stacking them up. After several attempts, she tried climbing.
The window was still far. She reached a few times and finally grabbed the edge, struggling to pull herself up. But her knee hit the wall, and she let go in pain.