Chapter 248

She had already left the police station, and going back would take too much time.

Harper agreed!

After hanging up, Christina immediately called the police captain handling the case.

Once she explained the situation, the captain quickly responded, "Ms. Windsor, don't worry. We'll coordinate with the emergency system to locate your child."

Christina let out a small sigh of relief.

With the police involved, they would surely find the child soon.

"We'll connect you to your child's phone once we get through. You don't need to worry," the captain confirmed after checking with the tech department.

Christina felt much calmer, waiting quietly for the police to connect her call with Harper. With her on the line, Harper wouldn't be as scared.

After a while, the call connected. Christina immediately said, "Harper, Mommy will come to get you soon. Don't be afraid, just stay hidden."

"Okay!" Harper replied.

Christina kept talking to Harper, hoping her voice would provide some comfort.

But unexpectedly, a few minutes later, Harper's voice turned fearful again.

"Mommy, the people who kidnapped me are back. It's not safe here. I need to hide."

As soon as Harper finished speaking, the line went dead.

Christina's heart clenched.

"Harper? Harper!"

No response.

In a dim alley, Red looked around and cursed at the man.

"What were you doing? How could you let a child escape?"

"Who knew she would lie?" The man bit his lip. "Don't worry, this place is in the countryside, surrounded by wasteland. She can't get far. She's just a kid; she can't fly away."

"She might not get far, but if something happens, our cash cow is gone. Are you going to compensate for that?" Red glared at him.

The man sighed. "Yes, yes, my fault. Let's find her quickly. If we can't, we'll call Dane back."

Red ignored him and walked briskly. Many people had moved out of the alley, leaving many empty houses. They searched each one until they found a small shop.

An old lady sat inside, fanning herself.

Red walked over quickly and asked gently, "Ma'am, have you seen a little girl? Our daughter is lost, and we're very worried."

The old lady couldn't hear them and just pointed to her ear, shaking her head to indicate she was deaf.

Red raised her voice and repeated the question.

The old lady still couldn't hear.

Frustrated, Red was about to leave when she noticed an old-fashioned phone on the table, with the receiver off the hook.

She squinted and picked up the phone to listen.

No sound.

But if the old lady was deaf, how could she make a call? Could it be the little girl?

That little girl was not only pretty but also smart. She could fetch a good price!

"She's ahead. Keep going," Red said, narrowing her eyes and running forward.

The man quickly followed.

Harper looked around, panicked. Seeing them search each house, she didn't dare hide in the abandoned homes.

She ran until she reached an open area with a large patch of wasteland.

Harper gritted her teeth and hid in the tall grass, covering her mouth, not daring to make a sound.

Red and her men were getting closer.

"Harper, I know you're here. Come out, okay? I won't hurt you. I'll take you to eat delicious food. Just come out, okay?"

Her voice was like a ghost, slowly approaching.

Christina knew something was wrong and couldn't sit still.

She immediately called the police again, asking for their location so she could rush over.

A child that young needed her mother. The captain understood and told her the location, suggesting, "Why don't you wait, and we'll go together?"

Christina checked the map. The place was far.

But she couldn't wait.

She had to go first.

The abandoned old town would take time for the police to reach, but Red heard sirens in the distance.

"Damn, we've been found."

The man, out of breath, asked, "What do we do?"

"Run first. We won't make much from this job. Let's go, we can't get caught." Red gritted her teeth. "I won't let that little girl go. She's ruined so many of my plans."

The man nodded. "Just leave?"

Red squinted. "You reminded me. We can't let her live, or she'll expose us. She must be hiding in this wasteland. Beyond it is open land; she can't get that far. Set the grass on fire."

The man sneered. "Alright, I'll burn it!"

He took out a lighter and walked towards the grass. Harper, hiding in the grass, felt the heat rising behind her. Her heart pounded, and tears streamed down her face.

She knew if she didn't escape, the fire would consume her.

"Mommy, what should I do?" Harper cried softly, her voice carried away by the wind, with no response.

Meanwhile, Christina had taken a cab to Harper's location. Her anxiety was like ants on a hot pan. She kept urging the driver to speed up and called the police for updates.

The police reassured her they had located the area and were organizing a search.

But time was running out. She couldn't wait!

When she arrived, the grass was already ablaze.

Christina felt a sudden, ominous premonition and shouted, "Harper, where are you?"

The police had called the fire department, who began extinguishing the fire.

In the vast wasteland, the fire spread quickly with the wind, and Harper was nowhere to be seen.

Christina felt like she was hearing a ringing in her ears, her head buzzing, unable to think clearly.

Just then, a clear voice called from behind her, "Mommy."

Christina thought she was hearing things. She turned around in disbelief and saw her daughter standing not far away.