Chapter 306


    Kitty was in this line of work. She could tell old money from new with a nce at their attire and the


    softness of their hands.


    "No doubt about it," she mused, "just yesterday, they snatched another one. Dragged ''em all out,


    beat ''em ck and blue, and humiliated them in every way imaginable. Fed them slop like pigs, and


    made them crawl on the ground barking like dogs. Anyone who resisted got a real whooping."


    She knew the outskirts like the back of her hand. The gang had brought back a haul yesterday, all


    top-shelf goods, yet there hadn''t been any major uproar in the city.


    The numbers added up: same number of goons left as came back, and all within three hours.


    This was definitely a case of abduction, except they hadn''t taken any hostages with them, which


    meant those victims were probably dead.


    Ste pondered, could Bran be one of their captives? She described Bran''s appearance, his height,


    his style, and his hairdo. "Have you seen him?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Kitty concentrated hard. "Wearing flip-flops?"


    "Exactly." Those flip-flops were Bran''s signature.


    What a coincidence. Kitty had actually seen him.


    "After stuffing their faces, they get their kicks from tormenting their captives. The guy you described


    was defiant, wouldn''t y along, even dared to fight back. Nearly shattered the leader''s balls with a


    kick. They beat him bloody. If someone hadn''t intervened, he''d probably be dead by now."


    Bran was seriously injured. Whether he could survive depended on fate.


    Ste couldn''t believe it. Shane had mobilized his forces to overturn Griffith, and yet, there was no


    word of Bran. Now, it was like finding what you weren''t looking for without even trying.


    "Hold on a sec," Ste said, pulling Jasper aside.


    They stepped into a nook, Jasper''s brow furrowed. "You want in on this?"


    Was it to save Bran, or could she not let go of her friends?


    Ste was candid, "Bran brought this on himself. I''m not out to save him, but the Porras family has


    something I want."


    Jasper looked at her and said. "You''re after that helicopter?"


    Indeed, Ste wanted that very much. Compared to tectonic te collisions, eternal night, haze,


    and acid rain seemed utterly trivial.


    Mountains crumbling,nd fracturing, the earth turning to ocean—how would they survive?


    They had cruise ships, sure, but te collisions would trigger tsunamis, and even the grandest ship


    would be no match for the waves. Only from the sky could one truly grasp the scope of the


    catastrophe and find a sanctuary in real-time.


    With her stockpiled gear, she could live well for now, but what about the future?


    After a long consideration, Jasper relented, "I''ll handle it. You stay with Rosie and Cooper."


    Ste wouldn''t have it, "If we''re going in, we''ll need Cooper''s help."


    Night vision goggles had their limits, but Cooper could see in the dark as if it were day, not to


    mention his exceptional hearing and sense of smell.


    Survival meant taking risks. Recalling his own experiences with te collisions, Jasper finally


    agreed.


    Ste proposed a deal to Kitty, "The man I asked about is actually the Porras family''s third son.


    They''ve issued a reward: anyone who can save him gets a bounty of a thousand pounds of food."


    Kitty was aware. They''d joked about it, saying if they could save Bran, they''d be set for life. A


    thousand pounds of food was a mighty lure, attracting all sorts of talent.


    Kitty had been all talk. All her energy was focused on dealing with the gangsters. She didn''t expect


    to stumble upon this opportunity. If she could pull this off and earn an extra thousand pounds of


    food, it was well worth the gamble.


    Steid out her terms, "Food doesn''t keep well, and owning it just paints a target on your back.


    Let me handle the specifics with the Porras family."


    Kitty had no objections. Saving Bran was a bonus, no loss to her if it didn''t work out.


    Ste could negotiate with the Porras family, divvy up the loot per head, especially now that their


    odds had improved with two more on board.


    Cody and Lukas approached Ste, "We didn''t think this through, dragging you into this. You and


    Jasper have everything you need. You don''t have to risk this." Ste had already helped them more


    than enough.


    Sensing their guilt, Ste reassured them with a smile, "How do you know I have everything I need?


    The eternal night couldst forever. Without proper lighting, we can''t grow crops. The wealthy have


    their informationworks. I''ve heard there are more disasters toe, and our vi might not be


    safe forever. We''ve got to n for the future. And I won''t lie to you, risking our lives in this mission is


    because the Porras family has something I desire. Don''t feel burdened on my ount."


    So, they epted the arrangement.


    Without further excuses, Ste paid Shane a visit. Derick had the sense to usher her into the study,


    guarding the door himself.


    Ste got straight to the point, "If I can save your son, I don''t want the food. I want what''s on your


    rooftop."


    Shane was taken aback, managing tough in disbelief, "Ste, you''ve got quite an appetite."


    She didn''t hide her ambition, "With your resources, losing one chopper is nothing. But your son is


    irreceable. If he''s gone, he''s gone for good."


    Shane would have thrashed his good-for-nothing son if he were here. A helicopter for that boy? He


    wasn''t even worth the propeller.


    Shane agreed in the end. The son had to be alive.


    But Ste wasn''t done. She also demanded a hundred tons of aviation fuel. What good was a


    helicopter without fuel?


    Shane felt like he might explode; perhaps he could do without Bran.


    "Fine." Shane aged a decade in that moment.


    Ste opened her mouth again, "Also..."


    "What more do you want?" Shane was genuinely angry now. "There''s a limit to greed. Don''t overdo


    it."


    Ste smiled, "Shane, this is a voluntary transaction. We''re risking our lives to save your son.


    Nobody knows how many will die. If you find it unworthy, we can call it off right now."


    Shane rubbed his temples, feeling a migraineing on. "Alright, spill it. What else do you want?"


    "We need to prepare the goods the kidnappers are asking for, following their demands to the letter."


    Shane nearly burst a blood vessel. "What are you getting at?"


    "Diversion tactics," Ste revealed the n with a sly grin. "There''s a rat in the Porras n,


    someone who knows full well about your ties with the Griffith authorities and still has the guts to pull


    off this brazen kidnapping. It means they''re not to be underestimated. You''ll go along with the


    charade, and make the trade. If you''re clever enough to keep them from sniffing out the trick, you


    can do whatever you want. Swap the grain for gravel or stones if you would like. The moment they


    step out for the exchange, theirir''s defenses will drop, and our chances of rescuing Bran will


    shoot up."


    Shane mulled over this for a solid half hour. "Do you know where their hideout is?"