Chapter 1049 Cautious
Why… Why is she here? Just as he was about to call out to her, he was stopped by the look she gave him. They could not let anyone know that they knew each other.
If the robber were to find out that Natalie knew Jerome—and knew him well, in fact—she might no longer be a simple hostage, and the lawbreaker would become increasingly wary of her.
Jerome could understand Natalie’s intention. Still, he found it impossible to stay calm as she was held hostage at knifepoint.
“Your acquaintances have been caught, and you’re the only one left,” Jerome warned as he kept a close eye on Barnaby. “I’d advise you to surrender as quickly as you can and let the hostage go so that your sentence will be lighter.”
However, Barnaby felt as if he had heard the world’s greatest joke when he heard Jerome’s words.
“A lighter sentence? How funny!” Barnaby pressed the knife harder against Natalie’s neck. “I want to leave safely, and you have to give me enough money too. Otherwise, I’ll drag this woman to hell with me.”
A typical threat, but it only worked because Natalie’s life was in his hands.
“I want a helicopter, and I want a hundred million in virtual currency downloaded into a wristwatch!” Barnaby glanced at the young woman in his arms. “I don’t have much patience. You’ll have to prepare everything I’ve requested in half an hour’s time. I’ll be waiting on the rooftop for the helicopter.”
A hundred million? This guy is greedy! Our higher-ups didn’t say that blood cannot be spilled. Moreover, this mission isn’t particularly hard. We just need to use tear gas to blind our opponent and take him down. If the hostage is hurt, so be it. Same idea for if she ends up dead. All we need to do is to give the correct compensation later on.
Just as Jerome’s adjutant was about to make a move, Jerome stopped him.
“Major General Sutton, what are you…”
“I won’t let anything happen to her,” Jerome uttered in a low, determined voice. “You heard what he said. We have to prepare everything he wants in half an hour. My command is the law. If you’re worried that the money will be flushed down the drain, the Sutton family will bear the responsibility for it, then.”
The adjutant was about to say something else, but he could not utter a word after seeing Jerome’s determined gaze.
“Yes, Sir. I’ll see to it right now.”
Barnaby and Natalie were standing a distance away from the soldiers, so Barnaby did not catch any of Jerome’s conversation with his adjutant; he just assumed that Jerome wished to save the hostage’s life.
However, complicated feelings were plaguing Natalie’s mind.
She was certain that Jerome and his adjutant just had a disagreement about the course of action.
Jerome only agreed to Barnaby’s ridiculous demands because he wanted to protect her.
Natalie did not know what words she could use to describe her current situation.
Jerome, who wanted to save her, was being too cautious.
Right then, Barnaby began towing Natalie up the stairs. “Move!”
Natalie had no choice but to pretend to go along with his words as she waited for the right opportunity to escape from him.
Jerome was afraid that Barnaby would hurt Natalie, so he did not follow Barnaby too closely.
Not long after, they reached the rooftop.
Barnaby was focused on waiting for the helicopter and the money, and he never once loosened his grip on the knife in his hand.
Natalie asked tentatively, “What crimes have you committed? Robbery?”
“Shut up,” Barnaby snapped, breathing hard.
“Can’t I just ask a question? I’ve been held hostage by you for a while now.” Natalie had only asked that because she wanted to convince the man to surrender.
She was no saint. She knew well that while Jerome had sent his men to prepare the helicopter and the money, he had also sent his men to get the best sniper in the troop over.
The sniper would be able to make a good shot even if they were a hundred meters away.
This man thought that holding either me or that pregnant woman hostage would guarantee his safe escape. He never realized that he became a sitting duck. At most, it’ll be difficult to capture him. Still, that’s nothing a little time won’t fix—he’ll surely be caught.
As Barnaby watched the helicopter fly toward him, he became even more assured that he would be able to leave safely, and that made him lower his guard.
“Why would I take on a job as dangerous as this if not for the fact that I had no other options?” Barnaby sighed. “My wife has a brain tumor, and the success rate of the craniotomy is only three percent. I have to get the best doctor in the world to raise that success rate up to seventy percent. Isn’t the best doctor the most expensive doctor? I need a lot of money so that my wife survives this.”
