Chapter 14: Chapter 14

511 words

<html><head></head><body>Realizing the imminent threat, Florrie stood frozen,terror silencing any scream. With a swift motion, Evelina shoved Florrie safely aside and lunged forward, her foot slamming powerfully into the thug's side. He gasped in agony, doubling over, but Evelina gave him no quarter, spinning gracefully into a devastating kick that cracked against his jaw. The man toppled heavily to the floor,groaning weakly. Determined to keep him disabled, Evelina followed through with another kick before swiftly pulling the van keys from his pocket. When Florrie was pushed aside, she collided softly with a worn-out table-exactly as Evelina had intended-just enough to get her clear without injury. "Still feeling brave?" Evelina asked wryly, offering Florrie a hand up. Shaking her head desperately, Florrie stammered,promise, no more jokes." They hurriedly retraced their path, escaping from the factory into the night air. The second girl hadn't ventured far, hidinganxiously behind a nearby bush, and waved frantically as they emerged. "Hey, over here!" Evelina rushed toward her, concern clear in her eyes."You alright?" The girl nodded quickly. Relieved, Evelina guided both girls toward the parked van. Keys in hand, she reached for the door, hopeful of a quick escape- until brilliant headlights suddenly pierced the darkness,stopping them cold. Covering her eyes, Evelina squinted into the blinding beams,recognizing the grim reality-an entire group of thugs now encircled them. At the forefront stood a young man with slicked-back hair,arrogance radiating from his designer clothes. He smirked coldly. "Impressive. Nobody's ever escaped my top guys before. There's a first time for everything,I suppose." "I'm scared," Florrie whispered nervously, picking up the sinister laughter and footsteps around them. "Me too," the other girl responded, trembling behind Evelina's protective stance. "Stay calm," Evelina said firmly, squeezing Florrie's hand reassuringly. Meeting the gang leader's eyes directly, she suggested evenly, "You're Mr. Reid,correct? Whatever Margot's paying you, l'll double it -no,five times as much. Name your price." Attempting to protect the strangers she'd rescued,Evelina was willing to bargain even with criminals. "Let us leave unharmed, and I'll pretend tonight never happened.Margot won't hear from me again." Hayden erupted in laughter. "Do you seriously believe we'd let you go after you've seen our faces?" With a swift, decisive gesture, he instructed, "Finish them." Immediately, more than twenty thugs surged forward,weapons glinting ominously. The two terrified girls screamed. Florrie considered desperately revealing her identity,but the fear of escalating their danger held her tongue.Could disclosing her status as a Russell only seal their fate? Evelina braced for the brutal fight ahead, calmly stretching her muscles. She turned confidently to the frightened girls. "You both know how to count, don't you?" Confused, they nodded hesitantly. "Yes...?" Evelina pointed toward a sturdy tree nearby,instructing the girl with sight, "Get behind that tree with Florrie and start counting." When the girl hesitated,Evelina shouted sharply, "Now!" Startled into action, she grabbed Florrie's hand and hurried toward the tree, turning briefly to Evelina."Please be careful!" Evelina flashed a confident thumbs-up. "Cover your ears. Count to one hundred." With fearless determination, she then charged straight into the enemy ranks like a predator unleashed. </body></html>