Kidnapped(2)

Aiden cursed as he raced towards the car. That foolish woman! Did she really have to take such reckless risks? So, she wanted to know about those people. He'd promised to help her, hadn't he? Why was she in such a hurry? Now, she'dput herself in danger.

As he slid into the car, he saw the driver fumbling with the keys, his hands shaking slightly.

"Get out," Aiden snapped, impatience boiling over as he jumped back out of the car and raced towards the driver's side. "I'll drive."

The driver quickly scrambled out of the seat while Aiden got behind the wheel. The engine roared to life under his firm grip. Just as he was about to speed off, An jumped into the passenger seat, a tablet in his hand.

"Sir, I've tracked the cab," An said, his voice tight with urgency. "You are right. The cab dropped her off at Lawrence Street."

"Dam* it!" Aiden clenched his jaw as he cursed.

"Gather more information. I need to know exactly where she is," He ordered. 

An got on the phone immediately. Lawrence street was not a place to go for a casual visit and time was of the essence. Every second counted. 

"Sir, Madam has been kidnapped. It seems she went into the shop to look for her parents. And then later, when she tried to escape, they took her away. Our man has followed them. For now, they are keeping her in a warehouse. But he is not able to see how many people are there."

Aiden nodded," Tell him to send us the exact location and keep an eye on the place. And you call the police."

"Location received," Asssistant An said, showing Aiden the screen with a map pinpointing the warehouse's location. "It's on the outskirts, near the old industrial area."

Aiden floored the accelerator, the car surged forward as they sped through the city streets. He wove through traffic with precision, his focus laser-sharp. The drive seemed to stretch on endlessly, each second feeling like an eternity.

"Stay here and coordinate with the police. I'm going in," Aiden muttered as he stopped the car and moved to go inside.

An stared at his boss and tried to warn, "Sir, be careful. We don't know how many of them are there. Wait for the police backup."

Aiden shook his head. "No time. She needs me now."

He slipped out of the car, moving stealthily toward the warehouse. The entrance was guarded by two men, their eyes scanning the area.

He needed a distraction. Spotting a pile of old metal scraps nearby, Aiden picked up a small rock and hurled it towards the pile. The loud clatter echoed through the area, drawing the guards' attention.

As they moved to investigate, Aiden slipped past them and entered the warehouse. Inside, the air was thick with the smell of dust and oil. He moved silently, his ears straining to pick up any sound. He heard something, causing him to frown. There was nary a sound... How was this possible?

Suddenly, he heard a loud scream echo through the warehouse, followed by deathly silence. His heart was stuck in his throat. He ran further in, towards the source of the sound,, expecting to see the worst.. He pressed himself against the corner, remaining hidden. He didn't want to startle the kidnappers. Cautiously, he peeked inside.

However, the sight that met his eyes was so unexpected that he almost fell.

In the center of the room, two men were tied to chairs, as they struggled against their restraints. 

Nearby, Serena sat on a stack of crates, nonchalantly munching on a handful of peanuts she must have found. She looked completely at ease, as if she were sitting in a café rather than being in the middle of a kidnapping scenario.

Aiden blinked, momentarily stunned by the scene. He had expected a tense confrontation, a dangerous rescue. Instead, he found Serena looking more amused than alarmed, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint as she glanced over at him.

"Aiden," she greeted him casually, popping another peanut into her mouth. "Thank you so much for coming to save me…I don't know what I would have done without you!

He stepped fully into the room, still trying to wrap his mind around what he was seeing."Cut out the act. What the hell is going on here?"

Serena rolled her eyes and gave him a stare, "Took you long enough to get here."

One of the tied-up men groaned, his voice muffled by a gag. Serena tilted her head towards him, a smile playing on her lips. "These two geniuses thought they could kidnap me. It seems my 'respectable' parents took money from them and the other neighbors, claiming it was for my treatment. And since they then absconded with the money, these people wanted to kidnap me and make me pay for the money. But they underestimated me." And then she leaned in close to him and whispered," Like you."

Aiden's eyes flicked to the men, then back to Serena. "How did you manage this?"

She shrugged, "Turns out, they're not very bright. They left me untied and unguarded because I was drugged. Now, can you please take care of them? It seems they know nothing of the Thompsons, either."