Chapter 6 The Mystery Man

All the hostages were trembling with fear except for Coco and Carl.

"Honey, I'm scared..." A woman shivered and shrank into her boyfriend's arms. The man wanted to comfort his girlfriend but couldn't utter a word.

Fear and horror pervaded the place. Coco touched her son's head. The boy looked at her with his big brown eyes before leaning against her bosom.

"Honey, will someone come to save us?" The woman croaked through her sobs. It had been four hours since the abduction, but no one had come to rescue them. She was on the verge of collapsing.

The man opened and closed his mouth, but the words seemed to have frozen in his throat. The woman lost control over her emotions; she was about to break down and cry.

"Miss, don't cry. Don't you see that these guys are already in a foul mood? The people who spoke through the loudspeaker didn't agree to their request. According to what my mommy has written in her novels, they would probably take someone's life to frighten the cops," Carl whispered, gesturing for the woman to remain silent.

As if following Carl's words, the kidnappers failed to negotiate with the cops. One of them pointed his gun at the crowd and shouted, "Damn it! How dare they refuse our offer? Kill one of these people to show them that we are serious."

The man's eyes swept around the cafeteria, inciting fearful cries.

His threatening gaze eventually fell on Coco. The woman clenched her fists and stared back at the abductor. 'I will not let them hurt Carl!'

Finally, one of the men dragged the waiter sitting beside Coco. Two loud bangs resounded across the silent room. Everyone gasped in shock as the man's face turned into a soggy mess and blood trickled down his head.

Even the little children knew that the waiter would never return.

One of the people in the crowd began to sob uncontrollably.

The abductor glared at them before pointing his gun at the ceiling.

"Shush! Don't make a sound. If I see anyone talking or crying, I will shoot you without showing any mercy."

Coco noticed that the children behind her were crying. She feared that the cries would attract the kidnappers, who might target them as well as her son.

Coco shifted on her spot and winked at Carl. The boy understood his mother's plans and raised his little hand.

"Excuse me."

His sweet voice attracted everyone's attention. Seeing Carl, the kidnapper walked over to him and frowned. "What's the matter?"

"I want to go to the bathroom!" Carl clutched his stomach, feigning fear.

"I'm his sister!" Coco stood up.

"Boss, I'll keep an eye on them." The kidnapper rubbed his hands excitedly as he studied Coco's pretty face.

The man escorted Coco and Carl to the restroom, which was at the far end of the cafeteria. Coco scanned the room, taking in every detail. Once at the washroom, she quickly pushed Carl inside the cubicle and locked the door behind her.

"Mommy, what do we do now?" Carl asked.

"Don't worry, honey."

"Someone usually saves the innocent people in your novels. Do you think someone tall, with a hood and a mask, would fall from the sky to save us too?" the boy asked innocently.

Coco's eyes widened. She clamped her mouth, to stop the piercing scream that was forcing its way out, and pointed her trembling finger behind Carl's back.

The boy turned around and shuddered.

Behind them stood a tall hooded figure, masked in a strange outfit. A pair of night vision goggles concealed his eyes.

"Are you a SWAT agent?" Coco asked as she returned to her senses.

The man continued to stare at Coco without answering her question.

He felt that the little boy looked like him when he saw his photo for the first time. However, seeing Carl in person confirmed his doubts.

His eyes were the exact same as his.

"I'll take the kid out first. The police will come and rescue all of you. Until then, hide in a safe place."

"What about my mommy?" Carl panicked.

The man pulled out a spray bottle from his pocket and gave it to Coco. "This is a sedative. Spray this on the kidnapper who is waiting outside. He will lose his conscience for a couple of minutes. Do you understand?"