Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 23 Kidnapping
As the sun sets, the sky burns with a deep orange glow, stretching the light and shadow between the buildings.

Zhou Yi sat in the back seat, gazing calmly out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

The taxi drove smoothly through the street, the low hum of its engine swallowed up by the city's noise.

The driver was wearing a white shirt with the collar slightly open, the fabric clinging to his skin due to sweat.

He had a buzz cut, dark brown skin, and sunken eyes. He would occasionally glance at the passengers behind him through the rearview mirror.

After turning several street corners, the car entered a semi-abandoned industrial area.

The roads became potholed and the streets were deserted, with only a few dilapidated shops still open.

Gina subconsciously slowed her breathing.

Her intuition told her that something was wrong.

She subtly tilted her head, pretending to move closer to Zhou Yi unintentionally.

Just as I opened my mouth to offer a reminder, I saw the driver tap his finger lightly on the steering wheel.

"despair."

The movement was extremely light, yet it was like a silent signal.

Immediately afterwards——

"click"

The doors were locked, and a dull mechanical sound echoed in the cramped carriage.

The taxi slowly pulled over and stopped.

The two homeless men leaning against the wall glanced over from a distance, then casually moved away, unwilling to get involved in the trouble that was about to unfold.

The driver's lips curled into a slight smile as he pressed the radio switch on the dashboard.

A tune with a strong Northern Mexican folk flavor drifted over.

The guitar melody is gentle and lingering, like a warm breeze sweeping across a dry plain.

It sings of lost love and the longing that refuses to be extinguished in the long night.

"I hope you understand what this means."

As he spoke, he pulled a Beretta 92FS from under his seat.

Pointing the gun at the back seat, the man said with a hint of mockery, "Listen to me, no one will get hurt."

Gina blinked.

Zhou Yi beside him did not move at all, not even his breathing rhythm changed.

He is waiting.

This indicates that the threat is not significant.

Realizing this, Gina breathed a sigh of relief, but still tried her best to look scared.

"Hand over all the money."

"Did not bring."

"Ha!" the driver sneered. "Stop talking nonsense. Roberto saw you withdrawing money from the ATM with his own eyes."

Gina pictured the barefoot boy kicking a ball.

How old is he?

Thirteen? Fourteen?
That's fucking damn good.

Zhou Yi sighed and took out a wad of cash from his pocket, which amounted to about nine thousand reais.

The driver's eyes lit up, and he reached out to take the money, his fingers gripping its thickness as he smiled even more broadly.

"So nice."

He flipped through the banknotes, stuffed the money into his pocket with satisfaction, and couldn't help but feel great: "You're quite sensible."

Zhou Yi placed his hands on his knees and asked in a calm tone, "Aren't you afraid the police will come knocking? You're so rough with your work, it's easy for them to spot you."

"Police? They're a bunch of shit-eating trash."

The driver shrugged, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world:

"A fake license plate, a modified chassis, they can't find a trace of it, so I advise you not to have any other ideas."

After giving his remarks, he picked up his old phone from the passenger seat and quickly dialed a number: "Brother, I've caught a rich Asian guy, the kind with a pretty girl. Meet at the usual spot in thirty minutes, get ready to welcome him."

Indistinct whispers and hoarse laughter came from the other end of the phone.

The driver responded with a few words, hung up the phone, and couldn't help but tease the man and woman in the back seat.

"Thanks to the great money, you lucky bastards have bought yourselves a few more days of life." However, both men were now looking down, as if they were terrified.

Having made a fool of himself, the driver wasn't angry. He hummed along with a song on the radio, casually placing his pistol on his lap.

I stepped on the gas and continued driving towards the suburbs.

As darkness fell, the city's neon lights receded into the distance, replaced by a dim, yellowish expanse of country roads.

The evening breeze blew in through the cracks in the window, carrying the scent of earth and withered grass.

suddenly--

The car's music was abruptly cut off with a "screech" sound.

The low alarm sounded three times, and then the man began his serious announcement.

"This is the Brazilian National Radio. We are now broadcasting an emergency alert of the highest level from the Bahia State Police."

"Police launched Operao Paraa twenty minutes ago to pursue two extremely dangerous fugitives across the state."

"They are suspected of involvement in today's downtown bombing and may be linked to several other major criminal cases this month."

"One of them is suspected of having received professional military training and is extremely dangerous."

"The public is urged to be vigilant and pay close attention to suspicious persons. The police have increased patrols and set up checkpoints at major entrances and exits."

The driver frowned, annoyed that his favorite music had been cut off, and reached out to change the station.

However, just as the button was pressed, a sentence came over the loudspeaker—

"They were last seen at a hotel in the Tabahara district."

Tabahara?

The driver was stunned.

Isn't that the place where he just picked up those two people?
The updates are ongoing.

"It's called 'Deep Blue House'."

Hold.

The driver was startled and quietly reached for the pistol on his thigh.

At the same time, a gun barrel was already protruding from the back seat and pressed firmly against the back of his head.

Cold, precise, and silent.

"Where is the old place you mentioned?" Zhou Yi's voice rang out.

Without a second thought, the driver slammed on the brakes the instant he gripped the gun handle!
"Thorn--!"

The tires screeched as they dragged across the road, the vehicle shook violently, and came to a stop in the middle of the road.

The driver's head slammed forward.

But the next second, an arm gripped his throat and pressed him tightly against the headrest of the seat.

The trachea was compressed, causing difficulty breathing.

"Uh-uh-"

The driver's eyes widened as he struggled desperately, his face quickly turning red, and he was forced to release the gun from his right hand.

With the gun still pressed against his skull, Zhou Yi ordered, "Take the gun away."

As soon as she finished speaking, Gina grabbed the pistol that had fallen under the seat and put it in her pocket.

The driver felt like his neck was about to be snapped.

He instinctively opened his mouth, but couldn't make a complete sound; he could only squeeze out broken, breathy gasps.

Two minutes later, Zhou Yi patiently asked again, "Where is the place you're talking about?"

His lungs felt like they were being burned by fire, and the driver was on the verge of losing consciousness, but the excruciating pain prevented him from completely passing out.

"Yes, yes. In the villa area. In the woods."

Is it safe?

The driver's mind went blank, almost unable to think: "Safety.MOB[1] is.Our.SafetyMOB"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi laughed, but also loosened his grip slightly: "MOB? What are you? Fucking Marine Raiders or whatever the shit they call it today?"

The driver took a deep breath, but the tearing sensation that followed forced him to cough violently.

"No...cough...we...cough...we...we're...cough cough kidnapping."

“Very good,” Zhou Yi lowered the muzzle of his gun a few inches. “Take me there.”

　[1]Main operating base
　　
　
(End of this chapter)