Noah’s steps suddenly halted as he reread the message multiple times to check the time.
"She is in the city...!?"
He wasn’t expecting Emma to visit this city, as he had never heard her mention any plans to come here.
"Are you in the capital, Emma? Where are you right now?" From: Noah
After sending the message, Noah entered his bedroom, placed his cell phone on the table, and took off his long coat. He glanced at his phone a few times, but there was no reply from Emma.
’Maybe she’s already asleep?’
He decided to clean up and will call her tomorrow morning.
...
By the time Noah finished cleaning up and was ready to rest, his cell phone rang again—this time an incoming call from Emma.
"Hi Emma," Noah greeted as he sat on the edge of the bed.
"Noah, I hope I’m not disturbing your rest."
"Not at all... I just got home. Are you in town?"
"Yes, I’m in Fort City. I just finished a conference today and finally have some time to reach out to you."
Noah frowned, hearing her voice slightly raise. He could hear the noise of a car in the background and guessed she was outside.
"You should have called me sooner. It’s so late, Emma. Why are you out?"
There was a brief pause before Emma’s soft voice replied.
"I’m worried about bothering you, Noah. I’m staying at the Crystal Hotel, not far from the main business street."
"Oh, I know that place. That’s not far from my house."
No sounds came through from Emma, causing Noah to raise his eyebrow slightly and check if the phone was still connected.
"Emma, are you there?"
"Yes, yes, I’m here..." Her voice sounds like a whisper. "I just visited a convenience store near the hotel. Oh, by the way, can we meet tomorrow?"
Noah happily replied, "Yeah. We absolutely can. When will you return to Opal City?"
"My flight is tomorrow afternoon."
"Alright, I’ll come to pick you up for lunch and drive you to the airport. Does that work for you?"
Noah suggested. He had no plans for the next day since he usually hunted his target at night.
"Hmm, sounds good, Noah. Alright, alright, I won’t bother you anymore. See you tomorrow..."
Emma answered cheerfully before she ended the call without waiting for Noah to reply.
Noah looked at her cell phone screen with a smile before putting the phone back on the nightstand.
He tried to close his eyes, but Emma’s words kept echoing in his ears, making it hard to sleep.
"Conference? What conference brought her to the capital?"
He worked at Caldwell Construction for two years, but he never heard that Emma came to the capital for an event like a conference.
Sigh!
Noah dismissed his curiosity again, but within a minute, the buzzing sound of his cell phone broke the silence.
Seeing Emma’s name lit up on his phone’s screen tightened his nerves. He quickly picked up the call.
His tension grew even more when he heard Emma’s unsettling voice from the other end.
"N-Noah, I think someone is following me. I’m scared. But I managed to see who that was. I don’t know who, but he is in the convenience store and is now following me on the way to the hotel. I... I... call you to let that person know that I spoke to someone..."
Emma’s voice was soft, but the tremor in her words was unmistakable. Hearing that, Noah’s hand clenched, and he felt concerned for her.
"How close are you to your hotel now? Are there any people nearby?"
"No. I will run to my hotel..." Emma’s voice sounded breathless.
Noah, hearing this, grew worried. He got out of bed, listened closely, and checked the time. It’s hard to believe it’s already eleven, and Emma is still wandering outside. Now, he regrets not reading her message earlier.
"Keep calm and breathe normally, Emma. Continue walking and look for anyone you can stop and talk to. Ask them anything. You need to buy some time before I can get to you. Could you please share your location with me? I will come to you at—"
Instead of answering Noah, Emma shouted back in anger from the other end.
Noah clearly heard that, but those words weren’t meant for him—they were for whoever was behind her.
"What do you want? Let me go... Please let me go! Do you want money? I can give you... Arrrghhh... HELP... Please, anyone HELP..."
Emma’s voice faded away, and eventually Noah couldn’t hear anything. His hand trembled as he saw his cell phone still connected, but no sounds came from the other end.
"Emma! What happened? Are you there? Damn it!"
Noah cursed as he hurried to change his clothes. He didn’t know what happened, but he was sure Emma was in danger.
Noah selected the nearest car in the underground parking and then sped out, heading toward the main gate.
A few guards were surprised to see him leaving the house alone at night.
"Sir, are you going—"
"Please notify Jason to check his text and ask him to follow me!" Noah interrupted the guard.
He didn’t have time to explain to them because he had already stepped on the gas, and the car sped out in no time.
"Zoe, please trace Emma’s cell phone location..." Noah instructed.
He believes that Emma’s cell phone fell when the person who captured her. That’s why the connection remains active.
’Sir, I’ve found it. I’ll show you the GPS.’
Suddenly, the car’s dashboard GPS activated, and the map appeared. Noah glanced at it briefly as he followed the road.
But when Noah saw the distance to the destination, his concern widened his eyes.
"Shit, it’s going to take us twenty minutes to get there. We’re too far away... Zoe, can you find someone nearby? Please send the closest person to that location..."
’Right away!’
Noah gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes sharply focused on the road ahead, but the traffic light forced him to come to a stop. The street is still bustling, making it hard for him to ignore the traffic light.
Waiting for a few seconds under the circumstances feels like forever. It really hits Noah’s nerves.
"Zoe, can you clear the road for me? I need to get there faster..."