Noah's heart thudded as he sat still, bound beside Amelia. His mind raced, calculating every possible move and outcome. He flexed his wrists, testing the tightness of the ropes as his new "Basic Soldier-King Skill" flowed through him, giving him advanced combat knowledge that felt engraved in his bones.
Glancing at Amelia, Noah caught her eye and subtly moved his fingers in a series of quick, deliberate gestures—a form of sign language.
It wasn't perfect, but he hoped Amelia, who seemed refined and educated would understand. To his relief, she gave the faintest of nods, careful not to alert their captors. A quiet exhale escaped Noah. She understood.
Now it was time to act.
Noah shifted his focus to the ropes binding his wrists. The rough twine scraped against his skin, but with his new skills, his flexibility was heightened. Twisting his wrists and subtly working his fingers, he felt the rope loosen. After a few more seconds, the knot slipped, and his hands were free. But he didn't move yet. He had to wait for the perfect moment.
One of the men at the back of the van was beginning to doze off, head bobbing as he fought sleep. The others were oblivious, laughing and talking in low voices. The leader in the front was entirely focused on the road. This was it.
Noah sprang into action.
In one fluid motion, he leapt towards the man nearest to him. His elbow struck the man's neck with brutal precision, instantly cutting off the blood flow to his brain. The man's body went limp, collapsing onto the van floor without so much as a grunt.
The second man, wide-eyed in shock, reached for a weapon strapped to his side, but Noah was faster.
He lunged at him, locking one arm around the man's neck and the other grabbing his wrist, twisting it painfully. The man gasped, eyes bulging as Noah choked him out, rendering him unconscious in seconds.
But the sudden movement had awakened the third man, who shot up, alert, just as Noah spun and delivered a powerful kick to the man nearest the van door.
The force of the kick sent him crashing through the van's side door, which burst open on impact. The man tumbled out of the speeding van, his body rolling violently across the asphalt, disappearing into the distance. Whether he survived or not didn't matter—he was out of the fight.
The van swerved violently as the leader in the driver's seat slammed the brakes, trying to regain control. The tyres screeched on the road, and the vehicle jerked as it decelerated.
Meanwhile, the man who had been knocked out earlier began to stir. Noah didn't give him a chance to recover.
He quickly seized the man by the collar, yanking him into a grapple. They wrestled for a brief moment, but with his strength and skills, Noah easily overpowered him, slamming him against the van wall and knocking him unconscious again.
Amelia, who had stayed still as per Noah's instructions, was frozen in shock. She watched in disbelief as Noah took out the kidnappers with precision and efficiency that seemed impossible for someone who looked so young. But there was no time for her to react. Noah wasn't done yet.
Suddenly, the man in the passenger seat twisted around, grabbing Amelia and pressing a knife to her throat. "Stop!" he shouted, his voice trembling with adrenaline. "One more move, and I'll slit her throat!"
Noah's eyes narrowed. His mind raced, analyzing the situation. He couldn't afford to let emotions cloud his judgment. Without hesitating, he sneered at the man. "I don't care about that woman," he said coldly, stepping back towards the open van door. "She's not worth dying for."
The man's grip on Amelia tightened, but his confusion was evident. "What? You're just gonna leave?"
Noah gave a dismissive wave and leaped out of the van door, disappearing into the shadows of the roadside.
The leader, sensing that something was wrong, slammed the brakes fully and jumped out of the van through the opposite door. "Find him!" he barked, scanning the deserted road frantically. He looked left and right, spinning around in search of Noah. His breath came in ragged bursts, and sweat dripped from his brow as he strained to see in the fading light.
But Noah was nowhere to be found.
The leader's heart pounded as he circled the van. He peered into the distance, eyes darting, his fingers itching towards the concealed weapon at his side. "Where the hell did he go?" he muttered, still looking around in panic.
Suddenly, without warning, Noah dropped down from the roof of the van like a shadow, landing silently behind the leader. In one swift, deadly motion, he wrapped an arm around the man's neck and squeezed with brutal force.
The leader gasped, trying to draw breath, but it was too late. Noah's grip tightened, and the man collapsed, unconscious before he even knew what hit him.
Noah quickly patted down the unconscious leader, searching for any weapons. His fingers grazed cold metal, and he pulled out a gun from the man's holster. With a swift motion, he stood up and turned back towards the van. Inside, the last kidnapper still held the knife to Amelia's throat, his eyes wild with desperation.
Noah raised the gun, aiming directly at the man. His voice was steady, filled with a cold intensity. "Drop the knife, or you're dead."
The man laughed, his grip tightening on the knife. "Who do you think you are, kid?" he sneered. "There's no way you can hit that shot. The girl's right in front of me."
Noah's gaze remained unshaken. He locked eyes with Amelia, who was trembling, fear etched across her face. She looked at Noah, uncertain and terrified. The young man's eyes softened just a bit, and in a calm voice, he asked, "Do you trust me?"
Amelia's heart raced, not sure if the thudding was from the danger of the blade at her throat or from the intensity of Noah's unwavering stare. Her breath hitched, and she hesitated, fear clouding her judgment. Slowly, she shook her head in disbelief, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion. She didn't trust him—how could she?
As her head shook, Noah's focus sharpened. Without warning, he squeezed the trigger.
The gunshot echoed through the air, sharp and deafening. Blood sprayed as the bullet struck, and a wail of pain erupted from the man holding Amelia. The knife clattered to the floor, and the kidnapper collapsed, clutching his bleeding hand where the bullet had lodged itself.
Amelia stood frozen, eyes wide with shock. She stared at Noah, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. He stood there, calm, a slight smile curling at the edges of his lips. "You did well," Noah said, voice smooth. "Thank you."
He stepped forward, kicking the knife far away from the man who was now writhing on the ground, clutching his hand in agony. Noah looked down at him with a smirk. "Told you you'd regret it," he said with a cheeky grin. "You should've just paid me my $500."
Noah's smirk lingered as he watched the man squirm on the ground, his cocky laugh now turned into pitiful cries.