The silence was thick. Only the chirping of crickets and the wind whispering through the leaves could be heard. The police waited for the signal to move.
Dyana Rosey held her breath, her body curled up tight behind the dense bushes. Her heart pounded so hard she feared the kidnappers might hear it. Her legs and arms still felt numb, but she forced herself not to move an inch.
Rough voices Ken and Daniel came from nearby.
"She can't be far! That girl must still be around here!" Daniel shouted, his voice a mixture of anger and panic.
Their footsteps pounded on the ground, drawing closer. Dyana Rosey bit her lip, trying to stop the small sob that threatened to break free.
But fate was not on her side. Her hand accidentally pressed down on a dry twig beneath the bush. Krak! The sound rang out across the quiet dusk.
Daniel spun around immediately. "Did you hear that?" he said, eyes sharp.
Ken grinned and lowered the rifle from his shoulder. "She's here…" he whispered, excitement and the thrill of the hunt in his voice.
They strode quickly toward the sound; twigs and dry leaves crushed under their boots. Dyana Rosey froze, trembling violently. Tears fell, but she forced herself still and prayed for a miracle to save her.
The shadows of Ken and Daniel were now almost upon her.
Dyana Rosey could not hold on any longer. Her breath was tight her chest felt like it would burst. With the last of her strength she sprang up and dashed out of her hiding place.
But her movement stalled when a rough hand clamped onto her arm. "Got you!" he cried, eyes blazing red with anger.
Dyana Rosey screamed in panic and struggled with all her might. Without thinking, she bent forward and bit Ken's arm as hard as she could.
"Aaaaarghhh!" Ken howled, startled by the sudden attack. The pain forced him to release his grip.
Wasting no time, Dyana Rosey turned and ran as fast as she could through the undergrowth; sharp branches scraped her skin, but she didn't care.
"Daniel! Shoot her!" Ken yelled, clutching his bitten arm.
Dummm! A gunshot cracked through the air, shattering the forest dusk. The bullet whizzed past close to Dyana's ear. She screamed in terror, but her feet did not stop.
Daniel raised his pistol again and aimed at the stumbling figure of Dyana Rosey as she ran.
"Don't let her get away! If she reaches the cops, we're dead!" Daniel roared with wild eyes.
Dummm! The shot thundered, shaking the somber hush of the woods. Giselle, waiting in the car, flinched violently. Her hand clenched the steering wheel, trembling; her face went pale.
"Michael…" she whispered hoarsely, tears welling. Her heart felt as if it had been stabbed that unmistakable sound of gunfire.
At the same time, the police team with Michael approached the derelict house at the address they'd been given. They moved cautiously, weapons ready. The wooden door was kicked open.
But when the flashlight beams swept the interior, it was empty. No Dyana Rosey. No kidnappers. Only a worn chair with a frayed rope swinging slowly, as if mocking them.
Michael froze, his face drained. "No… no, no! Rosey?! Rosey!" he cried, voice shaking. He stepped inside, eyes wild as he searched, but only the old walls responded.
A police officer knelt and examined the dusty floor. "Sir, they just left. Look at the footprints… they're fresh."
Michael clenched his fists, trembling to hold back fury and despair. "Damn it! We almost had her!"
Outside, the sound of a second gunshot rang from deeper in the woods. Everyone exchanged glances, certain of one thing: Dyana Rosey was still alive, but she was being chased.
"Quick! We have to go into the woods!" the officer barked.
Michael ran out without waiting for further orders, determination written on his face. "Hold on, darling… Papa's coming for you."
He looked toward the car; his chest went cold. "Giselle?!" he called, voice hoarse, searching for his wife. The car door stood open, empty.
Michael's face went pale, sweat beading on his forehead. "No… don't tell me she went into the woods too…" he muttered, turning to the chief cop in panic. "Do something! Find my wife! We can't waste any more time!"
The chief nodded quickly. "All units, into the woods now! Split into two teams. We must find the girl and her mother."
Without delay, Michael joined them, his resolve ablaze.
In the woods, Giselle pushed forward in a frantic rush. Her breath came in ragged gasps, but a mother's instinct guided her. "Rosey… Rosey, where are you, darling?" she called, voice trembling, on the verge of breaking.
Dusk swallowed the path; branches snapped underfoot, the crickets' chorus grew louder. Giselle didn't care; she pressed on as if pulled by an invisible thread toward her child.
Suddenly— "Mama…?"
A soft, hopeful voice echoed between the trees. Giselle halted, eyes wide; her heart seemed to stop. "Rosey?!" she cried, barely believing it.
Dyana Rosey, hair disheveled and face streaked with tears, ran toward the voice. Her clothes were messy and her steps faltering, but her eyes shone with a glimmer of hope. "Mama!!!"
Giselle screamed and reached out. "Rosey! Oh God, my child!"
Their steps closed… only a few meters now before the child would fall into her mother's arms.
But in an instant— "Arrrghh!" Giselle screamed in pain as someone yanked her hair hard from behind. Her body jolted backward, nearly falling to the ground. Her eyes widened as she realized Daniel stood behind her, face twisted, his teeth clenched.
At the same time, Dyana was startled and turned back. Before she could scream, Ken had grabbed her arm. "Got you now, sweetie," Ken sneered, triumphant.
"Mama! Let go of my mama!!" Dyana shouted, struggling with the last of her strength. Tears streamed down her face; she was close to hysterics.
"Let go of my daughter! Don't touch her!!" Giselle screamed, trying to fight Daniel's grip on her hair, but he was stronger. He shoved her to the ground and pressed his weight onto her shoulder.
The forest that had been filled with crickets now echoed with the mother's and child's cries.
Daniel snorted and leaned over Giselle. "You think the cops can help? You're so mistaken." Ken dragged Dyana Rosey closer, laughing cruelly. "Now we have two hostages. That'll double the ransom, bro."
Dyana Rosey wailed and reached for her mother. "Mamaaaa!!!" Giselle screamed in pain as her hair was pulled. She tried to wriggle free, kicking anything she could reach. Her breath came shallow and fast, as if it might burst from her chest.
"Let go of me!!" Giselle cried, eyes watering with anger and fear.
Daniel chuckled coldly, then shoved his head forward. "You think you can take me on?"
With a last burst of strength, Giselle lunged at Daniel to grab his gun. They collided; a scuffle erupted thumping feet, strangled cries, and ragged breaths blending together.
Suddenly—
DORRR!!
A pistol blast ripped through the night.
Giselle froze. Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened as she stepped back slowly. Her left hand went to her belly, now warm and sticky with spreading blood.
Dyana Rosey screamed hysterically. "MAMA!!!"
Giselle collapsed to her knees, hands soaked in blood. She tried to staunch the wound, but the blood flowed relentlessly, soaking the ground. Her breath grew shallow, her vision blurring, but she still tried to look at Dyana Rosey.
"Run… sweetheart… don't wait for Mama…" she whispered hoarsely before collapsing to the side.
Daniel released Giselle's limp hair and glared at Ken, shock and anger on his face.
"What have you done, Daniel?! We only needed the kid, not her!" Ken shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
Daniel merely sneered, the pistol still smoldering. "She fought back. If we left her, she'd be a liability. Now we only have one choice: use the child."
Ken grunted, then drew Dyana Rosey closer, tightening his grip until she cried out in pain. Tears streamed down Dyana Rosey's face as she watched her mother lying there, but she couldn't break free.
Suddenly, branches snapped and heavy footsteps came, voices shouting orders. "Everyone, hands up! Police!"
Flashlights and guns trained on them. From the dark thicket stepped several armed officers, surrounding the area.
Michael stood at the front, face ashen as he took in the sight that shattered him. "Giselle…" he choked, barely able to speak.
He stepped forward and his eyes widened at the sight of his wife bleeding on the ground. His breath hitched, then burst into a scream of anguish. "GISSELLEEE!!!"
Tears streamed down his face, but his gaze snapped to Dyana Rosey, still held by Ken. His heart felt torn apart, his wife dying, his child taken as a hostage.
The chief signaled the officers to restrain Ken and Daniel, but the situation was volatile. Daniel still held a pistol; Ken had a shotgun pressed to Dyana Rosey's head.
"Don't anyone move! If you do, the child dies!" Ken shouted, sweat pouring down his face, eyes wild with madness.
Michael trembled, raising his hands. "Don't hurt my child… take me, do anything just not her."
The tension peaked. The police kept their weapons trained, while Michael continued trying to calm Ken, who pressed the barrel of his shotgun against Dyana Rosey's head.
Daniel, standing beside Ken, grew restless, his pistol clutched tightly in his hand. He stepped forward, attempting to take control of the situation.
"Ken, we're not getting out of this. Don't you see? We're surrounded!" he snapped, his tone sharp with both anger and anxiety.
Ken shot him a fierce glare, sweat streaming down his face. "Shut up! We still have the girl. She's our guarantee!"
In that tense moment, Daniel suddenly raised his pistol, as if to threaten the police into backing off. But in the blink of an eye, a single gunshot rang out fired by the sniper hidden among the trees.
Dummm