Chapter 178

The ground shook violently. Flames soared through the sky, engulfing the entire parking lot in a massive inferno. Peggy lay on the ground, her mind blank as the scorching heat overwhelmed her.

"Laura!" Cameron's gaze sharpened. Telling Peggy to stay put, he rushed toward the fiery chaos. At the edge of the fire, he spotted a charred car frame. Beside it lay Otis, his face blackened by soot. He was breathing weakly. Laura was nowhere to be seen.

Cameron hurried over, shielding himself from the flames with his vital energy and dragging Otis away from the fire's edge.

"Otis!" Cameron called out. Otis's breath was faint. Barely opening his eyes, he whispered, "Hurry save Ms. Jones" before losing consciousness.

Otis had been escorting Laura to the parking lot when he noticed a suspicious black car nearby. Sensing danger, he was about to move Laura away when the car exploded—a timed bomb. In a desperate effort, Otis shielded Laura with his vital energy, but the blast's force left him severely injured and immobile. He could only watch helplessly as an unseen assailant kidnapped Laura.

"Laura was kidnapped?" Cameron's eyes tensed with concern, though relief washed over him knowing she wasn't lost in the fire. He immediately called Lord Blackheart, instructing him to check all surveillance footage around the waterfront to locate the kidnapper.

"Blackheart, Laura's been abducted. Mobilize everyone to check the cameras around the waterfront and find where they've taken her," Cameron ordered gravely.

"Understood, sir," Lord Blackheart responded, promptly accessing the surveillance. "Sir, I've located the suspect. He's moving toward Oakwood Middle School."

"Oakwood Middle School?" Cameron frowned. "Keep the line open. I'm on my way. Also, send someone to the waterfront; Otis is seriously injured, and Peggy's shaken."

Cameron set off for Oakwood Middle School. Fortunately, it was Saturday, and the school was empty. The kidnapper had taken Laura to the fifth floor of Block A. Her hands and feet were bound, and she was unconscious. The explosion's shockwave hadn't directly hit her, but she still suffered from the impact.

The kidnapper was Jack Hancock, a burly Ehainian man with a three-inch scar across his left cheek. His presence exuded malevolence; his blue eyes held intent to kill. Yet, he hesitated, waiting for someone to come for Laura.

Suddenly, a chill swept through the classroom doorway. Jack's eyes narrowed. He knew his quarry had arrived. He pressed a dagger to Laura's throat, preparing for the confrontation.

At the same time, Cameron appeared in the doorway, his voice cutting through the tension like ice: "Let her go."