Felicia felt a chill run down her spine. She had walked straight into danger. Immediately, she raised her hands in surrender. Lance, the incapacitated lackey, and the two men in the van were similarly restrained by the armed criminals.

With guns pointed at their heads, Lance trembled, nearly wetting himself. "Don't kill me! Please, I'm begging you!" he pleaded. His lackeys echoed his pleas: "Please, don't hurt us! We'll do anything!"

"Shut up! One more sound, and I'll pull the trigger!" the gang leader barked.

Silence fell. Fear washed over Lance and his companions; their faces were pale and shaking. Felicia, initially startled, regained her composure. She knew these criminals wouldn't fire lightly; they needed hostages.

As she suspected, a pursuing vehicle stopped nearby. Armed men, resembling well-trained undercover agents, emerged. Seeing the hostages, one agent signaled and began negotiating.

The criminals, uninterested, pressed their guns harder against their hostages. "Back off, or I swear I'll shoot!" they shouted.

The agents, realizing the criminals would escape without swift action, began to retreat. "Three, two, one!" the gang leader counted down.

"Don't harm the hostages! We're retreating!" the agents shouted, quickly distancing themselves.

Felicia and the other hostages were thrown into the bed of a pickup truck as the gang sped off. By sunset, dusk gave way to night. Felicia kept her head down, mentally noting their direction, planning her escape.

The terrain grew increasingly desolate, mountains rising on all sides, devoid of life. Here, a killing would go unnoticed.

Lance, shaking uncontrollably, desperately namedropped anyone he could think of. "Listen, I'm connected to the Chavez family! One of the four prestigious families in Khogend! We have money and power! Let me go, and Mr. Chavez will treat you to a feast! You'll be untouchable!"

The criminals laughed derisively. The Chavez family? They weren't afraid. One slapped Lance, then plunged a knife into his foot.

Lance screamed. The sound echoed through the valley.

"Quiet down!" the gang leader complained, digging at his ears. His grip tightened, visibly losing patience. Lance bit his tongue to suppress further cries.

Once quiet, the gang leader turned to Felicia, eyeing her with interest. "This girl is surprisingly calm. Aren't you afraid?"

Felicia kept her gaze lowered. Hidden in the darkness, she was carefully cutting through her bonds with a small folding knife that had mysteriously appeared. The gang leader tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. Felicia complied, her heart racing.