Mile roared in fury, throwing another punch aimed straight for the man’s temple. This hit would have been fatal. The crowd around them had grown, some bystanders even recording with their phones, eager for online drama. If Mike killed the man, he’d face serious consequences.
In a split-second decision, Felicia kicked the middle-aged man in the side, causing him to stumble. Mile’s punch veered off course, smashing into the man’s nose instead. The sound of breaking bone was unmistakable. Blood gushed from the man’s nose as he screamed and collapsed. His nose was severely injured, but at least he wasn’t dead.
Mike turned, his eyes blazing. Seeing Felicia, the veins in his neck bulged. “Move,” he growled, his voice cold and menacing.
Behind him, his driver stepped forward, unable to restrain himself. The man gently touched Felicia’s sleeve, saying, “Miss, Mr. Lawson’s daughter has been kidnapped. We don’t know where she is. Please don’t interfere!”
Felicia ignored the driver, her eyes fixed on Mike. “The calming sachet I made for Sandra—did she have it with her?”
Mike, still teetering on the edge of losing control, his eyes bloodshot and wild, was momentarily stilled by her question. If Sandra still had the sachet, there was a reason Felicia asked.
“It’s on her,” Mike said quickly.
“Good,” Felicia replied. “Take me to where Sandra disappeared. Now.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, her tone steady and efficient. “There’s an herb in that sachet with a very distinct scent. I can track it.”
Mike’s anger evaporated instantly. Without wasting a second, he bulldozed through the crowd, shoving his driver aside. He climbed into the car and they sped off.
On the way, Felicia asked for details. Mike drove like a man possessed, though his demeanor had calmed somewhat. He explained in clipped sentences: Sandra had been out with the family’s nannies. There was a commotion, and when they looked back, Sandra was gone. It had been nearly two hours since she disappeared. During that time, Mike had spared no expense, locking down every city exit and launching a relentless search. They had only apprehended one person—the middle-aged man Felicia had just seen, the one whose nose Mike had broken. Unfortunately, they hadn’t gotten any useful information from him.
Felicia figured the man likely didn’t know anything. If this was a kidnapping ring, there would be a hierarchy. The middle-aged man was probably a low-level operative responsible for a single task; he wouldn’t know where Sandra had been taken. The thought filled Felicia with cold fury. Her brows furrowed as she remembered Roberta, who had been trafficked and held captive. The monsters who did these things deserved hell.
They arrived at the spot where Sandra had been taken: outside a bustling shopping center filled with families and children, even a nearby play area. Felicia got out of the car and closed her eyes, trying to focus on the scents carried by the wind. The air was thick with a jumble of smells: roses and sunflowers from a nearby flower vendor, cigarette smoke from a group of men, and the sugary aroma of candied apples from food vendors.