Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Natalie shook her head firmly. We trust American soldiers–not them
As the car rolled to a stop, Natalie leaned forward, her voice urgent but hushed. I’ve seen this before. When we passed another temporary checkpoint, the bandits who kidnapped me paid off the soldiers. They just let them go
The vehicle came to a full stop. Two men in camouflage, armed and unsmiling, began approaching
Myla, unfazed, lowered the window a crack and asked abruptly, “Did you call for help then?”
Natalie shook her head.
The window slid down fully. Myla reached into her pocket and retrieved something small, tossing it lightly in her hand “This is just like America’s toll fee.”
Her tone was casual, but the implication was clear–Natalie must have misunderstood.
In the aftermath of relentless shelling and gunfire, most cities‘ infrastructure lay in ruins.
Order in many areas was enforced by local warlords, and checkpoints like these were commonplace. Paying a toll was simply part of survival.
At that time, Natalie hadn’t asked for help, and Nocriudorian soldiers wouldn’t interfere unless it was necessary.
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Myla rested her left elbow on the window frame and flicked the gold coin with practiced ease. It spun through the air in a gleaming arc, catching the sunlight.
One soldier noticed it and cursed under his breath, scrambling to catch it.
The other soldier frowned, clearly irritated by Myla’s nonchalant attitude. But his irritation melted into something else entirely when his gaze caught the lion insignia engraved on the coin.
The men froze, their faces shifting to rigid seriousness. They stood to attention and saluted—not quite the polished gesture of professional soldiers, but an awkward, mismatched attempt at respect.
The soldier holding the coin then offered it back with both hands, his posture stiff and reverent.
Myla waved lazily, signaling them to keep it.
Exchanging quick glances, the two soldiers nodded fervently. They stammered their thanks in Nocriudorian, their voices stumbling over each other in their eagerness to show gratitude.
Without wasting another second, they hurried to remove the barricade, working so fast it was as if their lives depended on it. Once the path was cleared, they stepped aside and stood ramrod straight, gesturing with exaggerated politeness for the car
to pass.
Just as Myla pressed the gas, Jonas gave the back of her seat a deliberate nudge with his boot.
The worn leather creaked under the pressure, trembling ominously. Myla’s lips tightened, her thoughts biting. This rust bucket’s barely holding together as it is. At this rate, he’ll kick the seat clean off. This car is mine. These seats aren’t cheap.
“Pull over,” Jonas commanded, his tone as sharp as the click of a gun’s chamber.
Myla didn’t argue. Ten yards past the barricade, she steered the car to the roadside and killed the engine.
In the passenger seat, Natalie’s anxiety spiked. Her breath hitched, and her fingers dug into the edge of her seatbelt. Panic swirled in her mind, vivid and unrelenting. ‘Is he going to leave me here? He doesn’t believe me, does he? He’s going to
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Chapter 25
abandon me….
Her worst fears seemed to come true when Jonas reached for the door handle. The metallic click of the latch echoed like a death knell in her ears.
The fragile thread of her composure snapped. She lurched forward, the seatbelt tightening painfully across her chest as she grabbed for him. Her shaky voice cracked with suppressed desperation. “Don’t leave me here. Please.
Jonas stilled, his gaze dropping to the trembling hand clutching his fingers. Her sudden movement, the way her delicate fingers tightened with such urgency, caught him off guard and made him instinctively pull his hand away from the door handle.
Natalie’s fingers had been aiming for his arm, but the moment they brushed the bandage wrapped around it, her hand faltered and slid down, reflexively gripping his fingers instead.
Jonas thought to himself, ‘How considerate. But too clingy. I haven’t even said I’m going to toss her out, and she’s already losing her cool. Looks like I overestimated this little spy’s skills. Bet her brainpower’s all spent figuring out how to seduce
me:
Jonas lifted his right hand and rapped his knuckles lightly against the back of her hand, signaling her to let go.
To his surprise, Natalie’s grip tightened. “I don’t trust them,” she said, her voice trembling with conviction.
What she didn’t say was why she didn’t trust them. ‘No way I can tell him I overheard those soldiers joking around. Nocriudorian soldiers and bandits speaking to each other in American English? That’s suspicious.
Natalie knew full well that if Jonas found out she could understand Nocriudorian, it would land her in a precarious position. ‘Damn my smart mouth back then. But regret’s useless now–I just have to dig myself out of this mess.
“But you trust me?” Jonas said suddenly, his voice low and unyielding.
Natalie’s mind buzzed like a broken radio, but she nodded emphatically.
Jonas let out a short, sharp laugh. “Well, I’m honored.” His tone was unreadable, teetering somewhere between mockery and sincerity.
Natalie opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could, Jonas yanked his hand free.
