Chapter 8 - The Warehouse
I held the thick envelope tightly against my chest, refusing to hand it over immediately.
"Let her go first, and then I will give you the money," I demanded, trying to keep my voice perfectly steady.
The man sneered and tightened his rough grip on Hannah's fragile arm, causing her to whimper in pain.
"I don't take orders from a pathetic fake mother," he growled, pulling a heavy switchblade from his pocket.
The sharp click of the blade echoing in the empty warehouse sent a massive jolt of adrenaline straight through my veins.
"If you hurt her, you won't get a single penny, and the police will hunt you down," I warned him fiercely.
He laughed a cruel, hollow laugh that completely lacked any human empathy or remorse.
"Diane told me you were soft, but you are actually pretty brave," he mocked, stepping closer to me.
He snatched the envelope from my hands with aggressive force and quickly inspected the cash inside.
He saw the certified check and his face twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated rage.
"I said cash only! I can't cash a check without alerting the parole board!" he screamed violently.
He raised the switchblade, preparing to lunge at me in a sudden fit of explosive anger.
Before he could strike, a loud, metallic crash echoed from the rusted catwalk high above us.
We both looked up to see a small, incredibly brave figure standing near the warehouse controls.
It was Noah.
He had snuck out of his house, followed me in his older brother's car, and climbed the dangerous scaffolding.
Noah pulled the heavy emergency release lever for the massive industrial crane directly above us.
A gigantic wooden shipping crate plummeted from the ceiling, crashing violently into the concrete floor.
The impact missed the man by mere inches, throwing a massive cloud of dust and debris into the air.
The sudden shock caused the man to drop his knife and stumble backward in absolute panic.
I used the chaotic distraction to sprint forward and snatch Hannah away from his loosened grip.
I pulled her aggressively behind a stack of metal barrels, completely shielding her body with my own.
The man recovered from his shock and picked up the knife, charging furiously toward our hiding spot.
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"You are going to die for that!" he roared, completely losing his mind in the dusty warehouse.
Suddenly, the massive front doors of the warehouse were violently kicked completely off their iron hinges.
