C395 The Day

We slowed our cars as we approached the designated stretch of road. One by one, the vehicles reduced their speed until traffic began to build behind us. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary traffic problem. But none of us were fooled. We knew exactly what was about to happen. Above us, the police helicopter hovered in the sky. A camera attached beneath it was already focused on the road. Then a female voice came through the helicopter's broadcast system. "Scotland Traffic Police reporting this morning's traffic live from XXX Road. Drivers are advised to remain calm as congestion is currently building in the area."

The live feed began. People watching news from home could see the busy road below. Our cars moved slowly. Then even slower. Within minutes, vehicles were backed up behind us. The plan was working. I glanced at Alicia through my windshield. She was driving several cars ahead. Sarah was behind her. Chris was nearby. Laura, Samantha, Faith, and Amanda were also in position. Everyone knew what they had to do. Then it happened. Bang! A gunshot echoed through the road. Then another. And another. Suddenly, automatic gunfire erupted. People screamed. Cars swerved. Drivers slammed on their brakes. The helicopter camera immediately turned toward the direction of the gunfire. The broadcast continued. "Wait..." The female reporter's voice suddenly became nervous. "We appear to have a shooting incident!"

More gunshots rang out. The Korean group hidden around the corner began firing toward our vehicles. I knew my part. I accelerated slightly and drove toward the pavement at the curve. A bullet struck the side of my vehicle. Another smashed into the rear window. I opened the door and jumped out. The car continued moving without me. It crossed the edge of the road before rolling toward the bushes. I immediately dropped to the ground. I stayed still. From the helicopter, it would look as though I had been killed or seriously injured. I could hear people screaming around me. The plan was working. But then I heard another burst of gunfire. Alicia's car had become the next target.

Bullets slammed into the vehicle. She pressed the accelerator. But the traffic was too tight. Her car struck another vehicle. The impact forced her head forward. She appeared dazed. More bullets hit the car. I wanted to move. I wanted to help her. But I knew I couldn't. Not yet. Chris suddenly drove his vehicle toward Alicia. He positioned himself between her car and the shooters. His vehicle took several bullets. At the same time, Laura opened her window. She pulled out her gun and fired into the air. Faith did the same. Samantha followed. They were pretending to fight back. The helicopter camera captured everything. The reporter's voice became increasingly panicked. "We have a shooting incident happening at XXX Road!"

She shouted into the broadcast. "All police forces in the area, please assist! We have multiple casualties!" People watching the live feed could see the chaos. Cars were blocking the road. People were running. Gunfire continued. Then... A small object flew into the middle of the road. It landed near us. A second later... BOOM! A thick cloud of smoke exploded across the road. Within seconds, the entire area disappeared behind a wall of white smoke. The helicopter camera struggled to see through it. The Korean attackers stopped firing. That was their signal. They moved toward us. One by one, they emerged through the smoke. All of them were wearing masks. Their weapons were large and clearly visible. They pointed their guns toward us. We knew what to do. We surrendered. Nobody fought. Nobody resisted. We simply raised our hands.

The smoke slowly began to disappear. The helicopter camera regained a clear view. And what it captured was exactly what Hammer wanted. A group of armed, masked men surrounding us. Their guns pointed directly at our heads. The live broadcast showed everything. Then another vehicle appeared. A black vehicle came from the opposite lane. Unlike our side of the road, the opposite lane was almost completely clear. The black vehicle accelerated toward us. It stopped. Several masked men jumped out. They grabbed us one by one. To make the kidnapping look real, they struck us with the handles of their weapons. I dropped to the ground. One by one, the others did the same. Alicia collapsed. Sarah fell. Chris went down. Laura, Samantha, Faith, and Amanda followed.

From the helicopter, it looked like the attackers had knocked us unconscious. The masked men quickly carried us toward the black vehicle. They loaded us inside. Then the vehicle accelerated away. The helicopter camera followed it for a few seconds before the vehicle disappeared around the corner. The reporter's voice was filled with disbelief. "What have we just witnessed?" She sounded shaken. "The police have not arrived yet. The black vehicle is speeding away!" She paused. "What is really happening here?" The live comments exploded. Thousands of people were watching. Messages began appearing faster than the screen could display them. "Daylight kidnapping in Scotland! Who are these people?" "Which group is responsible?" "Are those Korean men?"

Another comment appeared. "Yesterday, a female assassin shot a Korean man. Doesn't this look like the same group?" Someone replied, "Are they Korean underground forces?" Another person wrote. "Why are they kidnapping people in broad daylight?" The comments continued. The entire country was beginning to talk about the incident. Then people started recognizing the vehicles. One comment appeared. "Wait! Isn't that Sarah Wood's car?" Another person replied. "Last time Sarah was kidnapped, she survived. Could she have been kidnapped again?" Then another comment appeared. "The car that went over the cliff, wasn't that the Lucia Goods vice director's car?" People began analyzing the footage.

Someone wrote. "Look at the red BMW! It drove directly in front of the other car to protect it." Another person replied. "Isn't that Alicia Mooney's new car?" The comment section exploded. "Yes! I think that's Alicia Mooney's car!" "Her previous car was destroyed during the attack on the Mooney family!" "Why was her new car attacked again?" Then another question appeared. "Why did they take everyone?" Someone else asked. "Wait... does this mean they were involved in the killing of Jiang Chenfeng yesterday?" The speculation became even worse. People started tagging the police. "Police, where are you?" "Why aren't the police there yet?" "As expected, the police are nowhere to be seen." Another comment appeared. "They always arrive late to the scene."

The live feed continued broadcasting. The camera remained over the road. The aftermath was devastating. Several vehicles had been damaged. Some people who had simply been driving to work were injured. Others stood on the side of the road, completely shocked by what they had witnessed. Some were crying. Others were calling their families. Nobody understood what had happened. Finally, police vehicles arrived. And leading them was Mark Mooney. The moment he stepped out of the vehicle, he looked toward the damaged cars. His expression immediately changed. "Alicia!" He rushed forward. "Alicia!" He looked around desperately. "Where is my daughter?" He ran toward the vehicle that had been riddled with bullets. "Alicia!" His voice cracked.

Police officers immediately began securing the area. Some officers started taking statements from witnesses. Others began treating injured civilians. But Mark barely noticed any of them. His attention remained on his daughter's destroyed vehicle. Then another vehicle arrived. Prince Gomez and Godness rushed out. "Laura!" Godness screamed. They ran toward Laura's car. The vehicle was covered in bullet holes. For a moment, Prince simply stood there. He looked at the destroyed car. His face became pale. "I hope nothing happened to her." Godness immediately began crying. She rushed toward the vehicle. "Laura!" Her voice echoed across the road. "Where is my daughter?"

Soon, more family members began arriving. The scene became even more emotional. Parents were demanding answers. Siblings were crying. Friends were asking police officers what had happened. The media also arrived. Within minutes, reporters surrounded the area. Cameras were everywhere. The entire incident was now being broadcast across the country. One reporter approached Mark first. "Mr. Mooney!" Mark turned toward her. "Can you tell us what just happened?" Mark shook his head. His eyes were filled with tears. "I don't know." He struggled to speak. "We received multiple calls about a shooting." He looked toward Alicia's destroyed vehicle. "When we arrived..." His voice broke. "My daughter's car was filled with bullet holes."

He looked around. "And so were the cars belonging to her friends." The reporter continued. "Do you know who attacked them?" Mark shook his head. "No." "Do you know where your daughter is?" Mark stared at the reporter. "I don't know." The words barely came out. "But I promise..." He wiped his eyes. "I will investigate this myself." Suddenly, Prince Gomez pushed through the crowd. He rushed toward Mark. He grabbed him and pushed him backward. Mark fell. Prince pinned him against the ground. "Where is my daughter?" His voice was filled with rage. "Where is Laura?" Mark didn't fight back. Tears fell from his eyes. "I don't know." Prince shouted. "You are responsible for protecting them!"

Mark shook his head. "Sir, I don't know anything." Prince continued shouting. "Where is my daughter?" Mark looked directly at him. "I promise you..." He paused. "I will find her." Police officers immediately separated the two men. "Sir, please calm down!" Prince resisted for a moment before finally stepping back. Godness was still crying. "Laura!" Her voice echoed through the scene. Nearby, Amanda's mother was also crying. "My daughter!" She covered her face. "She is still young!" She looked toward the police. "Where were you?" Her voice became louder. "Why didn't the police stop them?" She pointed toward the helicopter. "Why didn't the helicopter stop that vehicle?" Nobody had an answer.

The entire scene had become a tragedy. The media continued broadcasting. The public watched as families cried over the disappearance of their loved ones. Nobody knew that the vehicles had been deliberately positioned. Nobody knew that the gunfire had been carefully controlled. Nobody knew that the masked men were part of a plan. And nobody knew that the people they believed had been kidnapped... Had chosen to disappear. But there was one family missing from the scene. The Capsey family. Faith's parents never came. They didn't know that their daughter had disobeyed them.