When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 142

Brody couldn’t think straight. All he cared about was Nelly’s safety, even when a gun was pressed right to his forehead. His usual calm was gone, replaced by a wild, helpless panic that even he barely recognized.

Nelly wasn’t thinking about Brody at all. She tore after the kidnappers, racing down the stairs with him close behind. They spilled out into a deserted alley, the kind that led right out of town. The place was nothing but a cluster of old, crumbling apartment buildings, empty and forgotten.

Some of the mercenaries had caught a few of the kidnappers, but only half had joined the chase. It didn’t matter. The rest weren’t getting away. The police had already arrived, blocking every exit with their cars. No one was going anywhere.

A gunshot exploded in the darkness, shattering the silence. It was so loud and sharp, it made everyone freeze in their tracks. Hank spun around, firing a warning shot into the air. He had a knife pressed to Carrie’s neck and a gun pointed at the back of Sheila’s head. They were huddled by a dumpster near the exit, tucked into a corner that gave Hank perfect cover. With Carrie and Sheila in front of him, the snipers couldn’t risk a shot.

“Don’t… don’t do anything stupid…” Sheila’s voice shook so hard she could barely get the words out. She’d thought all this was just a setup, that they were only pretending. She never imagined Nelly would survive. Now, Hank was desperate and cornered, he even thought Sheila was lying to her. He turned on her, demanding to know what was happening.

The drugs had worn off and Carrie was sobbing, terrified. Sheila couldn’t explain a thing. The police tried to negotiate, calling out from a safe distance. “You’re surrounded. Let the hostages go. If you surrender now, you’ll get a lighter sentence.”

Hank hadn’t seen any of this coming. He’d failed his daughter, broken the rules by dragging his own people into this mess, and now he was trapped. Even if he surrendered, the organization would never forgive him. He felt like he was already a dead man. There was no way he was letting the hostages go.

“One more step and I’ll kill them both!” Hank screamed. His hand shook and the knife nicked Carrie’s neck. She let out a piercing shriek and fell apart in hysterical sobs.

Seeing her daughter hurt broke something in Nelly. It was like being struck by lightning. Tears poured down her face. “Don’t touch my daughter! It’s me you want, isn’t it? Take me instead!” She tried to surge forward, but Brody caught her, wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her back.

“I’ll give you anything you want. Just don’t hurt my daughter. Don’t hurt anyone else,” Brody said, keeping his voice calm for Nelly’s sake and speaking directly to Hank.

The police tried to keep things under control, promising to meet Hank’s demands if he let the hostages go. Brody grabbed the megaphone from an officer. “Let them go. I’ll take their place. I’ll help you get out of here.”

For a moment, Hank hesitated. Then his eyes landed on Nelly. “No. I want her.”

Brody was too strong, too risky. Nelly was the perfect bargaining chip. She was his target from the start.

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