Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
Despite the precarious circumstances, the black SUV impressively evaded the van’s aggressive maneuvers, even managing to ram the van into the mountainous rocks, causing significant damage to the van’s body.
The van’s rearview mirror was knocked off during the skirmish.
The black SUV seemed to have orchestrated its moves carefully. As one side mirror of the van fell off, it braked sharply, causing the van to collide with its rear.
The black SUV then swerved, dislodging the van’s remaining side mirror.
Now without its side mirrors, the van found its maneuverability severely hampered on the narrow mountain road.
The battle tipped in favor of the black SUV.
The van, already reeling from the loss, was suddenly struck from behind with tremendous force by the black SUV.
Despite the harsh blow, a single impact wasn’t sufficient. The black SUV prepared for a second strike.
Clearly intent on halting the van, the assault from the black SUV continued relentlessly. In response, an occupant of the van rolled down a window and fired directly at the pursuing black SUV.
If the black SUV hadn’t swerved just in time, it would have been sent careening over the cliff.
The stakes were high!
Throwing caution to the wind, the driver of the van fired another shot.
The bullet struck the black SUV’s passenger seat, creating a large, penetrating hole that extended to the back of the driver’s seat.
Luckily, the passenger seat was empty. Otherwise, the bullet would have been fatal.
Reacting swiftly, the black SUV took advantage of the moment the attacker in the van was reloading and surged forward, slamming into the van’s rear with full force, giving it no time to recover.
The impact nearly launched the van into the air, causing it to sway erratically. The gunman, initially targeting the rear, now redirected his aim at Nicole’s truck.
With a distance of about 800 meters between them, the shot, though imprecise, managed to pierce the roof of Nicole’s truck.
Nicole heard nothing but a loud crash as the bullet penetrated the roof, reaching all the way to the windshield. Overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all, she was left in utter confusion.
Clearly, the van had gambled well. The black SUV, caught off guard by the van’s sudden shift in targeting, was in a state of panic.
The van had gained the advantage and was no longer engaging with the black SUV. Its new target was Nicole’s truck and the occupants inside.
If those abducted girls were rescued, their entire operation would be at risk!
The van pursued the truck, shooting its rifle once more. Its objective was to overturn the truck and send it plummeting off the cliff.
Nicole was petrified, her heart pounding in fear. She couldn’t bring herself to look back, and her hands trembled on the wheel. The girls in the backseat wailed and screamed, unsure of when the next shot would fire.
Facing death, no one could keep their composure.
Nicole couldn’t predict when the van might shoot again, so she pressed the accelerator and kept moving. Stopping would only make them an easier target.
Just as the van was about to shoot again, the black SUV sped up, overtaking the van and intercepting the bullet with its own body.
However, the situation quickly became dire. The black SUV had intercepted the bullet, but its rear seat caught fire, and the flames spread swiftly.
The van was stunned and didn’t see this coming.
Unexpectedly, the driver of the black SUV seemed unfazed and pressed its flaming rear against the van.
Suddenly, a loud “boom” echoed.
The van lost control and rolled down the mountain, erupting in flames.
Regarding the black SUV, due to the collision with the van, even though the driver managed to brake in time, the rear end of the car had still gone over the cliff’s edge, hanging precariously.
At this point, the situation was beyond the driver’s control. Even without further movement, the vehicle was likely to plummet due to the ongoing momentum and the rapid spread of the fire at the back.
It appeared that those inside the black SUV were facing a grim fate, with seemingly no chance of escape.
Nicole had driven quite a distance away by now. She glanced back at the car teetering on the edge of the cliff, feeling uneasy.
Although the immediate threat was over, she couldn’t stand the thought of the person who had just saved them dying in such a manner.
“Squeak!” She slammed on the brakes, stepped out of the vehicle, and asked the girls in the backseat if any of them knew how to drive.
There were two choices now. Someone who could drive might continue to seek help, especially since they had already received assistance. It was likely that further help could be found down the road. That was almost certain.
Alternatively, they could wait here. Considering the risk of the burning vehicle exploding, she couldn’t risk getting too close.
More crucially, the danger from their pursuers hadn’t been fully eliminated, and they could be caught up at any moment. Thus, sending someone to find help seemed like the more dependable option.
At that moment, an older girl raised her hand and said, “I… I can drive.”
“Are you sure you can handle it?” Nicole asked.
The girl nodded, her expression determined.
“I see you want to go back to help that person. I respect your bravery. He saved us, and he’s a good person. But I don’t have your courage. I’ll drive forward to find help instead.”
“Alright. Be careful on your way and stay vigilant, okay?” Nicole cautioned her.
The girl nodded. “I understand. You be careful too. Thank you. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t know what would have become of us…”
These abducted girls all came from deprived backgrounds and were inexperienced. They rarely had interactions with urban dwellers. They had been misled by villagers who had promised them jobs, only to end up confined.
They suffered harsh treatment. If they resisted, they faced beatings, and some bore untreated, festering wounds on their legs. They had hoped for a brighter future, but reality proved to be far harsher.
Thankfully, they were still within the confines of Ambrosia. Had they been taken to a foreign land, they could only dread what might have befallen them.
“There’s no need to thank me. Just get going!” Nicole urged before she sprinted toward the black SUV alone.
Despite her injuries, which pained her with each step, she was determined to outrun death itself. Any hesitation might lead to the black SUV tumbling off the cliff.
Upon reaching the black SUV, Nicole saw it was filled with thick smoke. Luckily, the window had already been shattered by someone in the van, which likely saved those inside from suffocation.
Inside the black SUV, there was no sign of life or sound. A man lay motionless in the driver’s seat, his face turned away, apparently unconscious from the smoke inhalation.
Nicole cautiously opened the car door, aware that even a minor shift could send the vehicle over the edge and possibly drag her along with it. Thus, she was putting her life at risk.
However, she believed she couldn’t stand back without attempting to help, especially after the driver had risked his own life several times to save everyone in the truck.
Regardless of the outcome, she was determined not to abandon the driver, as she represented the other abducted girls in the truck.
Nicole gently eased the door open, taking care to keep her movements minimal.
When the door was open, the man inside did not react. He was covered in blood, making his features hard to distinguish.
Nicole’s hand reached for the man’s seatbelt buckle first. His body was securely fastened by the seatbelt.
Fortunately, there hadn’t been a collision, so the airbag hadn’t deployed, which ironically had spared his life.
Otherwise, it would have been far more challenging to get him out, and not even divine intervention could have helped, as moving him would have been impossible.
Nicole extended her body, careful to avoid any contact with the car as much as she could, and pressed the buckle. Even a slight movement could send the car over the edge.
She raised her foot, and just as she was about to reach the buckle, the man in the car stirred. A faint cough from the man shook the car.
Nicole froze and urgently said, “Hold on. Don’t cough, and don’t move. Stay just like this, and I’ll get you out.”
It was hard to tell whether the man had heard Nicole, but he stayed still.
Nicole took a deep breath and tried once more. This time, she aimed to unfasten it in one quick movement. She pushed off with her foot and with a click, the buckle opened.
She quickly caught one end of the seatbelt to minimize movement and prevent the car from rocking.
As she carefully retracted the seatbelt, she noticed the man’s fingers twitching slightly, indicating he might be regaining consciousness.
She murmured, “Don’t be scared. I’m here to save you. I will definitely get you out. Thank you for saving us all.”
The man’s eyelashes flickered, as if he sensed her presence, but he was unable to speak. His throat was clogged with smoke, making speech impossible.
The next challenge was to extract the man from the car. But alone, Nicole didn’t have the strength to make it. She quickly devised a plan and asked the man, “I’m about to pull you out. Can you cooperate with me just a bit?”
The man was unable to speak, yet his fingers twitched slightly, showing he had heard Nicole’s words.
Nicole said, “We have just one shot at this, and we need to work together perfectly. I will manage to pull you out when I count to three. Just make sure you muster your remaining strength to get out of the car.”
The man waved his fingers slightly, showing his reluctance. He understood the risk involved. If the plan failed, they would both die.
If Nicole left now, at least she might survive.
Nicole tried to grab the man’s hand, but he clenched his fist tightly and resisted.