Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 172

Chapter 172 

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“Please, spare him! He’s already seriously hurt…” Briana begged. 

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“Let him live, I’m begging you. Take me instead. Kill me, just kill me,” she cried out. But to them, Briana’s desperate pleas meant nothing. 

They counted, “Three, two, one.” 

Briana helplessly watched as Henry was tossed into the river. Water splashed everywhere. It soaked Briana, drenching a big part of her clothes. 

Even the riverbank was soaked. Henry didn’t even struggle. He sank straight down, disappearing beneath the surface. 

Red blood spread across the water, slowly fading as it mixed in. The water rippled for a bit, then quickly settled down. It was like nothing had ever happened. 

The bald guy clapped his hands and glanced at Eric. “All done. His hands and feet are tied up, the sack’s cinched tight, and he’s messed up badly. No one could save him now. But about your finger, though…” 

The bald guy scratched his head. “No way we’re getting that back. Never thought he’d pull a stunt like that.” 

Eric didn’t say a word. He just stared at the water, pressing hard on the stump where his finger used to be. 

After about ten seconds, he turned and looked at Briana. “It’s your turn,” he said coldly. Those three words 

sealed Briana’s fate. 

Briana didn’t say a word. Her gaze was vacant as she stared at the surface of the river. 

‘Why did everything go silent so quickly? He just disappeared beneath the water, Briana thought. ‘Is there any way to pull him out? Can I even reach him? What if the river sweeps him away, all the way downstream?‘ 

Eric barked again, “Hey, Briana, it’s your turn.” 

Briana finally turned to him, her eyes cold. “Eric, you’ll never die in peace.” 

She paused for a couple of seconds, then spat out, “And Vivian too. Both of you, Karma’s coming for you, and it’s going to hit harder than you can imagine.” 

Eric sneered, “Go keep Henry company in hell. Last chance, you got three seconds. Any last words?” 

Briana spat straight at him. Eric wiped his face, glared at her, then reached for the sack. 

“Hurry up, Eric snapped. “We don’t have all day.” 

Briana sat there, unmoving, her eyes still fixed on the water. In the distance, a small light was speeding toward them. Eric and the bald guy didn’t even notice. 

Briana was the only one who saw it. She snapped her head around for a quick look. The light slipped back 

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into the darkness, as if it had never appeared, 

But Briana was certain. Someone was out there. Someone was here to save her. Someone was there for Henry, ready to pull him out of the water. 

Briana’s heart was pounding with hope. She tried to catch another glimpse, but the bald guy was already moving in, pulling the sack down over her head. 

“Wait!” she shouted. The bald guy froze. 

“What are you waiting for, idiot?” Eric barked, giving him a sharp kick. “Bag her and dump her in the river. We’re getting out of here.” 

“Yeah, yeah, got it!” the bald guy muttered. 

As soon as the sack was yanked over her head, Briana was plunged into total darkness. 

She crashed to the ground and instinctively rolled, thrashing and fighting back, her legs flailing in a desperate attempt to break free. 

Just then, the sharp wail of sirens split the night. The roar of speeding cars echoed through the darkness. 

Eric’s face twisted in shock. ‘Crap!‘ he thought, panic surging through him. ‘A whole rescue squad is here! 

Before he could say a word, a flood of sirens from police cars blared one after another. They shattered the silence of the night. Sirens overlapped, rising and falling without pause. 

Briana fought back even harder, her desperation fueling every movement. 

Down a winding country lane, Shepard’s car sped ahead of the pack. 

His face was set in stone as he gripped the wheel with one hand, the other leaning hard on the horn. 

Olivia rolled down her window, stretching to see. “Henry’s signal is right ahead. We’re almost there.” 

Shepard floored it, pushing the car even faster. 

“That’s it. This is the place,” Olivia shouted. 

Shepard slammed on the brakes. Tires screeched against the road. Then, everything went dead silent. 

Right then, both Shepard and Olivia heard a splash. It sounded like something had just been thrown into the 

water. 

Shepard and Olivia locked eyes for a split second, then, without a word, they sprinted straight toward the riverbank. 

Briana was shoved into a sack and lifted off the ground. After being shaken around a bit, she suddenly felt herself flying through the air. 

Then, she slammed down hard. Water engulfed her, dragging her under in an instant. Bubbles gurgled up all 

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around her as she sank. Her body sank uncontrollably. Briana could feel her hair drifting weightlessly in the 

water. 

She closed her eyes, letting go of everything. Henry, I’m coming, Briana thought. Maybe this was where their lives would end together. Maybe they’d be rescued. 

Of course, Briana wished with all her heart that they’d both survive this, safe and sound, 

The choking sensation sent a jolt of pure terror through Briana, making her heart race wildly. 

Shepard was the first to arrive. There was no one in sight. Just the drenched ground and the calm, glassy surface of the water. 

Olivia came running up, out of breath. “Why is there nothing here? I could’ve sworn I heard something just 

now. 

“This is so weird. Did we mess up the location, or did they move them somewhere else?” Olivia blurted out, her voice tight with confusion. 

“Why is the ground so wet? Shepard, did you see Briana or Henry? Are they here?” Olivia asked, her voice shaking with worry. 

Shepard stood silently, staring out at the river. Then, without saying a word, he began to take off his jacket. 

“What are you doing?” Olivia asked, confused. “We’re supposed to be looking for them. There’s nobody here, not even Briana, let alone Eric…” 

Before Olivia could finish, Shepard dove straight into the water with a loud splash. Olivia got drenched by the spray. She just stood there, totally stunned. 

‘What the hell is he doing?‘ Olivia thought, her mind spinning. 

Shepard was a natural in the water. He swam fast, then dove deep, vanishing under the surface in a flash. Within seconds, he was nowhere to be seen. Olivia was left speechless, just staring in shock. 

“Seriously, what is Shepard doing? Has he lost his mind? He just dove right in?” Olivia blurted out, her voice full of disbelief. 

“Did he get water in his brain or something? Is he trying to clear his head by jumping in the river?” Olivia muttered, still in shock. 

Olivia just couldn’t wrap her head around it. She turned around, about to call for help, but saw a dozen bodyguards already heading this way fast. Each of them was loaded up with all kinds of gear. 

There were fishing nets, drag nets, life jackets, and even floatation rings. 

Olivia was totally confused. ‘Shepard just dove in, and now his guys are jumping in after him? What the hell is going on here? Shouldn’t we be searching for them instead? Briana and Henry are still nowhere to be found,’ she thought. 

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Deep underwater. Briana could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. The air was running out fast. But in the next instant, Briana felt something pushing her upward from the depths, lifting her toward the surface. 

‘What the hell is happening?‘ Briana thought, his heart pounding with dread. 

‘Wait, am I actually rising? Is something pulling me up?‘ Briana wondered, disbelief flooding her. 

Shepard rushed over, and when he spotted the sack, he shot forward, swimming even faster. 

He grabbed the top and started tearing at the ropes, trying to rip them open. But the knots were jammed tight, almost impossible to undo. 

And underwater, it was even harder to get the knots loose.