Filed To Story: Finding the Secret Daddy for My Baby Novel
She threw a stone to knock against the wall. Soon, a figure carefully emerged from the cave to inspect the noise. Shirley recognized him as one of Roy’s men.
So, she immediately seized his gun, covered his mouth, and dragged him into the shadows.
“I’m Shirley Lloyd,” she whispered into his ear.
The man dropped his guard upon hearing her name and turned to confirm her identity. He was pleasantly surprised. “Miss Lloyd, what are you doing here?” “Where’s Mr. Flintstone?” “He’s inside.” “Is he injured?” Shirley’s heart clenched.
“Mr. Flintstone isn’t injured, but Roy is. We’ve also lost two men before we managed to retreat here.” Shirley called out, “Mr. Nixon, come out! They are Zacharias’ men.” After that, she made her way briskly into the cave. She had only taken a few steps into the cave when she found a group of people either sitting or standing.
Meanwhile, Zacharias was leaning against the wall. His suit was undone, and his tie was missing. She took a good look at him and soon saw that his dark hair was also slightly disheveled. Nevertheless, his authoritative presence remained undiminished.
He spotted the girl rushing in and was unsure whether to be glad or concerned.
He was overjoyed that she brought reinforcement with her but worried as he would rather that she not be here in the first place.
“Miss Lloyd, you’re here!” Roy exclaimed as he felt his tense nerves relax slightly. Even Freddie breathed a sigh of relief; reinforcements had finally arrived to their aid. Shirley’s gaze was fixed on Zacharias. Although she hadn’t spoken, it was clear that she was checking whether he had sustained any injuries.
Zacharias’ tall figure moved past his men before grabbing hold of Shirley and pulling her toward a side cave. She was led several meters inside and pushed against the wall. His voice was firm, as if he was issuing a command, saying sternly, “Return to where you came from. Stop meddling. It’s dangerous out here.” Since Shirley had already begged her father to bring her here, she wouldn’t leave without at least dragging Zacharias back with her. So, she pushed his hand away and arched her eyebrows. “Mr. Zacharias, the only identity that matters the moment I stepped into this cave is being your bodyguard. I’m here to ensure your safety and do my job.” Zacharias’ eyebrows furrowed, and his voice was hoarse. “Listen to me. It’s dangerous here. I don’t want you to get hurt.” “Do you think that I could possibly live a peaceful life if you’re hurt or, worse, killed?” She raised her chin, and her eyes were shining bright. “Or do you think that I can marry someone else after losing you?”
Zacharias was momentarily taken aback. He was well aware that neither of them could bear to part with the other, nor could they afford to lose the other.
“Now that I’m here, I won’t leave,” Shirley asserted firmly. He had always thought that the power he wielded was effective at any given time. Alas, he didn’t expect that it would be completely useless against her.
“Miss Lloyd, how many people have you brought over?” Freddie inquired as he approached the duo.
“There are eight of us, including my father and me. Four are with me, while two are with my father, Shirley replied succinctly.
“The other side has at least 50 people. What are we going to do now? The disparity in strength is far too great. Freddie sighed.
“How did this happen? Didn’t you arrange for manpower when you set out?” she asked as her brows furrowed in confusion.
“We did arrange for a task force. Unfortunately, Mr. Watts was the organizer. So, we only realized that Mr. Watts was also an enemy once we made it here. This was a trap from the get- go. Anyone who has set foot on this island is their target, and they’re shooting to kill,” Freddie explained with a vexed look on his face. The expression he was currently wearing was quite a stark contrast to his usual warm smile.
Shirley looked up at Zacharias. At this moment, she knew that he was definitely hurt and disappointed. The one he trusted, one of his inner circle, had betrayed him.
“It’s a disgrace. He was even Mr. Flintstone’s friend! So, Mr. Zacharias naturally held him in high regard and placed a great deal of trust in him. Who would have thought something like this could happen?”
Roy huffed angrily.
“There’s no point dwelling on it now that we’re in this situation. We need to come up with a plan if we want to get out of here and make them pay, Zacharias said while glancing at Shirley. He couldn’t let her die here, not on his watch.
Shirley’s gaze was fixed on him as well. Her eyes conveyed that even if she were to die here, she would do anything to save him.
The selfless concern they bore for one another was just another reason that neither of them would be able to let the other go. The mutual sentiment they shared motivated them to get back down to business even though they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Nixon pondered over their options as he said carefully, “It’s not that we don’t have reinforcements on the way. The problem is that we’re not sure whether they could make it on time.” “We have reinforcements? Are you sure about that? The operation this time was confidential, and Mr. Webb cut off all possible support routes. We-” “If only you knew just how much Mrs. Lloyd cares for Mr. Lloyd, then you’d know she’d definitely notice something amiss. Plus, Miss Lloyd is here,” Nixon interjected confidently.
“Are you saying my mother will call for help?” Shirley’s eyes brightened with hope.
“I’m certain that Mrs. Lloyd will do so,” Nixon affirmed, utterly convinced. Indeed, he was correct in his assumption. Angela had noticed it was past 11.00PM, and neither her husband nor her daughter had returned. Although she was safe at home, how could she possibly sleep?
She had tried calling them without success. Then, she attempted to call Richard’s associates. Alas, she couldn’t reach anyone either. Angela, who was accustomed to living with Richard for years, was keenly attuned to danger. This prompted her to call her husband’s subordinate, who was stationed nearby.
“Jace, find out where Richard is right now. I need to know where he is.” “Of course, Mrs. Lloyd.” The man wasted no time carrying out her command.
In less than a minute, he reported, “It’s strange. We can’t track Mr. Lloyd’s location at all.” “What do you mean you can’t track him? Don’t you have the most advanced tracking devices available?” Angela questioned sharply.
Jace was unable to locate him after several attempts. Eventually, he raised his suspicions and suggested tentatively, “Mr. Lloyd may be stuck in a location that has somehow jammed all signals.” Angela quickly started recalling just where her husband and daughter had gone.
Wasn’t it where Zacharias was supposed to deal with those dangerous individuals? Now that she couldn’t reach them, it was evident they were in danger.
“Jace, quickly dispatch people to Easternia. Immediately! Richard is in danger, and even Mr. Flintstone is in danger. Hurry!” Angela urged urgently.
Then, her next call was to Ren, and she explained the situation to him. Shortly after, six helicopters took off, and the special forces were mobilized in the nearest base to Easternia.
On the other hand, Zacharias and the others decided to head to where Nixon and the others had parked the helicopter after their lengthy discussion in the cave. They intended to leave this place as soon as possible.
Zacharias wanted to ensure Shirley’s departure. Shirley was of the same mind, except she wanted to ensure his departure from this hazardous island.
They had just popped out of the cave when they heard sudden gunshots echoing in the darkness.
“They’re here. Move! Quickly!” Roy hissed urgently. Everyone immediately headed south. Zacharias reached out to take Shirley’s hand and intended to lead her away. Alas, she took her bodyguarding job seriously as she covered his six. “Don’t worry about me. I can handle this.” “Miss Lloyd, just go! If you don’t go, how can Mr. Flintstone leave?” Freddie pointed out, knowing just what Zacharias was thinking.
“He’s right,” Zacharias spoke up immediately. Shirley could only turn to Nixon, “Mr. Nixon, you and the others cover our rear. I’ll lead him to our rendezvous point.” “Go ahead, Miss Lloyd. We’ll take care of these people, Nixon said. She swiftly led Zacharias toward the east under the cover of night. The trees and rocky paths alongside the sandy beach made for a challenging route.
Alas, Shirley stepped on a rock in her hurry and slipped. Fortunately, Zacharias managed to reach out and grab her waist before she could fall. “Be careful.” She nodded and also held onto him. “Let’s move quickly.” The gunfire from behind was getting closer. Judging from the gunshots, they were being boxed in. Since they only had a few men protecting them, Shirley and Zacharias had no choice but to make a break toward the east. Even though they would end up looking like utter barbarians, they couldn’t afford to waste even a single second.
They finally spotted the three helicopters at their rendezvous point under the moonlight. These helicopters were situated in a rather secluded area. So, they hadn’t been discovered by the enemy forces yet. Moreover, the enemies couldn’t monitor everything happening on the island as they had jammed all signals within the island.
“The helicopters are here. Get on board,” Shirley said to the man behind her.
“Let’s go together.” Zacharias reached for her hand and was determined not to leave her behind.
However, she had someone else she couldn’t leave behind-Richard. She took Zacharias’ hand. “All right. Let’s go.” Then, she and Zacharias boarded one of the helicopters. She swiftly pulled something from a hidden compartment and fastened it around Zacharias’ wrist before securing the other end to the frame of the seat.
“Shirley, what are you doing?” Zacharias panicked as he saw her actions.
Shirley swiftly delivered a punch to his neck, causing his eyes to widen in shock before he slumped against his seat, succumbing to unconsciousness.
Everyone else felt a sting in their necks just witnessing her swift and brutal action.
“What are you waiting for? Get him out of here!” Shirley urged as she exited the helicopter while handing the key to the handcuffs to Freddie. “Free him once you’re safe.” “What about you, Miss Lloyd?” “My father is still here. I can’t leave him. Hurry! Go!” Shirley turned and swiftly dashed into the darkness.
At that moment, everyone understood one thing -Zacharias’ life was the priority, and they had to ensure his safety at all costs.
The helicopter rose into the night sky before disappearing quickly.
Shirley stood by the shoreline and watched as the helicopter vanished into the distance. She heaved a sigh of relief as she prayed for his safety above all else.