Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1707

That afternoon, Elliot devised a brilliant plan. After laying it out and making sure it was foolproof, he gave Evan a long list of instructions before letting him go out. Elliot and Elijah would fill Tarquin in on the details later. After leaving, Evan first pretended to be a tourist wandering around. Then, he intentionally ditched his bodyguards—the married couple—and played the part of a poor, lost kid, sitting on a bench and crying his eyes out. “Daddy, Mommy, where are you? Waaah…” Before long, a Zhinorian woman approached him. “What’s wrong, little boy? Did you lose your parents?” Evan nodded repeatedly. “They’re gone.” “Don’t be scared,” the woman said. “Do you know their phone number?” Evan shook his head. “I don’t know.” “Well, do you know the way back to your hotel?” The woman asked. Evan shook his head again. “I don’t know.” The woman looked troubled. “Then I can’t help you find your parents. But it’s dangerous for you to sit here all by yourself. How about I take you to the police station? The officers can help you find them.” Evan quickly nodded. “Okay, thank you, ma’am.” “You’re welcome,” the woman said with a gentle smile. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride.” Evan immediately took her hand and went with her. Just as planned, the moment Evan got in the car, the woman drugged him. Evan was prepared. He lay down in the back seat, feigning unconsciousness. The woman sneered at the driver. “They told me to be careful, so, so careful. Said the kid was smart and knew kung fu. He looks like a total moron to me. Easiest target ever.” Evan thought, “You’re the moron! Your whole family is full of morons! So much for honor among countrymen. You liar!” The driver, a middle-aged Thyanian man, glanced at Evan and said to the woman, “Contact Mr. Dunn’s people right now. Double-check if this is the right kid.” The woman took out her phone, recorded a short video of Evan, and sent it off. “Mr. Stuart, can you confirm one more time, is this the boy?” The reply came back quickly. “That’s him! The one Mr. Dunn wants! Bring him over immediately!” … Several hours later, Evan was brought to the border district. The sky was pitch black, and the woman who had abducted him was long gone. The journey from the capital had involved several car swaps. Evan continued to feign unconsciousness as a man carried him to a riverbank and handed him over to people on a boat. After a few mumbled words, Evan was taken across the river. On the other side were the notorious scam compounds, Evan’s destination for this mission. Once ashore, they put Evan in an SUV and called the head of the AA Compound. “Hello, Mr. Dunn? We have the package. Should we deal with him on the spot or bring him to the compound?” “Bring him here first,” Dunn said. After hanging up, Dunn contacted Pana. “The kid is in my hands. You can relax.” Pana asked, “Were there any problems?” “None,” Dunn said confidently. “Everything went smooth as silk. He ended up in my hands without anyone knowing.” Pana let out a sigh of relief but added a warning, “Don’t underestimate that kid. He’s highly skilled. Don’t let him escape.” Dunn laughed. “Escape? Not even God himself could escape from my turf! Don’t you worry. No matter how good his kung fu is, it’s no match for my guns. This isn’t the age of fists anymore; it’s the age of firepower.” Pana added, “It’s best to finish him tonight to avoid any complications. You’ll be well-rewarded.” Dunn’s smile widened. “Consider it done. I’ll arrange for my men to take care of him right now. You can rest easy.” After hanging up, just as Dunn was about to call his subordinates, his phone rang. It was them. He answered and said directly, “No need to bring the kid back. Just kill him and dispose of the body cleanly. Make sure no one finds out.” The voice on the other end was frantic. “We’ve got a problem, Mr. Dunn! The kid was snatched!” Dunn was stunned. “Snatched? By who?!” “…People from the BB Compound!” “Mr. Lyons’s men?” “Yes! They were wearing BB Compound uniforms, driving BB Compound vehicles. They took the kid by force!” Dunn couldn’t understand. “Are you sure it was them? Could there be a misunderstanding? What would Mr. Lyons want with that kid?” His man insisted, “One hundred percent certain, we wouldn’t lie. They really took him! I hear there’s someone on the black market paying top dollar for kids' corneas.” In that instant, Dunn understood.