The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 332

In reality, whether her eyes were playing tricks on her or there really was someone lurking, waiting to move together with Nathan was the smartest tactical choice.

"It wasn't anything urgent," Nathan said smoothly. He slipped one hand into his pocket and left it there, while his other hand reached out to clasp Nora's, gently pulling her in the direction she had pointed.

"Over there?"

Nathan's voice was kept at an even, low volume.

His footsteps, however, were swift and heavy.

Nora met his gaze, instantly understanding his play. She nodded. "Yes."

The two of them moved toward the spot. Just as they were about to be exposed between the rows of cars, they executed a sudden, sharp pivot, slipping around the rear bumper and into the narrow gap with lightning speed.

"Mmph! Mmph!"

A woman lay wedged between the cars, a strip of duct tape plastered across her mouth. Hearing the commotion, she violently jerked her head toward them, her eyes wide with a desperate, pleading gaze aimed at Nora and Nathan.

Neither of them had expected to stumble upon a scene like this. Without needing a single word of discussion, Nathan stepped forward to reach the woman, while Nora stayed planted, instantly pulling out her phone to dial 911.

The police arrived at the scene shortly after.

Nathan had already untied the ropes binding the woman and peeled the tape from her mouth. His first priority was figuring out exactly what had happened to her.

But the woman seemed trapped in a state of profound shock. She curled in on herself, trembling violently, unable to string together a coherent sentence.

Nora stepped closer. "Should we get her checked out first?"

The woman bore multiple signs of physical violence, and judging by her condition, she had been bound for more than just a day or two.

She desperately needed a rape kit and a comprehensive medical evaluation.

Female kidnapping victims were at an extraordinarily high risk of sexual assault. With the rampant spread of infectious diseases, they had to rule out any immediate threats as quickly as possible.

"We definitely need to."

Nathan crouched in front of the woman, his voice deep and steadying. "Ma'am, we need you to cooperate with us and get a full medical exam. Your injuries also need immediate attention. Can you do that for us? If you understand, blink once."

Based on her instinctual plea for help moments ago, she clearly still possessed cognitive awareness.

"Mr. Peyton."

A patrol officer who had been canvassing the area quickly returned.

"The security cameras didn't catch a clear angle of the incident."

"The footage only shows the woman tumbling out of the trunk of that car right there. We spoke with the parking attendant—he said the vehicle has been parked in that spot for a while, and he never saw anyone inside it before today."

Nora remained silent. Nathan considered this for a moment before issuing a directive. "Pull all the street cameras from the surrounding perimeter and cross-reference them. A living, breathing person doesn't just materialize out of thin air."

"Understood."

After a final sweep of the garage yielded nothing, Nathan and Nora headed up to the ER.

"Mr. Peyton, Dr. Hayes. The victim has regained her ability to speak."

"She just told us that the person who abducted her is named Evelyn Tate. She's been held hostage for three days."