Chapter 6 Hostage

• "Nelson, the Tiger Clan was hired by the Ingrams to collect our debt. You injured their men just now; they won't let you off easily. After you see your mom and Thea, you should go back to your unit. Don't get involved in this mess!" Elliot, unaware of Nelson's apprenticeship with Don over the past two years, still thought he was in the army. Saddened, he urged Nelson to leave.
• "Dad, I'm not leaving this time. I've already retired from the military."
• "We're a family, and we face difficulties together. Don't worry, I'm not the same person I was before. Our family won't fall apart!"
• "By the way, where are Mom and Thea? I haven't seen them."
• Nelson changed the subject. His mother, Dianne Warwick, was a devoted wife and mother. His sister, Thea Keller, was five years younger than him. He remembered how she used to follow him around as a child. After five years, the little girl with a runny nose must have grown up by now.
• "Thea got into the same university you attended. The school is on break now, so she and your mom are selling peanuts at the nearby market to help make ends meet," Elliot explained, his eyes filled with guilt.
• Since the company went bankrupt a year ago and fell into debt, Elliot has been depressed. Dianne and Thea had stayed by his side through the darkest times. Now, with Nelson back, Elliot felt a sense of uncertainty about the future.
• Nelson didn't know how to comfort his father, so he said, "Dad, it's getting late. Let's go pick up Mom and Thea and head home. Let's forget about our troubles and have a nice family gathering today!"
• Elliot nodded absentmindedly and led Nelson downstairs toward the nearby market.
• On the way, Elliot's mood brightened a bit as he shared what had been happening at home over the years. Nelson learned that his mother, Dianne, had become quite skilled at making peanuts and was known as the Peanut Queen in the area. Her peanut stall did very well, but this knowledge filled Nelson with a bittersweet feeling.
• In Nelson's mind, his mother had always been a wealthy lady. Now, she was working a stall to make a living. The hardships and toil she must have endured were unimaginable. And it was all because of the Ingrams in Cloudhaven!
• Soon, Nelson and his father arrived at the market. This market supplied the entire Slum area, bustling with vendors and shoppers haggling over prices. Though the environment was dirty and chaotic, it was full of life.
• When Elliot and Nelson reached Dianne's peanut stall, they found it surrounded by a crowd. There were even two police cars parked nearby, and blood was pooled on the ground. Sensing something was wrong, Elliot hurriedly pushed through the crowd with Nelson.
• Nelson immediately spotted Dianne and Thea in the middle of the commotion. Dianne was kneeling on the ground, and Thea was being held by a scrawny, mean-looking man. The man had a blood-stained knife in one hand, waving it around menacingly and shouting threats.
• A middle-aged man lay on the ground, apparently stabbed in the abdomen, unconscious and bleeding heavily. The pool of blood was spreading from his wound.
• Several armed police officers had their guns trained on the scrawny man, who was holding Thea hostage and refusing to back down.
• Seeing this scene, Nelson's anger surged, his chest ready to burst with fury.
• First, Elliot had been bullied, and now Dianne and Thea were in danger. Their family was truly unfortunate, targeted at every turn!
• "What's going on? We do not quarrel with this man. Why is he holding my daughter hostage?" Elliot was frantic.
• "Elliot, that man holding your daughter is Tony, a notorious thug around here. Earlier, he brought a few men to your wife's peanut stall, causing trouble and trying to take your daughter away to settle a debt!"
• "It turned into a fight. Bob from the neighboring stall couldn't stand it and stepped in to say a few words. Tony didn't hesitate and beat him up!"
• "Bob got angry and secretly called the police. Tony found out and, in a fit of rage, grabbed a knife from Bob's meat stall and stabbed him!"
• "Some nearby officers on duty responded to the call quickly and arrived just in time to catch Tony trying to escape. His accomplices were arrested, and Tony, fearing the consequences, took your daughter hostage as a last resort."
• A nearby vendor, who knew Elliot, sighed as he explained the situation.
• Hearing this, Elliot realized that Tony must have been sent by the Tiger Clan to trouble Dianne and Thea. Otherwise, why would he take Thea to settle a debt? Elliot felt deep regret for bringing such danger upon them, even involving innocent people.
• Nelson also deduced that the Tiger Clan was behind this, remembering Jabez's earlier threat to take Thea as collateral. It was clear they had already sent someone to the market to capture her, causing this mess.
• "Please, let my daughter go! Whatever you want, take it out on me. She's innocent!" Nelson's mother, Dianne, hadn't noticed that Elliot and Nelson had arrived. She knelt on the ground, begging Tony, tears streaming down her still-attractive face, her heart breaking.
• "Tony, please don't hurt my daughter. I'll kneel too!"
• "If you want money, I can get it. Whatever you want, I'll find a way to pay. Just let my daughter go!"
• Elliot stepped forward, falling to his knees with a thud, his expression filled with despair. For their daughter's safety, they were willing to sacrifice their dignity. They would rather be the ones held hostage than let harm come to their daughter.
• Onlookers were moved by this emotional scene, their eyes growing moist, and they began to loudly condemn Tony.
• "You old fools, stop talking! Debts must be paid! If that nosy guy hadn't interfered, your daughter would already be on her way to settle the debt."
• "And you cops, put your guns away and back off. If I can't leave here safely, I'll slit this girl's throat right now!"
• Tony shouted angrily, tightening his grip on Thea. Though he was a notorious thug in the area, he was just a small-time criminal in the grand scheme of Cloudhaven. Desperate to elevate his status, he saw joining the Tiger Clan, a notorious gang, as his way up.
• Recently, Jabez, a Tiger Clan leader, had promised Tony a spot in the gang if he kidnapped Thea. Eager for the opportunity, Tony had brought his men to snatch her.
• But things went south when Bob intervened and called the police. Enraged, Tony had stabbed Bob on the spot. Normally, he wouldn't dare such a thing, but the prospect of joining the Tiger Clan had emboldened him. He figured stabbing or even killing someone wouldn't matter much; he could always hide out for a while.
• However, things hadn't gone as planned. The police arrived right after he stabbed Bob, catching him off guard. In desperation, he had taken Thea hostage to negotiate his escape.