Chapter 154

Suzy and Thomas stepped into the room.

Once the door closed, Gloria turned to her, her eyebrows raised in confusion. "What’s wrong, Miss?"

She had already noticed the shift in Suzy’s expression, her own smile fading slightly.

Suzy’s face was serious. "Gloria, did you hear anything from downstairs just now?"

Gloria paused, then shook her head. All she had heard was the rain—endless, annoying.

Suzy exchanged a glance with Thomas.

"Did you hear something?" Gloria asked.

Suzy nodded. "We both did. It was loud—like people fighting, things being smashed. Right below us."

Gloria’s expression changed. "When?"

"Just now. Less than two minutes ago."

She fell silent for a few seconds, then quickly moved to the window, pulling it open just a crack to look outside.

Beyond the glass was nothing but a gray curtain of rain. No movement, no sign of anything unusual.

She shut the window and turned back, her face no longer as calm as before.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Her breathing quickened slightly.

She bit her lip, as if a troubling thought had just surfaced.

"It couldn’t be..." Her voice trembled. "That group?"

Suzy said nothing, only watching her.

Gloria’s face grew paler. "But the acid rain just stopped... how could they—"

Before she could finish, a piercing scream erupted from outside.

All three of them froze, their expressions sharpening instantly.

"Something’s wrong," Thomas said, frowning.

Suzy immediately pulled out her weapon, gripping it tightly.

So leaving wouldn’t be so simple after all.

And yet, at this moment, she felt strangely calm—almost relieved.

At least now they knew those earlier sounds hadn’t been imagined.

And it was fortunate they had hesitated. If they had walked out earlier, who knew what they might have run into?

"I’ll go take a look," Thomas said, already moving toward the door.

She grabbed his arm at once. "Wait. I’m coming with you."

She didn’t want him to go alone.

It wasn’t a matter of distrust—she simply knew that if she went too, she had access to plenty of life-saving tools.

In a world like this, it wasn’t the expected dangers you feared most—it was the unexpected ones.

Thomas frowned, about to refuse, but she cut him off before he could speak.

Her tone left no room for argument.

Still, before leaving, she quickly sent Leonard a brief voice message, warning him to stay alert.

Then she moved to his side.

Gloria, who had been stunned moments ago, had now regained her composure.

Seeing them ready to leave, she spoke firmly, "Miss, I’m coming with you."

As she said this, she walked to a cabinet and pulled out her weapon.

It was a blade about fifty centimeters long—Suzy couldn’t quite tell what kind, but it looked formidable, its edge gleaming coldly.

Her gaze was steady.

She had already made up her mind.

Suzy didn’t try to stop her. She simply nodded. "Then we go together."

Thomas took the lead, with Suzy and Gloria close behind.

The three of them moved quickly toward the source of the scream.

Others nearby had heard it too. People grabbed their weapons, scanning their surroundings with wary eyes.

The scream had come from one of the shops.

By the time they arrived, Curtis was already there.

Suzy immediately noticed the fresh pool of blood on the floor.

Curtis looked at the three of them in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Gloria stepped forward. "We heard the scream, so we came to check. What happened? Is it... them?"

Curtis’s expression darkened as he nodded. "Most likely. And... they took Amy."

"They took Amy!?"

Gloria’s gaze fell on the blood, her face turning deathly pale. "They couldn’t have... done something to her, right...?"

She couldn’t finish the sentence.

"I’m not sure." Curtis shook his head. "When I got here, there was no one—just the blood. And this."

He opened his hand. In his palm lay a blue hair tie—the one Amy always wore. That was how he knew it was her.

"We have to bring her back!" Gloria urged.

She and Amy were close. When she had first joined the group, Amy had taken good care of her. There was no way she could stand by and do nothing now.

"Of course we’re bringing her back!" a voice cut in.

Suzy turned and saw Victor approaching with several others, each holding a weapon.

They had all come after hearing the scream.

Curtis quickly explained the situation. Everyone’s expressions grew grim.

"We’re definitely going to save her," Curtis continued. "But if it really is them, they can’t have gone far. Stay alert."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Standing here wouldn’t solve anything. Just as they were about to head back and discuss a plan, a figure stepped out from the shadows in the distance.

"Looks like everyone’s here," the man said slowly, his voice cold.

Suzy didn’t recognize him.

But Gloria and Curtis did—and their faces changed instantly.

Before anyone could react further, more figures emerged from the shadows.

Seven or eight of them, each armed, quickly surrounded the group.

The man at the front stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before lingering briefly on Suzy.

"Don’t recognize you," he said, his tone casual. "Pretty face, though."

His leering eyes settled on her, and in the next second, he was blocked.

Thomas stepped in front of her without a word, shielding her from view.

The man noticed him now, narrowing his eyes slightly, but said nothing more.

Anyone could tell at a glance—he wasn’t someone to provoke.

The man’s attention shifted, finally landing on Gloria.

"Little girl," he said with a grin that revealed a row of yellowed teeth, "I hear you’re the one holding onto the supplies. We’d like to have the key."

"Give it to me," he added, voice turning colder, "and maybe I’ll consider sparing your life."

Gloria’s face went pale. She instinctively took a step back.

Curtis, standing nearby, looked equally unsettled.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Gloria said, forcing her voice steady—but the slight tremor at the end betrayed her.

"Still playing dumb with me?" The man’s eyes darkened. "The key’s on you. The warehouse key. Hand it over."

A wave of shock hit her.

How did he know?

Only she and Curtis knew about the key.