The truck bounced and jostled along the uneven road. Branches scraped against the truck like gnarled claws seeking flesh. Aiko’s heart pounded, and the acrid scent of spilled gas burned her nostrils as Jack’s erratic driving continued.

Where are we going?

After several turns, the truck skidded to a stop. Aiko heard the rubber of the tires slide across the loose gravel. She was about to get a closer look when the footfalls of the burly man stepped away from the truck. Moments later, a rustling of cans, bottles, and some other sounds Aiko didn’t recognize cut through the stillness of the night. She raised her head and gasped as she saw Jack rummaging through a trash can. He pulled something out, and then he stared in her direction. She ducked and covered herself with a dirty blanket.

Aiko’s heart thundered as Jack ran to the truck and ripped the blanket off her, his eyes widening in surprise at her sudden appearance in the truck bed. She saw a flicker of fear cross his features for a fleeting moment before the familiar mask of arrogance slipped back into place.

“Well, well,” he drawled, recovering his composure with a contemptuous sneer. “What do we have here? Little Aiko playing the role of the intrepid spy?”

She straightened, refusing to be cowed by his mocking tone. “What are you doing out here, Jack?” she demanded, her voice steady despite the tremor of apprehension that coursed through her veins. “Rummaging through the garbage in the dead of night? I can’t imagine Mrs. Henderson would approve.”

A muscle twitched in Jack’s jaw, his eyes narrowing into twin slits of fury. “You’ll do no such thing,” he hissed, his words laced with venom. “Unless you want sweet little Emma to suffer the consequences.”

Aiko recoiled as if struck, her breath ragged. “You wouldn’t hurt your niece, would you?” she whispered, her voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and dawning horror.

Jack’s lips curved into a cruel smile, his eyes glinting with a malevolent light that sent a chill down Aiko’s spine. Before he could respond, the shrill trill of a phone cut through the tense silence, shattering the moment like a pane of glass.

Jack fished the device from his pocket, his expression shifting into forced nonchalance as he answered the call. “Well, hello, Your Highness,” he drawled.

Aiko watched, transfixed, as Jack’s demeanor morphed before her eyes. The arrogant swagger melted away, replaced by a tense, almost subservient posture as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. His brow furrowed, and he shot a furtive glance in Aiko’s direction, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Seizing the opportunity, Aiko inched her way toward the edge of the truck bed, her movements slow and deliberate as she sought to make her escape. But Jack’s reflexes were lightning-quick, and before she could react, his iron grip clamped around her wrist, hauling her back with a brutal yank.

“I’ve got it handled,” he growled into the phone, his eyes boring into Aiko’s with an intensity that sent a shiver of trepidation rippling through her. “Don’t worry, Your Highness. The package will be delivered as promised.”

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With a sharp flick of his wrist, he ended the call and pocketed the phone, focusing on Aiko. Reaching into the duffel bag at his feet, he withdrew a small, clear package, which nestled a single vial filled with an ominous-looking liquid.

Aiko’s eyes widened, her heart hammering against her ribcage as a thousand terrifying scenarios flashed through her mind. Before she could react, she lashed out with her foot, catching Jack in the chest with a well-aimed kick that sent him staggering backward.

Seizing her chance, Aiko vaulted over the side of the truck bed and took off into the night, her feet pounding against the damp earth as she fled into the shadows. She could hear Jack’s enraged bellow echoing behind her, spurring her onward with an adrenaline-fueled speed.

Aiko’s feet slammed against the ground with a frantic rhythm, her chest heaving as she bolted through the dense underbrush of the park. Her mind raced, seeking an escape from the relentless pursuit that threatened to consume her.

Finally, she spotted a narrow crevice in the rocky outcropping ahead, its dark depths beckoning with the promise of shelter. Without hesitation, Aiko plunged into the crevice, pressing herself flat against the icy stone. She held her breath as she strained to listen for any sign of her pursuer.

Time seemed to crawl as Aiko waited, every muscle tensed and ready for action, until at last, she heard the unmistakable crunch of footsteps approaching. Jack’s voice echoed through the cavernous space as he taunted her, his words dripping with malice and sadistic pleasure.

Aiko’s heart hammered in her chest as Jack drew closer, his footsteps growing louder and more menacing with each passing moment. She could feel his presence as if it were a physical weight bearing down on her, suffocating and oppressive.

Just when she thought she couldn’t bear it any longer, a rough hand clamped down on her ankle, dragging her out of hiding and into the light. Aiko let out a strangled cry of terror as she was face-to-face with Jack’s sneer.

“Gotcha,” he growled, his grip like a vice around her ankle as he dragged her towards him.

Aiko thrashed and fought with all her might, scratching at Jack’s face and trying to break free from his firm grip. But he was too powerful, and with one brutal blow to her head, everything went black.

When Aiko regained consciousness, she found herself bound and gagged in the bed of Jack’s truck. The soft swaying motion betrayed their movement once again, and Aiko felt a surge of panic course through her body.

Jack’s face appeared above her, his features illuminated by the harsh flickering light of a lantern. She recognized the clear cylindric shape in the moonlight, its contents glinting.

“Now, now, Aiko,” he cooed in a disturbing tone. “It doesn’t have to be like this. Just do as I say, and we can forget this unpleasantness. We can return to being a family again, just like old times.”

As he unscrewed the cap from the vial, Aiko’s heart raced with fear and confusion. What did Jack want with her DNA? And who was this mysterious “Your Highness” he had mentioned on the phone?

“Now, spit into the vial like a good girl,” Jack said as he put the vial against her lips.

Trapped in the truck with Jack’s sinister intentions looming over her, Aiko felt like she was living a nightmare. But as terror threatened to consume her, she dug deep within herself. She pursed her lips.

No way I’m making this easy for him!

“Open and spit, dammit!”

Jack slapped her, and tears welled up in her eyes as a hand wrapped around her throat.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Come on, Aiko, I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have. Why can’t you just… cooperate like a good girl?”

Aiko didn’t want to give in to his demands, but she had no choice. She spit into the vial until she was out of saliva.

“Now, that wasn’t so bad?” Jack said as he gagged her and slipped a black bag over her face.

Cooperate, Aiko, or you’re as good as dead.