Chapter 498
Chapter 498 Be Wise
Lauren's stare was ice-cold as she faced Raegan, her expression terrifying with her teeth exposed in a fierce snarl. "Guess what? You're the one who's going down alone. I'm off to a fresh start."
Lauren clung to the hope of a new beginning. Her rescuer had promised her a plane ticket, a stash of cash, and a passport once she finished this job. She dreamed of getting surgery abroad to heal her marred face and living comfortably ever after.
Raegan, fighting back against Lauren's grasp, replied with a hint of mockery, "Wow, you really haven't caught on, have you? They plan to get rid of us both."
"Nice try, but I'm not buying it! Madness flashed in Lauren's eyes before she burst into wild laughter. "It's just you who's in trouble today. They're going to get rid of you and then whisk me away. I'll get my face fixed and snag a rich guy to live the dream!"
"Lauren, wake up! I overheard them. They're planning to make us both disappear for good!" Raegan snapped.
Doubt flickered in Lauren's eyes, and her hold weakened a bit. "You're just trying to mess with my head...NôvelDrama.Org holds this content.
Raegan, boiling over with frustration, wished she could literally crack open Lauren's skull to understand why Lauren hadn't grasped the gravity of their situation. Their captors had blatantly discussed plans to eliminate both of them.
Trying to keep her cool, Raegan pressed Lauren, "Didn't you catch their words? They intended to peg you as the fall guy, planning to kill us both and then pin it all on you."
Lauren halted, thinking back. The heavier man had indeed said something like that.
Raegan continued, "Think about it. If they were really about to send you off on a plane, why the harsh treatment?"
The evidence was clear. Lauren was missing a chunk of her scalp due to the heavier man's assault, leaving a gruesome, raw wound.
Raegan had to look away since the sight was too much to bear. Lauren seemed to be beyond feeling any pain, perhaps numbed by some experimental chemical.
Lauren's condition was dire, teetering on the brink of death. The timeframe for the drug's effectiveness was uncertain.
Raegan implored with urgency, "Lauren, we don't have the luxury of time. They're planning to end us soon. Let's team up to take down these guys. We can settle our own scores later."
Raegan's composed manner made Lauren second-guess whether she was the scapegoat of their schemes, as Raegan had warned.
Loosening her hold, Lauren hissed a warning, "Stay put. I'm going to check."
Lauren crept to the door and caught the tall man in the midst of a phone call. "Got it. Consider it done. No survivors, you can be sure of that. The crazy one won't survive the trip, making things easier."
Lauren's heart raced. Her act of madness at the psychiatric facility was a strategy to seek treatment and dodge legal repercussions. Despite her efforts, the legal system had found her mentally fit at the time of the crime and confirmed her death sentence.
It dawned on Lauren that she was the "crazy one" the tall man referred to. She had been thoroughly tricked. They indeed intended to kill her.
Retreating, Lauren accidentally nudged a wooden plank, causing it to emit a loud creak.
The tall man snapped to attention. "Gotta go!" he snarled and ended the call before storming into the room.
In a frenzy, Raegan attempted to dart away, which, oddly enough, put the tall man at ease. He was more worried about Raegan escaping than Lauren.
The tall man moved closer to Raegan and said, 'Seems like you are frightened, trying to run away..."
Raegan, petrified, shouted, "Stay back! What do you think you're doing?"
The tall man lit up a cigarette, murmuring, "Wish I had the time to stick around, but alas..."
"Thud!" A dull thump echoed through the room.
The tall man cried out as his head erupted in a spray of blood, dropping dead.
Raegan let out a breath of relief. She had noticed Lauren lying in wait and had intentionally drawn the tall man's attention to herself.
"Watch out, make sure there's nobody else around..." Raegan's warning was abruptly cut off as she noticed Lauren grabbing a stone.
The room was filled with the sound of heavy, relentless thumping as Lauren furiously continued to strike the tall man's already still body.
"Ah!" Raegan shrieked, clasping her hand over her mouth.
Lauren was in a frenzied rage, relentlessly pounding with no sign of stopping.
Just then, the heavier man burst in and announced, "Bro, the ride's ready."
Yet, the heavier man froze in his tracks, the tall man nowhere in sight, only to catch Lauren by a haystack, laughing nonsensically.
Walking in, the heavier man cursed, "Wretched hag, get out of the way. My bro..."
Suddenly, the heavier man's words trailed off, and he dropped to the floor with a "thud."
After a beat, the heavier man exploded, "Bro! Bro!"
But in place of the tall man, there was only a grotesque mess of flesh.
"What? Keep yelling," Lauren faced the heavier man with a wicked grin. "Why aren't you calling out to your bro now?"
The heavier man's legs gave out, his expression the epitome of horror as he staggered back. He yelled, panic-stricken, "Stay back, you beast! Monster..."
But the next second, only cries of pain were heard.
"Ah! it hurts!" Echoes of the heavier man's terrified scream filled the room.
In Lauren's mouth was a piece of bloody flesh.
The heavier man held his bleeding face, screaming in pain, "Ah!"
Lauren burst into malicious laughter, clapping her hands. "Look who's the monster now! Calling me a monster? You're the real beast here!" Her laughter spiraled into hysteria, a testament to her lost sanity.
Raegan took this chaos as her cue, quickly freeing herself and dashing toward the exit.
The commotion made Lauren's smirk disappear in an instant. Monster... Once celebrated for her nice appearance, she was now just a hideous version of herself. It was all Raegan's fault! If not for Raegan, Mitchel wouldn't have dealt with her for her doings and she wouldn't have ended up like this.
Lauren's appearance had been marred to the point of being almost unrecognizable. She laid the blame wrongly at Raegan's feet. In her eyes, it was entirely Raegan's doing.
Blaming Raegan entirely, Lauren sprung forward, yanked Raegan back by her hair, and hurled her across the room.
Thankfully, Raegan hit a haystack, not the hard floor, but the throw still dazed her.
"Thought you could escape, huh? Lauren taunted, moving closer with a terrifying glint in her eyes. Her madness was palpable.
Lauren's deranged state and effect of the drug granted her an extraordinary force and agility, rendering her nearly unstoppable.
Raegan worked to keep her voice steady and said, "Lauren, killing me now is just what they want."
"You think I can't see through you? Lauren's eyes narrowed, "You're just spewing nonsense to get away, right?"
Raegan said yes inwardly. She said to Lauren, "Did you ever stop to think who might want us both out of the picture?"
This question seemed to hit Lauren hard. It was something Lauren hadn't thought about.
As Raegan leaned back subtly on the floor, she continued, seeking to gain time, "Shouldn't we at least know who's behind this before the end? Got any ideas who it might be?"