Chapter 145: Blackout Rescue
Chapter 145: Blackout Rescue
Lucas’s first instinct was to place a bid.
The moment the auctioneer announced the next round, Lucas’s first instinct was to raise his hand and call out a bid.
His arm had barely begun to move before it suddenly froze midway.
His expression stiffened as reality struck him.
"...Damn."
He didn’t have a Gold Card.
Only guests carrying a Gold Card were permitted to participate in the auction.
Without one, he wasn’t even qualified to make an offer. No matter how much money he was willing to pay, the auctioneer would simply ignore him.
He could only watch helplessly as the bidding continued, powerless to stop Debbie from being sold to the highest bidder.
Meanwhile, the bidding showed no signs of slowing down.
"Nine million dollars!"
The host’s voice rang throughout the luxurious hall, his face flushed with excitement as he looked around the audience.
Almost immediately, another elderly man calmly raised his paddle.
"Nine point five million."
Before anyone could react, another voice echoed from the opposite side of the room.
"Ten million."
The wealthy old men didn’t hesitate in the slightest.
Their eyes remained glued to Debbie’s unconscious figure displayed beneath the brilliant lights of the stage.
Some admired her appearance with naked greed, while others quietly discussed how extraordinary a specimen she was.
To every person sitting in that room, Debbie wasn’t a human being with thoughts or feelings.
She was merchandise.
A rare prize worth fighting over.
Lucas slowly clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
His jaw tightened as he watched the price continue climbing higher and higher. Every passing second felt unbearably heavy.
He didn’t care how much those monsters were willing to pay.
What terrified him was the time.
If another minute passed...
The auction would end.
A winner would be declared.
And Debbie would disappear forever.
That was something he absolutely couldn’t allow.
Lucas quietly stepped backward, blending into the crowd without attracting attention.
His expression remained calm and unreadable, but behind those steady eyes, his mind was racing through countless possibilities.
Every escape route, every security guard, every weakness in the room flashed through his thoughts.
"I need a distraction..."
"A big one."
Without wasting another second, he slipped away from the rows of luxurious seats and headed toward the entrance of the auction hall.
The guards stationed around the room were completely focused on maintaining order and watching the bidders.
None of them paid any attention to a single guest casually leaving his seat in the middle of the auction.
The moment Lucas entered the corridor, his sharp eyes swept across every corner with incredible speed.
Then...
He found exactly what he was looking for.
Mounted against the wall near the end of the hallway, partially concealed behind an elegant decorative panel, was the building’s main electrical control box.
A faint smile slowly appeared on Lucas’s face.
"There you are."
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward it.
The electrical box had been installed well above head level to prevent unauthorized access. Lucas immediately leaped into the air, stretching his arm as high as possible.
His fingertips barely brushed the heavy main breaker before gravity pulled him back to the ground.
"...Not enough."
He landed lightly before jumping again.
His fingers came close...
But still missed.
"Damn it!"
Taking a deep breath, Lucas bent his knees one final time before exploding upward with every ounce of strength he could muster.
His entire body stretched to its absolute limit as his fingertips finally hooked around the thick metal breaker.
Without a moment’s hesitation...
He pulled with all his strength.
CLACK!
The massive breaker snapped downward.
In an instant, every light inside the building vanished.
The dazzling chandeliers hanging above the auction stage went dark.
The music stopped mid-note.
The enormous digital screens shut off without warning.
The luxurious auction hall was swallowed by complete darkness.
For a single brief moment...
Absolute silence filled the room.
Then chaos erupted.
"What happened?!"
"The lights!"
"My eyes!"
"Security!"
Panicked voices exploded from every direction as confusion swept through the auction hall.
Guests immediately rose from their seats, blindly pushing into one another while trying to understand what had happened.
Expensive wine glasses crashed onto the marble floor, shattering into countless pieces.
Tables were knocked over, chairs tumbled across the room, and furious arguments broke out as frightened guests stumbled through the darkness.
A second later, the building’s emergency alarm suddenly roared to life.
WEEEEOOO~
Dim red emergency lights began flashing throughout the hall, bathing everything in an eerie crimson glow that barely pierced the darkness.
Outside the hall, the security team reacted almost instantly.
"Power failure!"
"Find the source!"
Several guards rushed into the corridor in search of whoever had caused the blackout, while others immediately drew their weapons and attempted to restore order inside the auction room.
But by then...
Lucas had already vanished.
Using the confusion as perfect cover, he shot through the crowd like a phantom. His body became nothing more than a blur weaving effortlessly between terrified guests.
Anyone unfortunate enough to block his path didn’t even have time to react before being violently thrown aside.
Bang!
A wealthy old idiot was launched backward after Lucas’s shoulder slammed into his chest.
Another guest crashed across a banquet table, sending expensive bottles and crystal glasses flying in every direction.
People screamed.
Furniture overturned.
The elegant auction hall descended into complete pandemonium.
Lucas never slowed down.
His destination had never changed.
The stage.
But the moment he reached it...
His heart sank.
Victor and the host had already acted.
Taking advantage of the blackout and the confusion, they had grabbed Debbie’s unconscious body and disappeared through a narrow decorative door cleverly hidden behind the stage curtains.
Anyone unfamiliar with the building would have assumed it was nothing more than part of the stage’s luxurious design.
"...Damn it!"
Lucas didn’t waste even a fraction of a second.
He charged straight toward the hidden exit at full speed.
The ornate wooden door looked thick and expensive, decorated with intricate carvings that blended perfectly into the wall.
But appearances meant nothing.
It wasn’t built to withstand someone like Lucas.
He planted one foot firmly against the ground, twisted his waist, and poured every ounce of power into his leg.
Then~
BOOM!
His kick slammed directly into the center of the door with explosive force.
The expensive decorative door exploded inward.
Wood splintered in every direction.
The moment Lucas burst through the door, his eyes immediately locked onto Victor and the pathetic host.
The two of them were frantically dragging Debbie toward the emergency staircase, the heavy metal chain still wrapped tightly around her wrists and ankles.
Every time they yanked her forward, the chains scraped loudly against the concrete floor, producing a harsh metallic screech that echoed throughout the corridor.
Debbie wasn’t resisting.
She wasn’t even conscious.
Her head hung limply to one side as though every ounce of strength had left her body. Her eyes remained half-closed, unfocused and glassy, while her lips moved ever so slightly as if she were trying to say something but couldn’t form a single coherent word.
The powerful drugs coursing through her system had robbed her of almost all awareness, leaving her unable to even recognize what was happening around her.
Her legs stumbled awkwardly beneath her, occasionally taking a weak step before giving out again, forcing Victor and the host to practically drag her entire weight across the floor.
To them, she was nothing more than dead weight slowing down their escape.
Lucas’s expression darkened the instant he saw her condition.
Without wasting a single second, he exploded forward with terrifying speed.
His body shot across the corridor like an arrow released from its bow, each powerful stride rapidly closing the distance between them.
Compared to Lucas’s explosive acceleration, Victor and the host looked painfully slow as they struggled to drag Debbie’s limp body up the staircase.
Their breathing became increasingly frantic, but neither of them dared to stop, knowing that if Lucas caught up to them, everything would be over.
Just as Lucas was only a few steps away from reaching them, the host suddenly spun around.
A cold metallic glint flashed in his hand.
Bang!
The deafening gunshot exploded through the narrow staircase without warning.
The host had somehow pulled out a Glock pistol hidden beneath his jacket and fired directly at Lucas without the slightest hesitation.
Lucas’s pupils contracted.
Relying purely on his terrifying reflexes, he twisted his body at the last possible moment.
The bullet sliced through the empty space beside his head before smashing into the concrete wall behind him, sending fragments of cement flying through the air.
Lucas landed smoothly behind the corner of the staircase, his expression darkening.
He had expected the bastard to fight back...
But he hadn’t expected him to be carrying a gun.
Nor had he expected the coward to actually have the guts to pull the trigger.
By then, Victor and the host had already reached the staircase leading toward the upper level.
This wasn’t an ordinary exit.
It connected directly to a hidden private parking garage used by the organization, a place where vehicles could discreetly unload kidnapped victims before they were drugged and transported deeper into the building without attracting attention.
Seeing Lucas take cover, the host completely lost his composure.
He wildly squeezed the trigger over and over again, emptying round after round toward the corner where Lucas had disappeared.
Every gunshot thundered through the enclosed stairwell, the muzzle flashes briefly lighting up the concrete walls as shell casings bounced noisily across the steps.
He wasn’t even aiming anymore.
He simply kept firing recklessly while retreating, hoping to suppress Lucas long enough to escape.
Lucas remained perfectly still behind cover.
He didn’t panic.
He simply counted each shot in silence.
One...
Two...
Three...
The pistol continued roaring until~
Click.
Click.
Silence.
The magazine was empty.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lucas exploded from his hiding place like a predator that had been patiently waiting for the perfect moment.
His speed was even faster than before, turning into little more than a blur as he shot up the remaining flight of stairs.
At that exact moment, the host shoved the door open with all his strength.
It burst inward with a loud metallic bang, revealing a secluded private parking garage hidden behind the main building.
Unlike the public parking area used by club guests, this section was completely isolated from the rest of the property, shielded by thick concrete walls and accessed only through a secured entrance.
It wasn’t particularly large, but it was spacious enough to accommodate two or three SUVs comfortably.
The smooth concrete floor bore fresh tire marks, while the faint smell of gasoline lingered in the still air.
A pair of black luxury SUVs sat waiting with their engines already running, making it obvious that this hidden garage had been prepared in advance as a discreet pickup point for transporting victims without ever passing through the hotel’s main entrance.