Chapter 104-A hostage situation (2)

Chapter 104: 104-A hostage situation (2)

Aymara’s expression hardened at the threat. She had already suspected the men were hiding something, but she hadn’t expected them to become so reckless so quickly.

Their behavior suggested that they were either desperate or confident that someone would help them escape or perhaps both.

She studied Celyn’s frightened face on the screen. The woman was trembling, but she had not stopped trying to keep her head away from the blade.

Celyn had warned her about the men when she could easily have remained silent.

Aymara wasn’t going to abandon her now. "System, assess Celyn’s condition and identify the safest way to neutralize the two men without injuring her."

[Analyzing current positions.]

[Hostage condition: Conscious. Elevated heart rate. Minor injuries detected.]

[Recommended response: Deploy a targeted restraint unit through the ceiling access panel. A secondary security unit should approach from the opposite side to distract the hostiles.]

Aymara nodded and went straight into action. "Prepare both units, but don’t deploy them until I give the command."

[Confirmed command, host. Awaiting further instructions.]

She turned away from the screen, already calculating the next move. Her interrogation of Nathaniel would have to wait.

That thought reminded her of the earlier conversation, and she glanced at him again.

Nathaniel was looking at her with an expression she couldn’t quite decipher.

"What?" she demanded.

"Nothing," though he said that, his eyes shone with deep admiration.

Watching Aymara in action brought her out in his this new light that made his heart fall for her all over again.

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

He smiled faintly. "You’re cute when you’re jealous and when you’re serious... Ooh," he released a hot breath dramatically.

Aymara stared at him in disbelief. ’Are you out of your mind?" She asked, they were in a crisis and he was flirting.

"Possibly. Out of mind with..."

"Nathaniel!" She scolded before he finished the words she was sure would drag her to a blushing fit. His shoulders shook with a quiet laugh.

’The nerve of him!’ she vented in her head.

She was trying to deal with two armed idiots who had taken a hostage aboard her ship, and he was still thinking about her jealousy.

"I’ll deal with you later," she warned.

"I’ll be waiting... right here."

Aymara turned away before he could see the slight warmth rising to her cheeks. She had no intention of admitting that his words had affected her. Not when he still hadn’t explained who Roa was.

Besides, she had more important things to deal with. "Come with me," she ordered, heading toward the exit.

Nathaniel followed without hesitation. As they walked, he stole another glance at her.

He had noticed the moment her expression changed when he called Roa his number one baby. The way her smile had vanished, the sharpness in her eyes, and the sudden seriousness of her question had told him everything he needed to know.

Aymara was jealous. The realization warmed him more than he cared to admit.

For so long, he had been the person standing on the sidelines, watching her give her affection to someone who didn’t deserve it. Even after everything Dylan had done to her, Nathaniel had never truly believed he would have another chance to stand beside her like this.

Now she was looking at him as though the thought of sharing him with someone else was unbearable.

It was a little unfair to enjoy her jealousy when she clearly didn’t understand the situation, but he couldn’t help it.

Still, he had no intention of letting the misunderstanding continue. Roa wasn’t a woman, nor had he ever had another woman besides Aymara in his life.

Roa was his artificial intelligence, the primary intelligence system responsible for managing his underwater bunker. He had named the system himself, and over time, he had developed the habit of referring to it affectionately as his first baby because it had been his most reliable companion during the years he had spent alone.

There was absolutely no romantic rival and once they rescued Celyn and dealt with the two men, he would explain everything to Aymara.

He would even show her Roa’s interface if that was what it took to convince her. After all, the last thing he wanted was for Aymara to misunderstand him and quietly withdraw her affection.

He had already lost too much time with her and he wasn’t going to let something as ridiculous as his AI’s nickname come between them.

By the time they reached the security control room, the system had finished mapping the interior of Medical Bay B.

Aymara stepped in front of the main display. Several smaller screens showed different angles of the room, including the ceiling access panel and the emergency equipment storage compartment.

Daniel was still holding Celyn hostage. Marcus had stopped trying to force the door open and was now pacing impatiently, occasionally glancing toward the camera.

"Those two seem to have forgotten that they’re the ones trapped inside," Nathaniel observed.

"They haven’t forgotten." Aymara studied their movements. "They’re trying to intimidate me into making a mistake."

She enlarged the image of Daniel’s hand. The blade was positioned dangerously close to Celyn’s throat. A sudden movement could cause an injury before the security units had time to react.

Aymara’s eyes narrowed at the blade. "Daniel is the bigger problem. Marcus is angry, but Daniel is the one making decisions. If I can distract Daniel for a few seconds, the restraint unit should be able to disarm him."

Nathaniel nodded. "And Marcus?"

"I’ll let the security system handle him."

She tapped the screen, opening the room’s communication channel. "Daniel. Marcus. Can you hear me?"

Both men immediately turned toward the camera. "Finally!" Marcus snapped. "Have you decided to cooperate?"

"I’ve decided to give you one last opportunity to make a sensible choice."

Daniel let out a cold laugh. "You think you can negotiate with us while we have a hostage?"

"No," Aymara replied calmly. "I think you have mistaken my willingness to rescue you for weakness."

She leaned closer to the microphone. "You have two minutes to release Celyn and surrender your weapons. If you cooperate, I’ll consider letting you leave this room alive."

Marcus burst into laughter. "Consider? Who do you think you are?"

Aymara smiled with authority. "The person who decides whether you leave this room alive."

Her words seemed to anger him, but Daniel remained silent. His eyes shifted toward the ceiling for a brief moment, then returned to the camera.

Aymara noticed his movements and so did Nathaniel.

"He’s suspicious of the ceiling panel," Nathaniel noted.

"Good. That means he’ll be watching it and he’ll be distracted," Aymara brought up the system’s deployment controls. "Which leaves Marcus."

On the screen, Marcus moved closer to Daniel and whispered something into his ear. Daniel’s expression darkened, and he dragged Celyn backward toward the examination bed.

Aymara’s fingers paused above the controls. She didn’t like that movement. Not one bit.

"System, standby for deployment."

[Security units ready.]

Aymara’s gaze remained fixed on Celyn. "Let’s see how much courage these two have when they realize their hostage isn’t going to save them."

Beside her, Nathaniel watched the woman he had loved for so long. Her voice was calm, her expression composed, and her attention was entirely focused on protecting someone who had only just entered her life. He found himself smiling.

Aymara had changed. She was still the woman who could become adorably jealous over an innocent nickname, but she was also someone who could stare down armed men without flinching.

And Nathaniel, who had once believed he would have to spend the rest of his life loving her from a distance, found himself falling for her all over again.

He gently reached for her hand. Aymara glanced at their joined hands, then looked up at him questioningly. "What’s wrong now?"

"Nothing," he said softly. "I just wanted to hold your hand."

For a moment she looked as though she didn’t know what to say but then her fingers curled around his.

"Don’t distract me," she muttered.

Nathaniel’s smile deepened. "Of course, Mara. Consider me background decoration," he said, tongue laced with honey, sounding so sweet as he spoke but he didn’t let go.