Chapter 172: Kidnap (4)
Chapter 172: Kidnap (4)
Sienna ignored the threat completely.
Instead, she glanced over her shoulder and saw the three gangsters slowly getting back on their feet. They still looked miserable, but they were recovering. If she delayed much longer, she would be surrounded again.
She had no other choice. If she wanted to escape, she had to get past the dagger-wielding man.
Blade briefly shifted his attention elsewhere, and Sienna immediately took advantage of it. She launched a kick aimed directly at the hand holding the dagger.
But when Sienna thought she had succeeded, she was mistaken because Blade reacted quickly and pulled back just in time. Her foot missed its target by only a few centimeters.
Almost immediately, he countered. The dagger flashed toward her lower leg.
Sienna jumped backward and avoided the sharp end of the dagger by an inch. Before he could reset his position, she attacked from another angle. Still, the dagger shifted smoothly and denied her another opening. His movements were efficient and disciplined. There was no wasted motion.
For the first time since the fight with these gangsters, Sienna felt fear.
’Damn it! This man is strong—’ she screamed in her mind, even though her expression remained calm.
"Well, Miss Sienna, I also had a black belt, just like you. That was why I could read your movements," he said as he advanced steadily to attack her.
"Did I ask you?" Sienna wanted to respond that way, but she stayed silent and stepped back to avoid his attack.
The sharp dagger came dangerously close to her arm before she twisted away from it. Blade continued applying pressure, pushing her backward while repeatedly targeting her shoulders and arms.
Although none of the attacks seemed aimed at vital areas, they were still threatening. A dagger didn’t need to hit a deadly spot to cause serious injury.
She concentrated on defense, watching every movement of his shoulders, hips, and wrist. She searched desperately for an opening, but Blade was skilled. Every attack flowed naturally into the next.
Whenever she thought she saw an opportunity, he adjusted his position before she could take advantage of it.
As the fight continued, her frustration slowly built. She hated admitting it, but he had plenty of advantages. He was a bit stronger, slightly more experienced, equally disciplined, and, what’s more concerning, armed.
Then, during another exchange, Sienna leaned away from a strike aimed at her shoulder. She almost avoided it completely, but the tip of the blade still brushed against her right arm.
A sharp sting followed instantly. The cold metal sliced through her sleeve and cut her skin.
She gritted her teeth as pain shot through her arm a second later, followed by the unmistakable warmth of blood.
Blade immediately stopped moving forward.
"Sorry," he said. "I have no intention to scratch you, but you give me no choice. You are one stubborn chick! Good fight, though. I enjoy it!"
Sienna ignored his apology, his babbling, and the stinging sensation on her wound. Keeping her defensive stance, she focused on controlling her breathing.
She could feel blood slowly trickling down her arm, but she refused to look at the wound. Her eyes remained locked on the man while her mind searched desperately for an opportunity. She still had only one goal—to escape—and she wasn’t ready to give up yet.
Then, without warning, the ringtone of Sienna’s cell phone suddenly echoed from inside her bag.
The sharp sound cut through the tense silence and immediately drew Blade’s attention. His eyes instinctively shifted toward the bag hanging from her shoulder.
It was only a brief distraction, but after spending the last several minutes looking for an opening, Sienna recognized it instantly.
She moved before he could refocus.
Closing the distance between them, she grabbed his wrist with both hands and trapped the hand holding the dagger. At the same time, she twisted his arm inward, forcing the blade away from herself and redirecting its point toward his chest.
Blade’s eyes widened in surprise. He reacted quickly, trying to pull free while using his other hand to grab her wrist and shove her backward. The two struggled for control of the weapon, each trying to overpower the other.
Sienna knew she couldn’t win a prolonged contest of strength against a man his size.
Without hesitation, she drove her foot into the side of his knee.
A painful grunt escaped him as the impact disrupted his balance. His leg buckled slightly beneath him, and his grip weakened for a fraction of a second. Sienna immediately took advantage of it. Tightening her hold on his wrist, she pushed forward with everything she had.
Blade tried to regain his footing and force her away, but she refused to retreat. Using her momentum and body weight, she continued driving him backward until he completely lost his balance.
His back slammed heavily against the ground.
The dagger remained trapped between them, its sharp point still angled toward his chest.
"You bitch!" Blade shouted angrily.
Ignoring the insult, Sienna dropped her knee onto his abdomen and pinned him to the ground before he could recover. She knew better than to give an armed opponent any room to move. Every second mattered. Her injured arm throbbed painfully, but adrenaline kept her focused on the immediate danger.
"You move, and I’ll crush your balls," she said coldly.
The threat had an immediate effect.
Blade’s face darkened, and his jaw tightened. Although anger flashed across his features, she could also see caution in his eyes. His hands remained locked around hers, desperately preventing the dagger from moving any closer to his chest.
"Damn it!" he cursed.
For a brief moment, confidence surged through Sienna. She finally had the advantage. After being forced onto the defensive throughout the fight, she was now the one in control.
However, the feeling didn’t last long. Her muscles tensed again when Blade suddenly turned his head toward his subordinate.
"What are you guys doing?" he shouted coldly. "Grab—"
He never finished the order.
Before the other gangsters could react, Sienna lifted her free foot and drove it hard between his legs.
"Argh!"
The horrible, painful scream that followed was loud enough to echo across the empty road.
Blade’s entire body stiffened beneath her. He was panting, trying to withstand the pain. But it was too much for him, as the pain instantly robbed him of any remaining desire to struggle. His grip loosened as his face twisted in agony.