"I... can’t go to the city with you."
The driver pulled onto the shoulder, glancing at the older woman first before looking at Adam.
"But... where will you go?" she asked.
"I’ll probably still go in the city to grab so things, but I can’t go in with you," Adam replied with a sigh. "The police... are probably already waiting at the exit to help you. I can’t be there when it happens."
"But you saved us," the older woman said. Adam didn’t really respond anymore, only sighing again as he started to move.
The driver didn’t really say anything else, and just unlocked the doors for Adam to step out—the smile on her face, however, told everything she wanted to say to him.
Adam stepped down, practically leaping out of the cab. He was about to leave just like that, not saying a word at all as he started walking away. But before he could take his third step, the oldest woman also got off the cab and called out to him.
"Stop."
He turned around, only for the woman’s arms to wrap around him.
"Thank you," she said again. "For everything."
"Uhm..." Adam blinked a couple of tis, carefully freeing himself from her embrace. "You already thanked enough."
"Are... you sure you can’t co with us?" the woman insisted. "You saved us. Whatever your problem with the police is. We can tell them—"
"No," Adam said quickly. "I can’t. It’s not the police I’m running from, Ma’am."
He looked at her seriously. "Tell the others not to ntion to anyone. Can you do that, please?"
The woman squinted at him, but then just nodded without asking why.
"We’ll... co up with sothing. You don’t have to worry. But, is there any way we can contact you?"
"It’s best for all of us to just leave it here," Adam said, turning to leave. "Good luck, Ma’am."
"Wait!" The woman stopped him again. "At least, tell us your na!"
Adam only stared at her, and she quickly understood he wasn’t going to say it. And so, instead, she introduced herself.
"My na’s Grace."
Adam’s eyes widened as soon as he heard her na, and instinctively, he backed away from her.
"Let’s... et again in better circumstances, Grace. I really need to go... like far away from you."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"No, I an what was that...?"
Adam squinted and then heard a loud banging coming from the trailer of the truck.
The two looked at each other. Adam hesitated for a mont, but couldn’t leave just like that, as he and Grace quickly went to investigate.
"There’s... no lock?" Grace whispered.
"Step back," Adam said, and Grace quickly moved to the side. But as soon as Adam saw her move closer to the road, he quickly winced.
"Go to that side. A car might hit you."
"Uh... yes." Grace nodded, gulping as she moved close to the fence. She nodded again, motioning for Adam to open the door.
As the doors swung open, a foul sll hit them imdiately.
"This is..." Adam didn’t care about the stench, however, as soon as he saw what was inside—more won huddled in cages.
Grace gasped at the side and quickly banged on the trailer several tis to get the driver’s attention, gesturing for her to co out.
"Hurry! Co!"
Of course, this also woke the other won up, and they all got out one by one.
They were confused at first, but as soon as they saw what was inside the trailer, any drowsiness they had disappeared.
Adam and the won carefully opened the cages, speaking softly to the terrified captives inside.
"It’s alright," he whispered. "You’re safe now."
The won cried in relief, so jumping into the other won’s arms. They cald them, told them that everything would be alright now.
Adam saw this, and he couldn’t help but sigh. There truly were different sides to humanity.
There was Susan, and there were these won. Grace and the others were inside a cage not long ago, and they had suffered what these other won would’ve gone through if it weren’t for Adam being there at the right mont.
And yet, here they were, consoling other won who were luckier than they. It took a while for everyone to settle, and so of them were passing the phone inside the truck to call their family.
"Hero!" Grace called out while everyone was celebrating.
Adam quickly went to her, and when he drew near, she moved to the side and showed him a small crate.
It was filled with money. Stacks and stacks of cash wrapped in plastic. In hundred-dollar bills.
Adam didn’t say anything, only squinting at the money in front of him. And before he could think of anything else, Grace spoke up.
"Take it," she said. Adam glanced at her and then at the won in the back, who all nodded to him.
Adam looked at the stacks of cash, but then shook his head.
"I... know that no money would ease the things you and the others went through," he whispered. "But I think you should have it."
"...Who are you?" Grace gasped at Adam, forcing out a smile as she blinked at her in disbelief. "Take it. We can’t have this anyway. Once we et with the police, they’ll take it in as evidence. No one here will say anything, I promise you that."
"We... we also won’t say anything!" one of the won who they just recently freed raised her voice.
"Please, Hero. Take it." Grace insisted.
"I’m... not a Hero."
"You’re the only one that fits that description," Grace said. "There’s at least $2,000,000 there. The police will just take it."
"How... would you know?"
"I’m a lawyer." Grace sighed, stepping further to the side so Adam would take the money.
Adam looked at the cash again, but approached Grace instead. And Grace imdiately leaned closer when Adam wanted to whisper sothing to her.
"...You’re serious, aren’t you?" she said in surprise.
"Yes." Adam nodded. "Just dig it up once you and the others have... recovered."
"At least take half, please. You saved our lives."
"I’ll take what I need." Adam closed the small crate, also closing the conversation along with it, as he didn’t let Grace speak another word.
He grabbed the crate and was about to turn around, but then his eyes strayed to sothing else—a bicycle. From how bulky and modern it looked, it was clearly one of those powerful electric bicycles.
There was also a full-face helt right beside it, which matched the bike perfectly.
Adam could only stare and utter,
"Huh..."
That one, I’ll gladly take.
Now, he was truly confused. He didn’t know whether he was actually unlucky or lucky.
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