Of course, Natalie didn't say anything about the three little ones. She just asked in a calm, cool way, "Is he the only hostage you've got? Any other hostages? Bring them out if you have more." Lisa cursed silently. What other hostages? If her biological father hadn't worked, bringing her stepmother and stepsister along wouldn't have done any good either. Not ready to give up, Lisa swung her fist and hit Jacob. "What, even your dad isn't heavy enough in your eyes?" As she ordered her people to keep beating Jacob, Lisa kept an eye on the people across from her. To her surprise, Natalie didn't even flinch. Not a single reaction. The two men beside her were completely still, like statues. Natalie didn't just ignore her father being beaten—she even picked up her gun, smiling, ready to shoot at Lisa's group. Seeing this, Jacob freaked out. While getting beaten, he yelled, "Natalie! I'm your dad!" He knew that wouldn't work, so he shouted again, his voice breaking, "Don't you want to know the truth about your mom's death?!" That made Natalie pause. The truth about Mom's death? What did he mean? She frowned. "Didn't Mom die from a heart attack?" "No! That's not true!" Jacob's cloudy eyes locked on her. "Save me, and I'll tell you everything." Natalie went quiet.She couldn't tell if he was lying to save himself or if there really was more to her mother's death. Her mother, Scarlett, had died so suddenly back then. She was still young. Sure, her heart sometimes acted up from stress, but the doctors said it wasn't serious. No one expected that year it would suddenly get so bad and end her life. Natalie glared at Jacob, her face dark. "Tell me! What happened?" Jacob counted on her love for Scarlett and stayed silent. He gave her a look that said, If you don't help me, you'll never know the truth. Natalie took a deep breath and turned to Cassian. Cassian nodded at her. After a moment, Natalie looked at Harold, motioning for him to come closer. If something went wrong, she could escape and bring him with her. Harold understood and moved toward her. Natalie looked at Lisa across the way. "Hand him over." Lisa kept her face calm, but she was happy inside. She had thought the hostage was useless—turns out a father still comes through when it counts. She reached out her hand to Natalie. "Gun for the man. One hand each." Then she added, "Oh right, and the bullets too." Natalie didn't hesitate. She took the rifle off her back, removed the bullets, and tossed the empty weapon over. She had lots of guns in her storage space and could grab another if she needed to, but bullets were different. If the other side got the bullets and started shooting, things would get dangerous. These semi-automatic rifles packed a lot more punch than the makeshift guns her opponents were carrying. Lisa caught the rifle and stared at the bag of bullets in Natalie's hand. "Ms. Ashford, what, can't give up your bullets?" Natalie smiled. "What if I hand you both the gun and the bullets, and you still keep the hostage?" Before Lisa could answer, Natalie added, "I already gave you the gun. You're the leader here—don't act scared. You give me the hostage, I'll give you the bullets." Lisa gripped the assault rifle, thought for a couple of seconds, then smiled. "Fine." She glanced at the two men holding Jacob. They untied him right away, guiding him through the gap in the yard gate while taking the bullets from Natalie's hands. The moment the exchange was done, Lisa coughed once. Philbert, standing beside her, raised his makeshift gun, aimed at Natalie, and pulled the trigger. Natalie's eyes went sharp. She grabbed Cassian with her left hand, pulled Harold with her right, and vanished to the side in a flash. Only Jacob was left alone, terrified. His leg injuries hadn't healed. One kneecap was shattered, and he couldn't stand on his own. He had thought that once he got into the yard, Natalie's team would help him up. But no one helped him—and the three of them disappeared together. He stumbled, failing to catch the gate, and fell hard to the ground. He screamed in pain and cursed his ungrateful daughter in his mind. It was Harold's first time experiencing a Blink. His head spun for a moment, and then the scene around him had completely changed.A second ago, they had been facing the Grayhound Sect. Now, those people had moved to his front-right.