Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 64: The Price Of Silence

Every officer who walked past couldn't help but offer a few words of genuine praise. It was a first for many of them, heading out on a mission alongside animals other than trained K9s.

Under the constant barrage of compliments, the Squirrel Bros and the Tabby were starting to lose themselves in the ego boost. Nancy watched as two bushy tails and one slender feline tail swayed high in the air, practically vibrating with pride.

The younger squirrel was giggling so much he couldn't even cover his buckteeth with his tiny paws. "We would love to become officers too! It comes with a uniform!"

This was the Tabby's first time participating in a police operation. Seeing the criminals handcuffed and shoved into the back of cruisers gave him a massive sense of accomplishment. He knew these uniformed humans were respected heroes in the human world, and now, those very heroes were calling him impressive.

When the three little scouts hopped into the car to leave, they were marching with their chests out and tails up, looking incredibly grand.

"Where are we headed now?" Nancy asked, sitting in the back of the police car. She noticed their vehicle had separated from the convoy transporting Sharon and her thugs at the intersection.

"Jonas just finished his checkup at a nearby hospital. The doctors confirmed he has no major injuries," Simon said, his brow knit in a serious line. "We're going there to see him. We need to find out exactly why those people kidnapped him on the eve of his biggest race."

First Hospital, Patient Ward.

When the siblings arrived, Jonas was lying in bed discussing his discharge with Ryan.

"Coach, I'm fine, really," Jonas said. Having showered, he looked much more energized. "I just missed a few meals and was tied up for a while. I need to get back to training. My absence has already set back the relay team's progress."

Simon knocked on the door. Ryan saw them and immediately ushered them inside, eyes welling with tears of gratitude.

"Officers, I can't thank you enough! Jonas is cleared to compete!" He sighed with immense relief. "Thank god this boy grew up tough; he’s built like a tank and can handle a bit of roughing up."

Nancy let out a long breath of relief knowing Jonas was uninjured and could still make it to the World Championships.

"Is this the young lady who found my trail and brought the police?" Jonas looked up, a flash of shock crossing his face. He reached out and gripped their sleeves with emotion. "And this officer—thank goodness you arrived when you did, otherwise I..."

Jonas’s voice suddenly caught in his throat. His fingers began to tremble involuntarily, and his expression was overtaken by a raw, cold fear.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke in a raspy whisper. "Last night... the kidnappers gave me a choice. They only gave me eighteen hours to think it over. If I didn't agree to their terms by 4:00 PM today..."

Jonas swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "They were going to... throw me alive into a vat of sulfuric acid."

"What?!" Nancy gasped, a cold sweat breaking out across her back. Having worked with chemicals during her own research, she knew exactly what that meant.

Concentrated sulfuric acid would strip the skin first, feeling like thousands of red-hot knives carving into the flesh simultaneously. Then, amidst screams of agony, the muscle tissue would peel away from the bone like melting wax. Finally, even the hardest bones would sizzle and dissolve in the boiling acid, leaving behind nothing but a pool of charred, bubbling liquid.

In less than ten minutes, a living human being would be completely erased from the world, without so much as a tooth left behind.

Simon’s hand tightened into a fist, but he kept his voice steady and calm. "You're safe now. Can you tell us why they targeted you?" He paused for a moment. "What exactly is your connection to Sharon? Don't worry, the police don't believe the rumors floating around online."

"Sharon?" Jonas looked confused, as if he had never heard the name before.

Simon blinked. "Sharon is the woman who showed up at the factory last night. She owns a major pharmaceutical firm."

A look of realization dawned on Jonas, followed by a bitter smile. "I see. I accidentally overheard a secret that could destroy them, and they wanted to silence me permanently."

Nancy and Simon’s expressions turned grim.

"Two days ago, I got lost while I was at the Polar Club to record a public swimming course," Jonas explained slowly. "I ended up in the back garden and overheard Sharon on the phone. They were talking about a new drug their company released. It has a fatal side effect, but for the sake of profit..."

His voice grew tight. "Instead of issuing a recall, they decided to ramp up production. Sharon said that even if someone died, a payout of a few hundred thousand would settle it. The profit margins were a hundred times higher than any compensation. She even bragged that they would never let their own families touch the stuff."

Nancy felt a chill run through her. Sharon's heart was truly black.

"I accidentally stepped on a dry branch," Jonas said, shaking his head. "They heard me."