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Chapter 82
Chapter 82
A
པཾ ,22
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After assessing Warren for a full day and night, Quinlyn finally decided to stand up for him.
Warren was taken aback, and the heavy stone pressing down on his heart felt as though it was crumbling away at that moment. He blinked back tears, overwhelmed with gratitude.
He looked down into Quinlyn’s clear eyes and realized she had never judged him; now, she was willing to come forward for him.
“Thank you, Quinlyn. You have to come back safely,” Warren said earnestly.
“Mm–hmm.” Quinlyn nodded, tucking the gun into her jacket as she turned to catch up with the investigation team.
The team, fueled by adrenaline, matched Quinlyn’s pace, and they ran hard toward the first landslide.
As they approached, Quinlyn noticed unusual footprints in the mud.
“These are from the anti–magnetic suits,” Bennett identified the patterns, spotting a long drag mark on the ground. “They still have a hostage–it’s Michael!”
He’s alive! That news instantly boosted everyone’s spirits.
Quinlyn felt a slight alleviation in her chest, but the faint metallic scent of blood told her Michael was likely injured, leaving no time to waste.
Just then, gunfire erupted suddenly. The team quickly dropped to the ground, peering toward the source of the noise.
Through the gaps in the treetops, they could see two groups of people facing off against each other.
“It’s the 901 squad! They’re here; now let’s flank them for support,” Bennett strategized. He turned to see Quinlyn crouched quietly on the ground. For a moment, he hesitated, but eventually said, “Quinlyn, stay here. It’s too dangerous over there.”
In normal circumstances, she might help, but in this rain of bullets, he couldn’t risk her getting involved.
Quinlyn knew bullets are dangerous. She nodded slightly, remaining low and quietly watching the situation in the woods as Bennett led his team away.
Ivan’s group had heavy firepower, and they were all seasoned operators. The momentum swung heavily in their favor from the moment they engaged. But the problem was, the other side had a hostage.
“Damn it, if you keep shooting, I’ll finish him off!” shouted a little monk, pushed to his limit. He ripped off his anti–magnetic suit and dragged Michael out into the open. “Listen up! If you don’t want him to die, hand over all your equipment and hurry!”
They had their eyes on the anti–magnetic device. It made sense–carrying a single machine was far easier than hauling around a bulky suit, allowing them to move freely even in the storm zone, which significantly increased their chances of
escape.
Ivan raised a hand, signaling his team to cease fire, and slowly retrieved the anti–magnetic device from his pack, throwing it toward the monk.
The monk scoffed. “You think I’m stupid? I want everything you’ve got on you and in your bags!”
Hearing this, Ivan’s expression darkened. The magnetic field was too strong here; without their devices, they couldn’t take
on the wanted criminals.
But the monk didn’t give them any time to consider their options; he aimed and shot at Michael’s arm. The silenced gun
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Chapter 82
made a dull thud.
Michael, already dazed, cried out from the pain.
The 901 squad was ready to take aim at the monk but was met with a warning shot fired by the other side.
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Both sides had equal firepower, but since the opposing group were ruthless criminals, even Ivan couldn’t afford to play tricks. As he weighed the pros and cons, he caught a glimpse of movement behind the wanted criminals. A hand emerged. from the bushes, signaling for cover.
Realizing it was someone from the investigation team, Ivan felt a wave of relief wash over him. “Got it, I’ll take the things
over.”
“No need. Just drop them in the clearing,” the bald monk said flatly, refusing.
But Ivan’s attitude hardened. “It’s an exchange–our gear for the hostage. Otherwise, we’ll open fire, and we may as well announce that the hostage rescue failed.”
“Damn you!” The monk seethed, ready to unleash a tirade, but was stopped by his boss from behind. Reluctantly, he agreed, “Make it quick.”
Under his watchful eye, Ivan dutifully gathered his backpack full of anti–magnetic devices and made his way over. The moment the 901 squad felt the surge of the magnetic field, they swayed unsteadily, struggling to stay upright.
The monk grinned as he approached, snatching the backpack away. He then raised his gun, ready to shoot Ivan. Seizing the moment before he got dizzy, Ivan dove onto Michael, rolling with him into the bushes.
At that exact moment, gunfire erupted behind them. A barrage of bullets caught the criminals off guard, and before they could react, several of them went down.
Only the monk escaped, clutching the anti–magnetic device. Gritting his teeth, he lunged toward Ivan, aiming to recapture Michael as his hostage.
But as he reached for Ivan, a small hand shot up from the hillside. It grasped a gleaming folding knife, sharp a hite, which swiftly sliced through his wrist.
A scream erupted from the monk as he clutched his severed hand, rolling away in pain.
Quinlyn peeked out, grabbing Ivan and Michael, pulling them down the slope before shoving the anti–magnetic device into their hands. Without hesitation, she climbed back up, yanking another anti–magnetic device off the monk and grabbing the gun as well.
When it came to violence and crime, she was far more adept than the criminals themselves.
Quinlyn, what are you doing here?” Bennett shouted as he rushed over, surprised at her sudden appearance.
Quinlyn didn’t answer. The acrid smell of gun smoke kept her senses on high alert as she glanced past the monk toward the bushes. “Are they all dead?”
“Almost. We’re checking,” Bennett instinctively replied, glancing back. But before he could react, a figure jumped up from behind a nearby tree. “Watch out!”
It was too late. A criminal in an anti–magnetic suit, feigning death, raised his gun and took another investigator hostage.
“Ha! You thought you could take me down? Not even close!” The man’s voice was gritty as he pulled off his hood, revealing himself as the abbot from Frostlight Monastery.
Blood covered his head and face from a neck wound, but thankfully, it missed the carotid artery, allowing him to feign
death.
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Chapter 82
“Everyone, drop your weapons!” At that moment, he no longer cared about the anti–magnetic device; he wanted to take the lives of these police officers.
Facing those bloodshot eyes, Bennett’s expression darkened, yet he still complied. He tossed his gun aside, raising his hands. “If you don’t harm anyone, we can let you go?
“Do you think I’m as naive as a three–year–old? The abbot gritted his teeth, realizing that all his years of scherning were unraveling. He was ready to go down fighting. “There’s no way I’m just walking into a trap down there.”
“I can negotiate with them at the base, General Ramirez is outside and can arrange transportation for you–maybe even a helicopter to make a clean getaway Bennett tried to soothe the abbot’s anger. Noticing a flicker of hesitation in the abbot’s demeanor, he quickly pulled out his walkie–talkie to contact Curtis.
When he heard the abbot agree but asked for twenty minutes, the abbot held his tongue, though his body language showed he was slightly more open to the idea.
However, Bennett’s eyes remained troubled. He knew this man wouldn’t leave without shedding some blood.
At that moment, Quinlyn, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, asked in a low voice, “Mr. Youngblood, is a gun ready to be fired once it’s locked and loaded?”
