Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Joseph and Stanley leaned forward intently, but Quinlyn’s small figure had already vanished. Not even the gun–wielding man had noticed her departure, and only a handful of bystanders, staring in shock, seemed aware of what had just transpired.
Stanley noticed Quinlyn crouching and weaving skillfully through the crowd, drawing nearer to Tina and Harriet. Panic- stricken, he suddenly clutched Joseph’s arm and exclaimed. “Did I… make a mistake: She just came back…”
Stanley was well–acquainted with his parents natures. Maurice was solely preoccupied with money, while Tina unmistakably favored Harriet. To Stanley. Quinlyn was merely a whimsically adopted stranger. Stanley didn’t think Quinlyn should take a risk for her new “family“.
Joseph turned to face Stanley, having never revealed that Quinlyn was not his family but actual strangers.
However, at this juncture, they had but one option–to trust Quinlyn. Having witnessed her daring attempt to rescue them from a desperate criminal, Joseph was convinced she was no ordinary child
“Wow, Mommy, wash. On the ground floor, the little hostage boy cried loudly, voicing his terror.
The intoxicated robber felt a throbbing pain in his temple and shouted angrily, “Shut up! Do you hear me? Or I’ll kill you right now!”
As he pressed the gun firmly against the child’s head, the surrounding crowd couldn’t help but utter a collective, soft gasp..
At the mall entrance, the officers, who had finally decided to follow Quinlyn’s advice, began to blend into the crowd in plainclothes. Upon witnessing the scene at the counter, they all took a sharp intake of breath, relieved they hadn’t attempted to force their way in earlier
With numerous children and people around, even one casualty would be catastrophic. The unusual layout of the surrounding buildings made it challenging to set up snipers, further complicating the task of apprehending the criminals.
Now, they couldn’t rely solely on Quinlyn: they had to stealthily navigate through the crowd, doing their utmost to get close to the criminal.
Quinlyn emerged from behind the plants, materializing beside Tina and Harriet just as Harriet was softly sobbing in Tina’s
“How did you…?” Tina gasped, her mouth agape in astonishment, quickly finding herself in a dilemma. She was already struggling to care for Harriet, let alone another child.
But Quinlyn didn’t afford her the opportunity to ponder, pulling her arm away. Her tiny hand formed a blade, swiftly chopping at Harriet’s neck. Despite her diminutive size, she possessed remarkable strength, and Harrier was immediately knocked unconscious.
Tina was about to scream in fear, but Quinlyn covered her mouth just in time, and then pointed towards the mall’s stairwell, gesturing for her to carry Harriet and flee through it
Tina, still shaken, found herself gazing into a pair of large eyes. Miraculously, she felt a sense of calm wash over her, and she swiftly clutched Harriet tightly, moving towards the stairwell.
She had a hiding spot and wouldn’t be discovered, but halfway up the stairs, she realized Quinlyn wasn’t following. She turned to look and saw Quinlyn quietly squatting there, observing her
Quinlyn’s face and eyes, somehow evoked an overwhelming sense of loneliness in her, as if she had never hoped anyone would take her away. She would merely stand there and watch others depart
Tina opened her mouth. Hailey’s name resonating in her heart, but Quinlyn only shook her head, gesturing for her to hurry.
and leave
1/3
Chapter 9
“No, let’s leave together. Tina wanted to say, but glancing down at Harriet in her arms, the fear of losing her overtook her once more. With a heavy heart, she could only cast a profound glance at Quinlyn before turning to depart.
Stanley, who had witnessed everything from the second floor, clenched his teeth, his eyes burning with a crimson hur. He felt powerless and disgusted by Tina’s indifference. When his gaze fell upon Quinlyn, it was no longer mere superficial interest but genuine concern.
Quinlyn remained steadfast until Tina and Harriet were safely within the passageway. She was well–aware that nothing came for free. Since Stanley had gifted her a computer and treated her to ice cream, she felt compelled to repay him.
Regarding the mall rescue, Matthew once said, “When surrounded by many had people, only by performing more good deeds can you become a good person.” She didn’t want to emulate those villagers; she aspired to be a good person.
The children, unable to contain their emotions, continued to weep, serving as a major distraction for the criminal but also inciting his temper. His hand on the trigger grew tense, veins subtly bulging.
Quinlyn observed the hostage child struggling to breathe, with lips turning blue, and realized that every second counted.
She swiftly blended into the cluster of children and taking advantage of the moment when the perpetrator turned to glance at the mall entrance, she leaned in and yanked the hostage child’s leg downwards.
Caught unawares, the criminal stumbled backwards, releasing the child. “Who the hell…” he exclaimed, turning around angrily and instinctively aiming his gun.
Quinlyn took a powerful blow to her forehead but managed to stay on her feet. Everyone around was stunned, barely daring to breathe, fearing the man might lose his composure and start shooting.
Ordinary individuals would have succumbed to such a threat, with accidental gunfire being a genuine concern. However, Quinlyn didn’t shed a tear. Instead, she raised her hands slowly in a gesture of surrender.
For a brief moment, her deep eyes and calm demeanor startled the criminal. Eventually, relieved to have someone quiet for once, he picked her up without much hesitation and made her the new hostage.
Neither Joseph, who was upstairs, nor the nearby officers anticipated things to proceed so smoothly. Upon discovering that Quinlyn, the captive, was the one using a marker to suggest strategies, the police felt quite conflicted.
None of them would have guessed that a child’s plan would actually be put into action. Now that things had reached this point, they could only go with the flow and cooperate.
After Quinlyn was taken hostage, she finally saw where the officers were positioned in the area.
However, they were too far away, and they would have to wait for them to move in to complete the operation. For now, all she had to do was remain calm and act like a prop
But just as the officers were approaching, the thug’s phone rang suddenly. The abrupt ringtone echoed through the air, causing everyone to halt in their tracks.
The man seemed to recognize the caller, and he became agitated. He tossed Quinlyn aside and, while aiming a gun at her, reached for his phone.
“Hello, Tammy, is that you? Break up? No, I don’t want to break up… You said you want a lot of jewelry, right? I’m getting it ready now. Forget about a little bit, I’ll give you whatever you want and propose today. Tammy? Hello, hello!”
As the man continued his frantic shouting, the call abruptly ended, completely unsettling his emotions.
Suddenly, tears streamed down his face as he shouted, “Liars! All of you are liars!” With those words, he went berserk, raising his gun as if to shoot everyone around. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Quinlyn lunged at him.
Tue, 18 Mar
Chapter 10