Chapter 113: The Village’s Underground World

Chapter 113: Chapter 113: The Village’s Underground World

Barry Quinn saw through the ruse at once. When something couldn’t be done in the open, people would try to hide it underground.

If they were really running live broadcasts featuring deformed people, then underground was undoubtedly the best place to hide.

An underground base had its pros and cons. If they could trap everyone inside, it would be easy to round them all up at once.

The downside, however, was that you couldn’t be sure if they had tunnels leading elsewhere.

One slip-up, and a few "fish" would escape the net.

"Vivian, what’s the drone’s remaining flight range? Can you get a look at the surrounding area?" Heath Hale asked, pressing his earpiece after receiving a message from Zoe Sawyer.

Hearing Heath Hale’s question, Vivian Dunn answered without hesitation. "Don’t worry. This is a military-grade strategic reconnaissance drone with extra-long battery life. Flying over the entire mountain won’t be a problem."

The trio breathed a sigh of relief upon getting a positive answer.

"Alright. Pinpoint the general perimeter of the village, then focus on the grassy areas and large tree trunks. See if there are any hidden exits," Heath Hale continued, giving orders.

Vivian Dunn didn’t hesitate, quickly doing a fly-over of the vicinity.

Using the drone’s thermal imaging, she actually found several unusual spots.

One was a massive, fallen tree trunk. It looked perfectly ordinary at first glance, but the part connected to the ground had been hollowed out, creating an escape route.

A few others were ordinary tree stumps, also hollowed out at the base, leaving an exterior that looked untouched.

There were people guarding each of these exits. Without thermal imaging, they would have been impossible to spot right away.

If they hadn’t found these and someone had escaped through one during the raid, it would have been sickening.

They quickly marked the locations Vivian Dunn pointed out.

Just as Evan Keller was about to speak, he heard footsteps through his earpiece.

And the sound of Barry Quinn chambering a round.

’Someone’s coming!’

The hearts of Evan Keller and the others leaped into their throats. Before he could ask what was happening, a call came in from Officer Stone. "Captain Keller, don’t worry. It’s the local armed police unit. Our chief has already briefed them, and they’ll be providing full support."

Hearing Officer Stone’s words, Evan Keller breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly relayed the situation to Zoe Sawyer and the others on his team.

Once he confirmed they were friendly forces, Barry Quinn lowered his gun and approached the man in the lead. They briefed each other on their progress.

"Understood. Thank you for your assistance. We’re heading up the mountain now. We’ll need your help again later." The armed police captain nodded to Barry Quinn and his team before leading his own men up the mountain.

Meanwhile, after hanging up, Officer Stone looked at the bureau chief standing beside him, his expression filled with confusion. "Weren’t they just at the station? How did they get over there so fast?"

The chief didn’t answer his question. Instead, he said slowly, "That’s not your concern. Come with me and sign a non-disclosure agreement. Then, you’re to bury what happened today and not say a word to anyone."

Officer Stone wasn’t a fool. He knew instantly that this was no simple matter.

Not wanting to be targeted later, he nodded obediently and followed the chief.

"Guards at your three and nine o’clock. Be careful not to be spotted when you take them out," Vivian Dunn reported, maneuvering the drone.

The guards on the mountain path were quickly neutralized by Evan Keller’s team and the armed police unit that followed.

A dedicated detail escorted them back to the station for holding.

"What kind of secret are they hiding in there that requires this many guards?" the armed police captain muttered, his expression grim as he watched the last group of sentries being led away.

Crouching in the tall grass, Heath Hale whispered, "A criminal organization. You’ll find out once we’ve caught them."

The men on the camouflaged path had been dealt with by the coordinated armed police. The guards at the escape hatches were taken out all at once, and officers were now posted there to stand guard.

"Evan! Now’s our chance! The group just went back into the house!" Vivian Dunn, who had been looking for an opening, suddenly shouted. The people who had been milling about outside had all gone back in, their faces strangely excited.

A look of delight spread across Evan Keller’s face.

’Perfect!’

"Vivian, keep your eyes on them. Let us know immediately if anything seems off," Evan Keller instructed, then turned to the armed police captain beside him to discuss their next move.

They quickly reached an agreement. They called the local precinct and requested another team be sent up.

Then they would surround the entire village. One group would search the other houses, while their main force would surround the house with the most people inside.

This would best ensure no one escaped, and they wouldn’t have to worry about being short-handed if other problems arose.

Perhaps they had been put on standby, because less than half an hour after the armed police captain’s call, all available personnel had assembled in the clearing.

Once assignments were given, Evan Keller and the armed police captain took the lead, charging straight for their target.

Evan Keller kicked open the wooden door, and the armed police officers behind him quickly fanned out to provide cover.

But they found the small room empty.

However, in the corner, there was a conspicuous iron door set into the floor.

Agonized screams echoed from within.

"They’re in there. We’re going straight down, but everyone be careful." Evan Keller eyed the iron door on the floor before carefully prying it open.

Unlike the guards they had expected, the space inside was brightly lit. A staircase led down into the ground, but there was no one in sight.

Perhaps they were overconfident in their exterior guards, or perhaps they didn’t want too many people to know about their secret here. Evan Keller and his team saw no guards at all as they descended the stairs.

The underground space was massive. From the looks of it, they had hollowed out the entire area beneath the village.

The whole area was even tiled and fitted with iron doors—an enormous undertaking.

As Evan Keller’s group drew closer, the screams grew clearer.

"Let’s check it out," the armed police captain nodded to Evan Keller. The team advanced, guns raised, slowing their pace.

The closer they got, the grimmer their expressions became.

The interiors of some of the open-doored rooms were so disturbing they couldn’t bear to look twice.

There were simple tiled beds, adult toys, and Evan Keller even spotted several types of ancient torture devices.

The dark red stains on them indicated they had seen considerable use.

Soon, they stopped at the door to the innermost room.

Evan Keller and the armed police captain exchanged a look, then in a single, coordinated move, kicked open the half-closed iron door.

"Police! Don’t move!"