Chapter 144: Something Big Happened Again

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Something Big Happened Again

The moment the words left her mouth, Kim shoved the woman, who was still lost in thought, into the room.

She then immediately slammed the wooden door shut.

Ignoring the sound of the woman POUNDING on the door behind her, Kim’s expression turned gleeful. "Well, the bride has been taken care of. Now for the most important step!"

The surrounding villagers murmured excitedly amongst themselves about the next step in the ceremony. Not one of them was concerned for the woman.

The woman’s husband might have felt a flicker of concern, but swept up in the atmosphere, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

’She’s just an orphan, anyway. With no family to back her up, no one would even notice if she disappeared.’

’I’ve paid the "tuition," and once I go out and make my fortune, I’ll be just like Uncle Dex and Auntie Dex—earn big money elsewhere and come back to bring glory to my family!’

Outside, the crowd was in high spirits, proceeding with the next step in an orderly fashion.

The woman inside the small cabin hammered on the wooden door, trying to get them to let her out.

But no matter what she did, no one paid her any mind.

It was then that the woman finally understood: these people had made their decision. She was the one being sacrificed.

’But she refused to accept it!’

’She didn’t want to be some random sacrifice!’

What the woman didn’t know was that after she was pushed into the small room, two big, sturdy villagers had been posted at the door to prevent her from escaping.

That would ruin the entire ceremony!

While the woman frantically searched for a way out, the police were speeding toward the scene.

Zoe Sawyer was also incredibly tense. Her fingers fidgeted with the controls for the surveillance camera, trying to get a better look at the surroundings and the people involved.

After the woman was pushed inside, Zoe Sawyer had considered creating an opportunity to get her out. But she couldn’t find a good location to open a door. Acting rashly would only entangle uninvolved people in her ability, increasing the risk of exposure, so she had to put the idea aside.

As time ticked by, the woman listened to the sounds outside the small room growing louder and louder. Panic began to set in. ’Am I really going to die here?’

"The auspicious hour has arrived! Go and escort the bride out!"

Following a sharp cry from outside, the door to the cabin was opened. Kim, who was leading the group, walked in carrying a set of clothes.

It was a white ceremonial outfit.

Before they could force her to change, the main door was suddenly kicked open, and a group of armed people stormed in.

"Don’t move! Police!"

The captain leading the team scanned the entire living room with a sharp gaze.

The layout he saw was more or less the same as what Zoe Sawyer’s team had seen on the monitor.

Once he understood the situation, he followed directions relayed by Evan Keller and made his way to the small cabin.

They arrested everyone there and successfully rescued the woman.

"Officer, I want to report them for criminal activity!" Seeing her rescuers had arrived, the woman grabbed the captain’s hand and recounted everything Kim had told her, from beginning to end.

Kim was stunned. She had been so sure the woman was going to die that she hadn’t thought twice about telling her everything.

But then the police had shown up, and everything she’d said had become evidence leading to their arrest!

"No, that’s impossible. We were so careful. How did you find out?" Kim glared at the captain and his team, her face a mask of angry confusion.

They had gathered everyone here. The one person who could have exposed them was locked up, and she didn’t even have her phone on her.

’How did these cops find out and pinpoint our location?!’

’It makes no sense!’

The captain glanced at Kim, then at the men squatting on the ground with their hands on their heads. He scoffed. "We have our ways. Now, all of you just stay put and behave!"

The woman’s gaze swept over the crowd. She tugged the captain’s sleeve. "Uncle Dex and Auntie Dex aren’t here. The wedding is for their son—they wouldn’t just leave!"

’Unless they sensed something was wrong and already fled some other way.’

"All right, I understand. Go rest over there for a minute." The captain patted the woman’s shoulder, then sent some of his officers to search for them.

Soon enough, the fleeing Uncle Dex and Auntie Dex were found nearby.

They had several Rolex watches on them, along with a photo of their son.

They were huddled in the bushes, planning to wait for the police to leave before coming back out. They never expected the woman to notice their absence.

When Uncle Dex and Auntie Dex were brought back in custody, they stared daggers at the woman, their glares so fierce they looked like they wanted to eat her alive.

The woman glared right back, unflinching.

’They tried to kill me, and they expect me to be some kind of saint? To pretend I don’t know anything and let them get away?’

’Not a chance in hell!’

"Alright, go on and rest now. We’ll handle it from here," the captain said, patting her shoulder and gesturing for her to step aside.

What came next wasn’t for her to see.

Meanwhile, once Zoe Sawyer confirmed the police had taken over on-site, she drove her remote-controlled car back, shut it down, and went to bed.

She could catch up on the rest of the details tomorrow.

"This case isn’t complicated. It’ll be wrapped up quickly." Heath Hale patted Zoe Sawyer’s shoulder. Before he left, he couldn’t resist turning back to add, "Try not to touch any doors tonight. I’d like to get some actual sleep."

Zoe Sawyer rubbed her nose, a bit sheepishly. ’It’s not like I planned it!’

The next morning, eager to hear about last night’s case, Zoe Sawyer leaped out of bed.

She rushed to the office, anxious to hear about any new developments.

But as she approached the office, she saw Evan Keller and Heath Hale with grim expressions, flipping through a thick stack of files.

Officer Lee’s hands were a blur as he worked, his expression grave, his eyes glued to his computer screen.

A sense of foreboding washed over Zoe Sawyer. ’Don’t tell me it’s another major case.’

"What’s wrong? You all look so serious this early in the morning. Did something happen?" Zoe Sawyer asked, taking her seat and looking puzzled.

After flipping through the last few files, Heath Hale let out a long sigh. He looked at Zoe Sawyer and asked in a grave tone, "Do you remember that assignment? The one where you were backup for Anne Dawson?"

Zoe Sawyer nodded. ’My first time undercover, and I walk right into a case that big? Of course, I remember!’

’Did something happen with that case?’

Before she could ask, Heath Hale spoke.

"Something big has happened."