Chapter 27: Teacher Scott’s Escape

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Teacher Scott’s Escape

Zoe Sawyer’s tone was filled with uncertainty. It was an indescribable, almost mystical feeling.

The feeling had come over her inexplicably as she approached the metal gate, but she had no idea what had specifically triggered it.

Evan Keller frowned. ’An upgrade?’

"Do you know what’s going on, exactly?" Evan Keller asked, looking at Zoe Sawyer.

Zoe Sawyer shook her head. The metal gate in front of her was just incredibly alluring. ’I have to open it!’

But she didn’t know what she would find on the other side and was afraid of causing trouble for Evan Keller and the others. She stood frozen for a moment, not daring to make a move.

Evan Keller assessed the situation, handed a stun baton to Zoe Sawyer, and told her to turn on her phone’s location sharing.

That way, if there was any real danger on the other side, she would have a weapon for protection, and he would know her location immediately.

Captain Lynch also came over and handed Zoe Sawyer a real-time comms earpiece. That way, if any issues arose, she could contact them at once, making it easier for them to provide support.

He knew this woman named Zoe Sawyer had secrets—or rather, that the entire Westside police department had secrets.

But as long as they didn’t volunteer the information, he couldn’t just ask outright.

Zoe Sawyer took the items they handed her, activated the stun baton, and only after making sure she was fully prepared did she slowly open the metal gate.

The other side wasn’t the crime scene she had envisioned. Instead, it was a bustling, lively shopping mall.

People bustled to and fro, showing no surprise at Zoe Sawyer’s sudden appearance.

"What’s going on? My location tracker shows you’ve appeared in a mall ten kilometers away," Evan Keller’s anxious voice came through the earpiece.

Zoe Sawyer’s voice held a trace of confusion. "I’m not sure either. I’m in the main hall of a mall, and everything looks normal."

While talking to Evan Keller on the other end, Zoe Sawyer turned and scanned her surroundings.

’Based on past experience,’ she thought, ’there has to be something unusual about me opening a door and ending up here.’

The next moment, her attention was caught by a man in the crowd across from her.

"I think I see Teacher Scott! There’s a tall man with him!" Zoe Sawyer’s eyes were locked on them as she spoke, and she quickened her pace in their direction.

’He’s dressed just like the man in the duck-billed cap!’

’Could it be that they know each other?!’

"Teacher Scott? Zoe, don’t do anything rash. Prioritize your safety. I’m heading over right now!" The moment Evan Keller heard this, he cast aside all other concerns and bolted for the car.

Captain Lynch, who was still in shock over Zoe Sawyer vanishing through the gate, snapped out of it when he heard Evan Keller and hurried to follow him.

’This shouldn’t be happening!’

’I didn’t receive any report about Teacher Scott going out!’

At this thought, Captain Lynch took out his phone and called the colleague who was supposed to be tailing Teacher Scott.

But no one picked up.

’Don’t let anything have happened to him!’

Already on edge, Captain Lynch put his phone away, hurried past Evan Keller, and dropped into the driver’s seat. "Get in, quick. My colleague isn’t answering his phone."

"We need to go verify if that’s really Teacher Scott!"

’If it’s really him, then did something happen to my colleague who isn’t picking up?!’

Captain Lynch didn’t dare to dwell on the thought. He just hoped they could get to Zoe Sawyer quickly, see the person with his own eyes, and confirm their identity.

Evan Keller didn’t argue. As soon as he was settled, the car shot off.

They blew straight through a red light. A traffic cop who was about to give chase saw that the car running the light was a police vehicle and backed off.

After telling Evan Keller what she had seen, Zoe Sawyer quickened her pace to catch up to the two figures.

"We’ve got a bug on our tail. Let’s split up," the man in the duck-billed cap said in a low voice to Teacher Scott nearby, having noticed Zoe Sawyer closing in.

Teacher Scott nodded without looking back.

The two of them went in separate directions, attempting to shake Zoe Sawyer off their trail.

Zoe Sawyer stopped in the middle, looking from one to the other.

Finally, she stomped her foot in frustration and ran after Teacher Scott.

’In terms of build, the man in the cap is taller and stronger than me,’ she reasoned. ’His combat strength is hard to gauge. I should play it safe and go after Teacher Scott first.’

’Given Teacher Scott’s age and build, if it comes to a fight, I’ll at least have a chance.’

Having made her decision, Zoe Sawyer ran faster.

Just as she was about to catch up, a group of people suddenly surged out from the side, clearly intent on separating her from Teacher Scott.

In less than a minute, the crowd dispersed, and Teacher Scott, who had been just within her reach, had once again vanished.

Zoe Sawyer scanned the area, then suddenly looked up, her gaze locking with a woman in sunglasses standing on the second-floor balcony.

Perhaps surprised that Zoe Sawyer had spotted her, the woman raised her hand and wiggled her fingers in a greeting. "My dear Miss Sawyer, did you like the gift I just sent you? No real chance today. Let’s meet again next time~"

After her greeting, the woman adjusted her sunglasses, blew Zoe Sawyer a kiss, and sauntered away.

Zoe Sawyer pressed her lips together. ’Those people who rushed out of nowhere... that woman sent them.’

’It was all to stop me from catching Teacher Scott!’

’No, I can’t give up just like that!’

Zoe Sawyer glanced around, and her gaze finally settled on the mall’s glass entrance doors.

’Pushing open that gate brought me here, where I ran into Teacher Scott and that man who looked like the one in the duck-billed cap.’

’So if I open another door... maybe it’ll work again?!’

’To hell with it, I’ll just open one and see!’

With a stomp of her foot and a grit of her teeth, Zoe Sawyer pushed open the doors and rushed out.

As it turned out, her guess was correct.

Zoe Sawyer emerged to find herself on a street that wasn’t particularly busy.

Shops lined the street, open for business. Looking up, she could still see the mall in the distance.

’Found him!’

Zoe Sawyer’s eyes quickly locked onto a figure standing on a nearby street corner.

A white shirt, dress pants, and the canvas bag in his hand.

’His entire outfit was identical to Teacher Scott’s from before!’

’Surely no one will be here to stop me this time!’

Fearing another unexpected incident, Zoe Sawyer tightened her grip on the stun baton and sprinted in Teacher Scott’s direction.

And precisely because there were few pedestrians, Teacher Scott spotted Zoe Sawyer at the exact same moment she saw him. ℯℯ𝘭.

"How did you find me so quickly!" Teacher Scott looked astonished. His voice was breathless; he had obviously just stopped to rest.

"You, stop her for me! I have to get out of here, I can’t let them catch me!"

With no time to spare, Teacher Scott used his body to block the view as he pulled a small object from his canvas bag and thrust it into the hands of a person beside him. He then darted into a nearby alley.

The alley was a twisting maze, and by the time Zoe Sawyer reached it, the man had long since vanished.

"Hey, miss, come take a look at our wares!"