Chapter 42: Ram It

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Ram It

A bloodcurdling scream tore from Joy as a figure in a white coat peeled something from her face in one complete piece.

Joy’s bound body convulsed violently a few times, then fell still.

The figure in the white coat held up the thing that had belonged to Joy as if it were a priceless treasure, their face a mask of fanatical glee.

Zoe Sawyer’s lips were pressed into a thin, white line. Her eyes were fixed on the dissection table. She couldn’t make out what the person in the white coat was saying; a sharp ringing just filled her ears.

Her vision was filled with the blood pouring from Joy’s body. It seemed to have a mind of its own, creeping slowly toward Zoe.

Slowly, slowly, it soaked through the soles of her shoes and crawled up her ankles.

Zoe couldn’t help but try to take a step back, but she couldn’t summon any strength.

"Zoe!"

Heath Hale rushed to Zoe’s side, clapping a hand over her eyes while wrapping an arm around her shoulders to pull her back.

His sharp gaze swept across the empty room. There was nothing there. ’So what did Zoe just see?’

Before Heath could ask, he felt a dampness in his palm. Several tears dripped onto his arm.

’She’s crying?’

Heath pushed his tongue against his cheek. ’What in the world did she just see?’

"Sean, arrange for two officers to escort Mrs. York and her daughter to the station. Until we catch the killer, Ann will be their primary target since she witnessed what happened," Heath said, looking at Mrs. York and her daughter, who were sitting on the sofa, their faces etched with anxiety.

Sean Hughes also wanted to know what Zoe had seen, but he understood what was most important right now.

The neighbor Ann had mentioned—the other potential witness—was also included in the protective transfer.

Mrs. York wanted to say something, but after seeing Zoe’s condition, she kept her mouth shut.

’Forget it. Sawyer has it rough, too. She must have had her reasons for not telling me.’

Mrs. York packed a few changes of clothes and followed the officers Sean had assigned, heading toward the police station.

Only when the living room was clear of everyone but their own team did Heath carefully remove his hand from Zoe’s eyes.

Sean Hughes leaned in, his expression and tone full of concern. "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

After a few minutes, Zoe had finally managed to compose herself.

Looking at the two worried men before her, Zoe took a deep breath and said, "I saw the scene of Joy’s death. She died from the sheer pain.

"Those people... they didn’t even use anesthesia. They were shouting something about her being the ’first lucky one of the second batch’ and that they were ’sending her to paradise’ before they started."

Then, Zoe described everything she had seen in detail.

This included how many other people were tied up, what they looked like, the environment of the factory, and the faces of the figures in white coats.

A nearby officer placed a voice recorder in front of Zoe to record everything, which would be better than making her repeat the story later.

The images she had seen replayed in her mind like a film, frame by frame.

Only after she had recounted everything she saw and was certain she hadn’t missed a detail did the images finally fade.

When Zoe finished, Sean quickly handed her a cup of hot water. He put a comforting arm around her shoulders, patting her gently again and again.

Just hearing the description was horrifying, to say nothing of what it must have been like for Zoe, who had witnessed the entire event firsthand.

The shock she must have felt was immense.

Heath was also frowning, lost in thought.

"Alright, let’s head back first," Heath said, standing up and patting Zoe’s shoulder.

She wasn’t in a state to be out for too long, not with two killers lying in wait.

No matter how you looked at it, getting her back to the station was the most important thing.

By the time they left, the crowd of curious onlookers that had gathered earlier had already been dispersed and sent home.

But many people still peeked out from their windows, watching Zoe’s group depart.

Just as their car pulled out of the residential complex, an ordinary black Volkswagen eased into the flow of traffic behind them.

"That Zoe Sawyer is in the last car. Find a chance to cause some trouble for her. And if you have the... ability to kill her, the benefits we can offer will be even greater~ For example, your thirty-million-dollar gambling debt, and, that daughter of yours hidden away in your hometown?"

The driver of the black Volkswagen gripped his steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the police car ahead.

A woman’s voice came through the phone—sultry, and her words were incredibly seductive.

He thought of the debt weighing him down, the collectors who frequently came knocking, and his daughter, who was too scared to even leave the house because of the threats.

The man gritted his teeth. ’My life is worthless anyway. If I can trade it for some money, it’s not a bad deal!’

The distance between this complex and the police station wasn’t far, only about a ten-minute drive. If he didn’t make a move soon, he’d lose his chance.

At that thought, the man stomped on the accelerator, increasing his speed.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Heath noticed the black Volkswagen that was rapidly approaching and trying to cut them off. His eyes darkened.

’We’re being targeted.’

"Watch the black Volkswagen behind us. Speed up, we need to get back to the station now," Heath said tersely, then immediately told Sean to look after Zoe.

They were followed the moment they left the complex. It was obvious they were after Zoe.

There was too much going on at the station right now; they didn’t have time to waste here. The priority was getting back to the station first.

"Understood!" Sean turned his head and also saw the Volkswagen closing in.

At the same time, he gripped Zoe’s arm tightly, ready for anything.

"Ram them! If anything really happens, we’ve got your back! Don’t worry, if you get into trouble, we’ll look after your daughter. Nothing will happen to her!

"Think about everything you’ve been through, all that frustration. You need to vent a little, otherwise it’s bad for your health~"

Now, another voice—a man’s—came from the driver’s phone.

His tone was frenzied and excited, every word goading the driver to speed up and crash into them.

The driver’s eyes were bloodshot. His mind was filled with only one thing: the promised thirty million.

’I’ll risk it all!’

The next second, the man floored the accelerator and slammed into the rear of the police car.

The speed was so great, the impact so powerful, that everyone in the car was thrown forward.

If they hadn’t all been wearing seatbelts, they would have been seriously injured.

"Speed up! Get us out of here!" Heath looked at the surrounding traffic, gritted his teeth, and ordered the officer driving to accelerate.

’We can’t stop here!’

If they stopped rashly, not only would it cause a traffic jam, but it would also give the assailant a chance to exploit the chaos.

"How about I ram the car next to us? That’ll cause trouble for these cops, too."