Chapter 45: Make a Commotion to Lure the Cops Away

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Make a Commotion to Lure the Cops Away

After hearing the full report, Elder Crowe fell into thought, his fingers tapping a steady rhythm on the table.

The number of bodies, along with the clues they’d uncovered, suggested the gang was quite large.

He hadn’t expected them to have ties to international crime, however.

Zoe Sawyer sat in her seat, not saying a word.

But her thoughts couldn’t help but wander. ’Could this ability have other functions I haven’t discovered yet?’

She remembered taking Evan Keller through a door to chase Teacher Scott.

’So, could I use it again? Maybe I could catch that woman, Ruby. Or what if I went to the factory and rescued the victims who haven’t been harmed yet?’

The thought of Joy, who had died in such agony, made Zoe Sawyer clench her jaw.

’I have to catch those bastards and get revenge for Joy!’

"Sawyer?"

"Sawyer? What are you thinking about?"

The Chief walked over and gently patted Zoe Sawyer on the shoulder, his voice tinged with undeniable concern.

’She can’t still be dwelling on that child, Joy, can she?’

The Chief was worried Zoe Sawyer would become obsessed with it.

The other two men in the office also turned their attention to Zoe Sawyer.

Zoe Sawyer rubbed her nose, a little embarrassed. "You all know about my ability, so I won’t beat around the bush. Evan Keller and I once went through one of my doors to track Teacher Scott, so I was thinking... could I use it again to catch those two suspects, or find their hideout?"

She wasn’t entirely sure she could control it, though.

It was also possible it would send them right into the suspects’ main hideout.

A flicker of excitement crossed Barry Quinn’s face. ’It can do that?!’

Elder Crowe shook his head. "No, that’s too risky. We have no idea what kind of physical harm it might cause to take someone through."

Zoe Sawyer’s ability was too unique. Until they understood it completely, she had to be protected.

It could prove invaluable in the right situation.

The Chief nodded in agreement. Becoming completely reliant on Zoe Sawyer wouldn’t be good for the rest of the department in the long run.

An awkward silence fell over the office.

Before Zoe Sawyer could speak, Sean Hughes knocked, then pushed the door open and walked in.

"We’ve found the approximate location of Ruby and the man in the baseball cap. It’s narrowed down to two buildings, but searching them would require too much manpower," Sean Hughes reported succinctly.

They didn’t have a clear description of the two, and the buildings shared an underground parking garage.

The garage also had numerous surveillance blind spots.

These factors alone dramatically increased the manpower required.

They also had to consider the safety of innocent civilians.

Zoe Sawyer’s eyes lit up. ’Isn’t this the perfect chance for me to test it out?!’

’I can do the experiment right here at the station. If anything goes wrong, Sean Hughes and the others can pull me back immediately!’

’Once the area is narrowed down, we can concentrate our police force there. It will undoubtedly boost our chances of a successful arrest!’

Zoe Sawyer was desperate to catch them. The moment Sean Hughes finished speaking, she couldn’t stop herself from raising her hand. "You have to let me try this time!"

Before the Chief could speak, Heath Hale and Evan Keller walked in.

"Chief, let her try. She won’t give up otherwise," Heath Hale said, moving to Zoe Sawyer’s side. "Don’t worry. Evan Keller and I will be with her the entire time. We’ll guarantee her safety."

Ever since leaving Mrs. York’s home, Heath Hale knew that Zoe Sawyer had taken this case to heart.

It was better to bring her along than to try and stop her. That way, if something unexpected happened, they could step in immediately.

Otherwise, if Zoe Sawyer was left to her own devices, she might carelessly open a door, and they wouldn’t be there to provide immediate backup if something went wrong.

The Chief looked at Zoe Sawyer’s determined expression, then at Heath Hale and Evan Keller, and gave a resigned nod.

Zoe Sawyer clapped her hands happily.

Everyone else sprang into action, making preparations.

They helped Zoe Sawyer into a bulletproof vest and helmet and attached a thick hemp rope to her vest. If anything happened, the team on this side would use all their strength to pull her back.

Soon, all the preparations were complete.

Zoe Sawyer stood at the office doorway and took a deep breath. She silently chanted the names Ruby and the man in the baseball cap, her mind constantly replaying their physical features.

Although she hadn’t seen his full face, Zoe Sawyer pieced together a rough image of the man in the baseball cap from memory.

Evan Keller and Heath Hale, also fully geared up with radios, trackers, and weapons, stood right behind Zoe Sawyer.

Soon, a faint, almost imperceptible sensation stirred within Zoe Sawyer.

’This is it!’

Driven by a strange certainty, Zoe Sawyer pulled open the office door.

A dim stairwell appeared before her.

Evan Keller and Heath Hale, standing behind Zoe Sawyer, saw it too. Their hearts leaped with joy. ’It worked!’

Stopping Zoe Sawyer before she could step out first, Heath Hale sent a remote-controlled car through the opening.

The car was equipped with a night-vision camera that could rotate 360 degrees, making it perfect for this situation.

If there was any danger, they could immediately pull Zoe Sawyer back to safety.

Officer Lee stood beside the three of them, holding a laptop that displayed the live feed from the RC car’s camera.

Once they confirmed the stairwell was clear, the three of them stepped through cautiously. ℴℴ𝘮

"Be careful," the Chief said, his lips tight as he watched their retreating backs.

Heath Hale and Evan Keller nodded. ’We’ll protect Zoe Sawyer!’

The trio tiptoed a few steps, quickly reaching the door at the other end of the stairwell.

The smell of smoke drifted through the crack under the door, along with a hushed female voice.

"That useless bastard Jim Lynch got hit by something and passed out. I don’t have the strength to drag him downstairs, and there’s a pack of cops below. Hurry up and make a distraction to draw them away."

"If this keeps up, we’re both going to get caught!" Ruby’s voice was filled with impatience and a hint of viciousness.

It was unclear what was said on the other end of the line. Ruby fell silent for a long moment before finally, and grudgingly, squeezing out a reply.

"Fine! As long as you draw them away, I’ll give you my other two batches of people! And the goods at the port, they’re all yours, too!"

"Don’t be greedy. If I get caught, you won’t get away either!"

With that, Ruby abruptly hung up and took a long drag from her cigarette.

She then threw the cigarette butt to the ground and viciously stamped it out with her foot.

She glanced at the still-unconscious Jim Lynch, her expression full of disgust. "Useless trash! Once we’re out of here, I’ll make sure to give those cops a big surprise!"

"What kind of surprise? Why don’t you tell us about it?"