Chapter 90: Tear the Courtyard Apart, Just Find the Person

Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Tear the Courtyard Apart, Just Find the Person

As Lynn Grant skillfully pieced the paper together, she laid the sheets out on the desk.

Soon, some of the red marks on the paper aligned to form two words.

The large words "Save me" appeared before them all.

"This is a secret code the three of us came up with when we were kids and bored. By using specific creases, we could hide the real message we wanted to send.

That way, even if one of us got into trouble, the other two would realize something was wrong when they received the letter." Evan Keller explained simply, seeing the confused looks on Zoe Sawyer’s and Sean Hughes’s faces.

Zoe Sawyer’s eyes widened in understanding. In short, it was a secret code exclusive to the three of them.

’It looks so complicated, though. How did they even come up with a code like this?’

"My brother’s very smart. This kind of stuff is a piece of cake for him." Facing their confusion, Evan Keller looked a little proud. But his hands didn’t stop moving; after photographing the message on the paper, he turned to find the bureau chief.

Frank Keller was abroad, and as a police officer, Evan needed special approval from the department to leave the country.

He had to go explain the situation to the chief right away and request emergency clearance.

"I’m going too! That kid Frank... he usually just sends regular letters to let us know he’s okay. For him to suddenly pull a stunt like this, something must have happened!" Lynn Grant couldn’t sit still either and turned to follow Evan Keller to the chief’s office.

"What’s the rush! The letter took at least a week to get here. By the time you get your paperwork sorted and fly over, it’ll be too late!" Sean Hughes grabbed Evan Keller and Lynn Grant by the arm, looking at them with exasperation. "You have an ace in the hole right in front of you, and you’re not even looking at it!"

Zoe Sawyer put her hands on her hips and coughed deliberately, making her presence known.

Evan Keller, of course, knew who Sean Hughes’s "ace in the hole" was, but the idea of using official resources for personal matters made him hesitate.

"But that would be abusing our position, wouldn’t it? Zoe, you’re already so busy with training, and you’re constantly being sent out on missions. We’d feel terrible taking up your rest time with something like this," Lynn Grant said, her voice also full of hesitation.

It just went to show the two had grown up together; they were thinking the exact same thing.

Zoe Sawyer grinned and sidled over, linking her arm with Lynn Grant’s. "Think of it as opening up a new avenue for my training! Heath Hale has been wanting me to test out other applications of my ability for a while now."

"Besides, we don’t even know if it’ll work yet. You can thank me when we actually pull it off."

Now that she had put it that way, refusing again would seem overly distant.

"Alright. Once we figure out what’s going on with my brother, I’ll treat you all to a feast." Evan Keller accepted Zoe Sawyer and Sean Hughes’s kind offer, but he still needed to report to the chief before they could proceed.

After the chief had heard the full story and seen the words on the letter, he mulled it over for a moment before speaking. "Don’t panic just yet. I have a relative who happens to live and work over there. I’ll ask him to go check on the situation.

However, if the situation is urgent, you have my permission to act first and report back to me later."

"Yes, I understand," Evan Keller nodded. He realized he had been too rigid in his thinking.

Beside him, Lynn Grant nervously gripped Evan Keller’s arm, her eyes filled with worry for their childhood friend.

Zoe Sawyer and Sean Hughes stood by the door, saying nothing.

When the four of them returned to the office, Evan Keller and Lynn Grant still had worried frowns on their faces.

The wait was agonizing.

Zoe Sawyer and Sean Hughes glanced around the office. ’Great, all familiar faces!’

"Evan, quickly, give me your brother’s information," Zoe and Sean said, pulling Evan and Lynn over to the sofa and staring at them intently. "Let’s give it a try. No matter what, the most important thing is to make sure your brother is safe!"

If he was safe, they could just wait for word from the chief’s relative. But if the situation was truly critical, this would allow them to respond immediately.

Lynn Grant hesitated. "But... didn’t we just ask the chief for help? If we act on our own now, won’t that be a breach of protocol?"

Sean Hughes waved his hand dismissively. "It’s fine. Didn’t you hear the chief? He said if the situation is urgent, we can act first."

’The chief’s words were a clear hint. We’ll just have to make the report we submit sound a little more serious, that’s all.’

’Besides,’ Sean thought, ’the chief was definitely prepared for the possibility that they would suddenly open a door to rescue someone.’

If their judgment hadn’t been clouded by worry, Evan Keller and Lynn Grant would have surely understood the chief’s underlying meaning too.

Heath Hale, who had been listening to the entire exchange from the side, stood up and walked over to them.

His tone was steady, carrying a hint of authority that brooked no argument. "Let’s try it. This is a perfect opportunity to see if my theory is feasible.

If it works well, it will open up a whole new range of applications for Zoe’s ability."

’Whether it’s for colleagues we know are alive but can’t reach, or for fugitives we have intel on but can’t catch—faced with Zoe’s ability, none of them will have anywhere to hide!’

Of course, until he had confirmed its feasibility, Heath Hale had no intention of voicing these plans.

It would only place an unnecessary burden on Zoe.

With Heath Hale’s endorsement, coupled with the hopeful eyes of Zoe Sawyer and Lynn Grant, Evan Keller opened his mouth to speak, but ended up agreeing to their proposal.

"...Then let’s try it. But we have a deal: if anything feels wrong, Zoe, your safety comes first. You promise me," Evan Keller insisted.

He couldn’t let Zoe walk into danger for his own personal reasons.

In response, Zoe patted her chest confidently, assuring him.

When Evan’s gaze swept over the other people in the office, Officer Lee and the others immediately looked away.

’Time to work. We love working.’

But gossip is human nature, and Evan could still see them sneaking glances over from time to time.

Even Beau shifted in his seat next to Vivian Dunn, perking up his ears to listen in on what would happen next.

Since they had decided, Evan Keller wasted no time and gave his brother’s details to Zoe Sawyer.

After confirming she had memorized all the details, Zoe Sawyer gripped the doorknob and began to sense the situation on the other side.

’No, that’s not the right feeling.’

Zoe frowned, concentrating on the sensations coming from the doorknob.

A flood of information was coming through, but Zoe had an inexplicable feeling that none of it was what she was looking for.

Seeing Zoe stand motionless for a long time, her brows knitting tighter and tighter,

Evan Keller took a step forward, about to tell her to forget it, when Zoe’s eyes snapped open and she threw the door open.

What greeted their eyes was a dim courtyard, lit only by a few flickering light bulbs.

In contrast to the quiet courtyard, a white house stood not far in the distance.

It was brightly lit inside, and through the windows, they could see the silhouettes of people moving back and forth, as if they were searching for something.

"Dammit! All of you, search! Tear this courtyard apart if you have to, but find him for me!"