Chapter 441 Abandoned Pawn
The two cops shoved open the rusted warehouse door, and a suffocating, foul stench hit them like a punch to the gut, making it hard to breathe. The place was pitch black, the kind of darkness that felt like it could swallow you whole. Their flashlights cut through the gloom, stirring up dust that danced like restless spirits.
Everyone froze for a second, overwhelmed by the oppressive atmosphere. One of the officers fumbled around and found a switch on the wall. He flipped it, and the old hanging light flickered before casting a dim, yellowish glow. The light pushed back some of the darkness but also made the scene in front of them even more horrifyingly clear.
Anne was slumped in a chair in the middle of the warehouse. Her hair was a tangled mess, sticking to her cheeks in clumps. Her clothes were shredded, with torn fabric hanging loosely, exposing large patches of skin.
Her hands and feet were tightly bound with rough, coarse rope that had cut deeply into her flesh, leaving the surrounding skin swollen and red. Most terrifying of all, her neck, arms, and exposed legs were covered in dried, unknown fluids.
These fluids were a murky grayish-white, some of which had scabbed over. The trails left by the fluids formed irregular patterns on her skin, creating dark, mottled marks that silently spoke of the brutal torture she had endured.
Anne's face was as pale as paper, devoid of any color, looking as if all life had been drained from her. Tear streaks crisscrossed her face, mixing with the dried fluids, adding to her pitiful appearance. The vitality of life was slowly ebbing away from her body with each passing moment.
"Anne." I finally managed to call out her name, my voice trembling and choked with sobs.
I had never felt such pain for Anne before. Just as I was about to rush over, the lead officer stopped me. "Don't go near her, there's a bomb on her!"
It was then that I noticed the makeshift timer bomb strapped to Anne's chest. The bomb's exposed wires crisscrossed in a chaotic mess.
The glaring red numbers on the display screen counted down second by second, like a death sentence, making my heart race.
I knew that the countdown bomb on her chest was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over her head, ready to fall at any moment and snuff out her last breath.
Everyone held their breath, trying to find a way out of this chaotic and desperate situation. Two experienced bomb disposal officers cautiously approached Anne, fearing that any sudden movement might trigger the explosives.
At that moment, the old, dusty speaker in the corner of the warehouse suddenly emitted a sharp, jarring static, shattering the suffocating silence.
Then, a monitor in front of us flickered to life,
Jeffrey's malicious face appeared on the screen.
His electronically amplified voice boomed through the warehouse. "I've been waiting for you all for a long time. Finally, you're here. Anne is just a pawn to me; any of you can take her away. But the countdown has already started. Let's see if you can save this 'pawn' before the bomb goes off!"
Despite their training, the officers couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the bomb. They quickly composed themselves, spreading out in a fan shape to cover the entire warehouse, guns drawn and aimed at every suspicious corner, ready for any ambush Jeffrey might have set.
The bomb disposal experts carefully approached Anne, their eyes fixed on the bomb, sweat dripping from their foreheads, their hands trembling slightly but moving with utmost caution.
One of the bomb disposal officers, usually steady-handed, suddenly jerked, almost dropping his delicate tools. His eyes widened in shock as he instinctively gripped his protective gear tightly.
"Captain, come look at this," the officer's voice quivered with tension.
The police captain stepped forward, his brow furrowing instantly.
He stared intently at the bomb on Anne's chest, its red light flashing ominously. Taking a deep breath, he tried to stay calm and issued orders. "Don't panic. Follow the training protocol. Find the power source first."
The captain took a determined step forward, shouting at the screen with all his might. "Jeffrey! You're insane! Stop the timer now! You're surrounded and have no way out. Don't be stubborn!"
But the only response was Jeffrey's amplified, maniacal laughter echoing through the warehouse, along with the relentless ticking of the bomb's countdown.
I looked at the officer, beads of sweat pouring down his temples, sliding down his cheeks uncontrollably in this life-and-death moment.
As a police officer, he had to suppress his inner turmoil and, with a steady voice, addressed the screen again. "Jeffrey, look outside. The place is swarming with cops. You're completely surrounded with no escape. Stop the bomb and surrender. It's your only way out!"
Jeffrey's near-mad laughter reverberated through the warehouse. "To me, she's just a pawn I can discard at any time! If I can't win this game, then no one will. You'll all go down with me! The countdown won't stop. Get ready to be blown to pieces along with her!"
Anne, slumped in the chair, shuddered violently at his words, as if struck by an electric shock.
A flash of extreme fear crossed her previously vacant eyes, a primal fear of death. She instinctively tried to curl up for a sense of safety, but the ropes binding her hands and feet, and the heavy bomb on her chest, left her immobile. She could only let out a few weak, helpless whimpers.
"No, please, no." Anne murmured, her voice so faint it was almost inaudible.
The atmosphere in the warehouse was suffocatingly tense. Time ticked by, each second feeling like an eternity.
Everyone knew we were in a race against time, fighting to snatch Anne's life back from the cold grip of death. The situation was at a standstill, the air in the warehouse thick with tension, making it hard to breathe.
I couldn't hold back any longer. With a face full of sorrow, I pushed through the crowd with all my strength.
I stood before the screen, looking at Jeffrey's cold, unfamiliar face.
My voice, choked with sobs, nearly screamed. "Jeffrey, wake up! Stop hurting innocent people. None of this is worth it!"
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