Chapter 547 No Signs of Life
The sudden explosion shook the ground, and after the blast, everything fell silent.
Not only did the apartment building fall silent, but the people below did too.
The homemade bomb wasn't particularly powerful, but the building was an old, abandoned structure, already fragile. The explosion caused most of it to collapse instantly.
As the ground stopped shaking, Winona steadied herself and looked at the ruins of the apartment building, trying to hold her breath, but her vision still blurred. "Zachary."
The police quickly restrained Timothy's men and shouted into the building with a megaphone, "Is anyone in there?"
Winona immediately rushed towards the building.
Austin grabbed her arm. "Winona, don't be impulsive. We don't know the situation inside yet, or if there are other unexploded bombs. You..."
"But Zachary is in there." Winona shook off Austin's hand. "He's in there, and he needs me. I have to find him."
Austin frowned. "We need to wait until the police clear the danger."
"I've waited long enough. I didn't go before because I didn't want to mess up Zachary's plan," Winona gave him a pained smile. "Now it's over, and it won't make a difference whether I go or not. No matter..."
Winona paused, unable to finish her sentence. "I need to go, Austin. Last time, I was too late, and he was taken right under my nose. You didn't see him; he's covered in scars now. I can't be late again. He's exposed, and Timothy won't let him go."
Austin met Winona's gaze and slowly released his grip. He couldn't find the words to describe her expression—worry, fear, sadness, pain—but there was a determination that made it impossible to refuse her.
Austin's hand loosened halfway, then he grabbed her again. He gritted his teeth. "I'll go with you."
"No..." Winona's protest was cut off as Austin Davis pulled her towards the building. The police were busy and didn't notice them until they were already standing in front of the building.
Austin pointed to the most damaged area, though he hated to say it. "The explosion started in the room with the light on. Zachary is probably buried there."
Winona looked at the exposed, twisted steel bars and the broken concrete slabs, her eyes reddening, her breath quickening. Her hands, clenched tightly at her sides, trembled uncontrollably. "I..."
Her throat felt blocked, her voice trembling. She managed to say one word before the rest got stuck.
After a long time, Winona finally found her voice. "Zachary, I'm here to find you. Please make a sound, let me know where you are, okay?"
Her voice carried a trembling sob.
Winona waited for a long time but heard no response. The last bit of hope in her heart vanished, and she covered her face in despair.
The noise of the crowd, the whistling wind, drifted away into the night, leaving Winona in a silent bubble, as if in a vacuum where no sound or movement could reach her.
Austin looked at her with concern. "Winona."
Winona didn't respond.
She wanted to say she was fine, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out. Her throat felt stuffed with cotton, making even breathing difficult.
Winona bent down and started moving the scattered debris, her movements mechanical but swift.
Winona had never done manual labor before. Her delicate hands quickly developed blisters from the rough concrete slabs, which were large and heavy, some still attached to steel bars.
Austin couldn't stand it anymore and pressed her hand down. "You can't move these like this. Many slabs are connected to steel bars and can't be shifted. The firefighters are on their way with professional tools and personnel. They'll be faster than brute force."
Winona shook off Austin's hand and continued moving the slabs she could.
Austin saw the dark red blood on her hands, but Winona seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing her mechanical movements. He bit his cheek hard and grabbed her slender arm again. "Winona."
Winona, unable to continue moving the debris, lowered her head. "So I should just stand here and wait?"
When she looked up again, her face was streaked with tears, but her voice was steady. "Zachary is right under here. He might be injured, unconscious, or unable to speak. Every minute that passes is draining his life, and I'm just standing here. Austin, I can't just wait. I can't lose him again."
Austin heard her last sentence clearly, though she spoke softly. He didn't know what to feel. "I just meant I'll help you move the debris. You don't have to stab me in the heart before I finish speaking."
Austin resignedly bent down to move the debris. "I was scared stiff from driving fast earlier, but now I'm fueled by anger. If you want me to do the heavy lifting, just say so. No need to cry."
He didn't say it, but he knew that even though it was a homemade bomb, Zachary was at the center of the explosion. Even if they dug him out, he might already be dead.
Winona said, "Thank you."
"Words aren't enough. When we get Zachary out, you owe me a meal."
"Okay, Zachary and I will treat you."
Austin said, "Shut up. Moving debris doesn't tire you out? If Zachary treats me, I'll eat a three-day feast and bankrupt him for my labor today."
"Okay."
Human strength was limited, and the concrete slabs were large and connected to steel bars. They also had to worry about further collapse. By the time the fire truck arrived, they had only moved a small pile.
When the firefighters arrived with professional cutting tools, they worked quickly. Winona stood aside, and Samuel was there, smoking. Seeing her desolate state, he uncharacteristically tried to comfort her. "Timothy won't let Zachary die. Since he chose this place as a stop on his escape route, he must have prepared it. Maybe there's a hidden passage. Don't worry."
Winona looked at the ruins. "He's badly injured."
Samuel hadn't seen Zachary's injuries, so he didn't know.
"Last time, he was beaten and forcibly hypnotized. If Timothy takes him again and their relationship breaks down, what will Zachary suffer?"
Suddenly, a voice came from the crowd digging. "Slow down, slow down. There's someone here, but it looks like there's no sign of life."
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