Chapter 288 Everyone Would Be Doomed
Lydia felt a sudden chill at her temples, and her heart leaped into her throat. The thought of the same gun that had killed two people in the factory now being aimed at her made her eyes well up with tears.
Her voice trembled with fear and a hint of sobbing. “I… I’m just passing through! Please don’t kill me, I’m begging you…” The stress of the situation overwhelmed her, and she broke down, crying aloud.
The man sneered coldly, clearly impatient, and aimed his gun directly at her. Just then, Lydia’s fear caused her legs to give way, and she collapsed onto the floor.
In the darkness, the gun fired, the bullet barely missing her head and lodging into the wall. “Damn it!” the man swore in frustration at having missed his shot due to a woman.
From downstairs came the scattered sounds of people rushing. “Over here!” “Hurry! Get up there and rescue them!” The gunfire had clearly exposed their position.
Realizing he couldn’t stay any longer, the man turned to flee. But before he could get far, a punch came out of nowhere, landing squarely on his side.
Caught off guard, the man barely had time to react before a powerful force wrenched the gun from his hand. The opponent had used a precise, calculated strike that disabled his grip, and by the time he tried to fight back, it was too late.
Chandler narrowed his eyes. He twisted the grip of the gun, reorienting it until the barrel was aimed at the kidnapper’s temple. The entire exchange happened in the blink of an eye; Chandler was now in full control. With a simple squeeze of the trigger, the kidnapper could be finished off!
Seeing her rescuer, Lydia let out a sigh of relief.
“64 caliber pistol, 7.62 rounds–that’s a cop’s weapon. Did you steal it?” Chandler’s eyes gleamed with cold determination. His voice was laced with menace. “Tell me, where is she?”
The kidnapper gritted his teeth, his face twisted in frustration. “The bomb is about to go off any minute now. Even if you rush over, it’s too late!”
Chandler wore a grim smile. “Perfect. I guess I’ll have you as a fall guy. Not too shabby.”
Resigned to his fate, the man started to give up. “I’ve got a lousy life anyway. If I die, so be it. But there’s got to be more of you, right?”
At this point, wasting time meant everyone would be doomed. Lydia spoke up urgently, “Chandler, Meryl is upstairs!”
As if on cue, Chandler saw the backup agents rushing over. Without hesitation, he kicked the kidnapper hard and signaled the agents to take him down.
Just when it seemed the kidnapper was about to be subdued, he suddenly pulled out a sharp knife and lunged toward Chandler’s waist.
Meryl was bound hand and foot, with her mouth gagged. The countdown timer in front of her showed only four minutes remaining, and her heart sank. She thought, “Is this how I’m going to die?”
The cold wind howled through the drafty building, making her limbs numb. She thought, “I can’t just give up! I don’t want to die! I have so much left to do!”
Meryl tried to move towards the stairs, but with all her layers of clothing, it was too difficult, and she quickly ran out of strength. Despair set in until she heard movement downstairs, reigniting a flicker of hope in her eyes.
“Mmm…!” She struggled to make noise, watching the countdown slip to just two minutes.
There wasn’t enough time—even if she tried to escape now, she’d never make it. Meryl leaned back against the ground, resignation washing over her. Her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears, and a wry smile appeared on her face.
She thought, “If I die, probably no one will mourn for me.”
Meryl closed her eyes in despair, only to be startled by the sound of approaching footsteps.