NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Chapter 17
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"Don't worry about her anymore, Caitlyn..." Despite being on the brink of death, Justin weakly reminded her, "Quick, the hall, there's a bomb in the hall..."
"What?!"
As the traps set by Jinx were gradually dismantled, the enforcers poured in. The cacophony overpowered the ticking sound, with countless guns aimed at Jinx, yet unbeknownst to them, the real threat loomed behind. "Um..." A young lad in an auxiliary police uniform hesitantly raised his hand, "I think I've found something really bad..."
Following his gesture, everyone's eyes landed on a conspicuously placed, square box atop the counter, flashing a red light. It was glaringly obvious, yet in their urgent entry, not one had noticed it.
"Isn't this one of the standard issue bombs from the station?! How did she get her hands on it?!"
"Quick, shut it off!"
"We can't, the safety's been removed... the whole bomb's been modified!"
"Is this your bomb?" Caitlyn frowned at Jinx. "You can't escape anymore! Are you planning to take us down with you? Deactivate it now!"
"Bleh!" Jinx suddenly opened her eyes and made a face at Caitlyn. Even in her current disheveled state, she managed to present a triumphant expression, yet it subtly carried an unspoken sorrow.
What now, evacuate everyone from the police station? With a bomb of this magnitude, it could completely obliterate the place. Not to mention the invaluable documents housed within; having the police station blown up by a criminal would be humiliating for Piltover. With the Hextech gates, Piltover had become the commercial hub and transportation nexus of the entire continent. The city's prosperity was built upon this foundation, and if even the police station were obliterated by a bomb, why would merchants risk sending their goods here anymore?
"Who the hell knows how to defuse a bomb?"
No one answered—realistically, the movie trope of cutting different colored wires to defuse a bomb simply didn't apply. If the bombmaker didn't want you to defuse it, you'd never find a way. Typically, when faced with bomb threats, enforcers chose controlled detonations, but this bomb's power was too great for safe detonation.
As time ticked by with each flash of the bomb's red warning light, a young man in an auxiliary police uniform boldly stepped forward, "I'll defuse it!" Instantly, every eye in the room turned toward him, even Jinx opened her eyes. A veteran enforcer skeptically asked, "Are you certain you know how to defuse this bomb? Even if you do, there's not enough time..."
But before he could finish, the young man pulled out his gun. "Bang, bang, bang!" Three bullets pierced through the bomb's casing, dangerously penetrating inside. Before anyone could even express shock, the alarm ceased its blaring. Such a simple and direct method actually rendered the bomb inert!
"Check for any more bombs," the young man's timely words directed the enforcers' thoughts, making them spread out to every corner of the police station to carefully search.
With the crisis averted, Caitlyn finally felt her tense nerves relax, only to be overcome by dizziness. Having already lost a lot of blood and fought several intense battles, her body was at its limit. She fell heavily to the ground, but landed in a warm embrace.
"Caitlyn..."
"Mom..." The mother and daughter locked eyes, their gaze filled with unspoken words. In this moment, they were no longer an enforcer and a councilor, but simply a mother and daughter. Meanwhile, across the room, another pair exchanged a gaze.
"Jinx, you're charged with assault and endangering lives. I'm placing you under arrest." Justin, dressed in his auxiliary police uniform, flashed his trademark gentle smile at the girl in the corner. Jinx, however, couldn't bring herself to smile. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed like a wronged child. "Crying won't help," Justin approached and hugged Jinx, smiling as he said, "By law, you're sentenced to life imprisonment. From now on, every move you make will be under my watch—let's go home."
"Stop right there!" Justin, carrying Jinx and attempting to quietly sneak out unnoticed by the enforcers, was halted by a commanding female voice. Caitlyn planned to thank the young officer who disabled the bomb. But when she turned and saw the man sneaking out with the criminal in his arms, he looked more like a thief than an officer. "What's your badge number? Show me your ID!" Suspicion written on her face, Caitlyn raised her rifle. "Don't take another step!"
"Ugh." With his back to her, Justin sighed deeply. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could just go their separate ways, each following their dreams? As a pacifist, he really didn't want... "Boom!" The wall behind Caitlyn exploded, dust and debris obscuring her vision. In the art of explosives, Justin and Jinx seemed to share a common skill!
Using this distraction, Justin bolted. While the explosion he set up made quite the noise, it wasn't particularly lethal, but it certainly brought a commotion when the enforcers caught on. Indeed, a major commotion ensued. Today alone, these two had metaphorically thrown more than a few surprises at the enforcers—if they slipped away again, the enforcers present might as well start over entirely.
"I bet there's at least a division worth of firepower behind us," Justin quipped as they ran. Despite the dire situation, with Jinx secure in his arms, he figured how much worse could things get? "Typically, aren't you the one shouting to turn back and take them all out? Have you come to your senses after the roughing up you received?" Justin glanced down at Jinx, only to chuckle in disbelief. She had fallen asleep... immune to gunfire, unfazed by the journey. Truly, it was heart-wrenching to see her this way.
As the enforcers closed in, Justin's burden—a person in his arms—complicated his escape on unfamiliar routes. Luckily, this time it wasn't just the two of them. "Vi!" Justin's shout echoed, even rousing a frown from the sleeping Jinx in his arms. "Help!!!" "Powder..." Vi's eyes lit up at the sight of the blue-haired figure in Justin's arms. "How is she? Is she okay?" "She's fine, just sleeping." Justin brushed past Vi, not even slowing his pace. He trusted Vi, especially Vi who was determined to protect Jinx.
"Delay them for a bit! Follow the old route. Jinx and I will wait for you at the café." "Got it!" Vi cracked her knuckles together. Just a glance at Powder filled her with boundless strength. Back when she was in Stillwater Hold, she fought frequently but it was only for fighting's sake. Now, she had a reason to fight again.