Chapter 18: The Arrest Operation

Chapter 18: Chapter 18: The Arrest Operation

Watching the monitor, Zoe Sawyer noticed that the boy who’d been kicked was in a bad state.

He was curled up in a ball, his face deathly pale and his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

It was obvious that kick had seriously injured him.

"No, I can’t let you go over there alone. What if they circle back for a surprise attack? If you run into them, it’s a death sentence!" Officer Lee rejected Zoe Sawyer’s request without a second thought.

No one knew if those traffickers were carrying any serious weapons.

Besides, Zoe Sawyer’s current condition was unique; he couldn’t let her take such a risk!

But Officer Lee couldn’t accept letting an innocent child continue to suffer, either.

After a moment’s thought, Officer Lee looked at Zoe Sawyer hesitantly and asked, "Miss Sawyer, this... thing you do. Can you take someone with you?"

If possible, he would go with her. He could ask a colleague to watch the monitor while he and Zoe Sawyer made it quick—get in, get the injured boy, and get out.

Zoe Sawyer wasn’t sure if it was possible. The most she had done so far was drag a criminal back with her earlier today.

’But if I can bring someone back, taking someone with me shouldn’t be a problem, right?’

"I’m not sure, but we have to try," Zoe Sawyer said, shaking her head, her tone firm.

’That child can’t wait any longer!’

Just moments ago, she could hear him groaning. Now, on the monitor, she saw his hands, which had been clutching his stomach, fall limply to his sides!

Before Officer Lee could even ask, another female officer in the office, who had been watching the situation, quickly handed them a small, standard-issue first-aid kit.

"Vivian Dunn, could you please watch the door here? Be ready to provide backup if anything happens." After asking the young officer for help, Officer Lee looked at Zoe Sawyer, who was waiting for him by the doorway, and hurried to catch up.

「Meanwhile.」

A group of children watched the unconscious boy on the floor, and one by one, they crawled over to his side.

Some patted his face, others shook his body.

"What do we do? Ryan won’t wake up! Is he going to be like Sister Sawyer and never wake up again?" one of the children squatting beside the boy asked, his expression panicked.

At the thought of the sister who never opened her eyes again, the younger children’s eyes reddened, and their voices began to choke with sobs.

"Where’s that police lady from before? I miss her. Can she come and save Ryan?" The girl who had initially stopped the other kids from approaching Zoe Sawyer now spoke with a distinct sob in her voice.

’If I had been nicer just now, maybe that lady wouldn’t have gotten angry and left. Then Ryan could have been saved, right?’

The expressions of the other children around her were also filled with regret. They all wished they had been nicer earlier.

Just then, Zoe Sawyer threw the door open and rushed in, with Officer Lee right behind her.

As Officer Lee crossed the threshold, he felt a distinct resistance.

It was as if something was blocking him, pushing him back from the warehouse. He strained against it, but it was no use.

Zoe Sawyer turned and saw that Officer Lee was halfway through, with the other half of his body still in the office. His face was twisted in a pained grimace.

Veins bulged on his neck, a clear sign of extreme exertion.

"Officer Lee, are you okay? If this isn’t working, just go back and wait for me," Zoe Sawyer said, reaching out to support him, intending to push him back into the office.

But the instant Zoe Sawyer touched him, Officer Lee felt the resistance vanish completely.

With no time to wonder why, Officer Lee grabbed the first-aid kit and rushed to Ryan’s side.

He expertly took out supplies from the kit and began his diagnosis.

"It’s no good, Miss Sawyer. This child needs to be taken to a hospital immediately." After a quick examination, Officer Lee’s expression grew grim.

That bastard hadn’t held back on that kick.

Lifting the hem of Ryan’s shirt revealed a dark, purplish bruise—the mark left by that kick.

With that much force, his internal organs might be damaged.

This was beyond what he could handle.

"Then let’s get him back right now." Zoe Sawyer didn’t waste any more words. She ran over, scooped Ryan into her arms, and bolted for the door.

As she ran, she didn’t forget to tell Officer Lee to comfort the other children.

She couldn’t wait. She had to get this boy back to the office so their colleagues on standby could rush him to the hospital.

Any more delays, Zoe Sawyer feared, and the boy might not make it.

Seeing Zoe Sawyer carry Ryan away, the other children instinctively moved to stop her.

But they stopped themselves, remembering that these people were here to help.

"A lot of police officers know you’ve been taken, and they’re on their way here right now. Can you all hang in there just a little longer?" Officer Lee gathered the remaining children around him, sat cross-legged on the floor, and explained gently.

’The guys from the Varden East Precinct should be arriving soon.’

The group of children huddled around Officer Lee nodded, their faces filled with excitement.

’Are we finally getting out of here?!’

’This is great!’

’We miss our moms and dads!’

Meanwhile, the two male traffickers from earlier tossed their clubs aside, dusted off their hands, and walked toward the main entrance.

"Anyone in there? Open up! Routine inspection!"

Someone was banging loudly on the dilapidated factory gate.

One of the traffickers straightened his clothes and glanced around. Nothing seemed out of place.

"It’s fine. There are just five or six guys at the gate, wearing the same uniforms as the inspectors from before." The other man confirmed via the security camera that no one else was around.

And these guys—some taking pictures, some taking notes—looked perfectly legitimate at a glance.

"Then open the gate. Let’s just deal with them quickly. It’ll be a problem if those little brats start making noise and give us away."

As he spoke, he headed for the factory gate, preparing to let the "inspectors" in.

Even though they had connections higher up and getting caught wasn’t the end of the world, it was still better to avoid it if possible.

The moment the gate opened, the inspectors stepped inside, scanned the area to confirm there was no ambush, and then lunged forward, pinning the two traffickers from both sides.

They also clamped hands over their mouths to prevent them from making any noise that might alert others.

"Stay still! Tell us where the others are!"

The captain leading the team pressed down on one of a trafficker’s shoulders, his expression stern.

His eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, scanned the area for other potential hiding spots.

"Captain, I’ll give our guy a call and ask," a junior officer behind him said, taking out his phone to call Officer Lee.

The captain didn’t stop him. With the children’s situation unknown, a swift resolution was best.

The call connected quickly.

On the other end, Vivian Dunn answered the phone. Hearing the question, her voice was laced with a hint of confusion.

"Officer Lee is already there. Haven’t you met up with him yet?"