A Book Can't Be Judged By The Cover

Chapter 135: In The Nick Of Time

Hajime’s mind had been working in overdrive, and he immediately saw the gun being pointed at his neck. He didn’t dodge it, however, since doing so would just make the aim unpredictable. Furthermore, there’s a greater chance that the bullet would stray off somewhere and hit one of the people in the room.

Instead of getting out of the way, Hajime pressed his body against Ricardo, all the while putting more pressure on the taser he planted on his neck. His somewhat weird movement caused Ricardo to slip, but he fired off the gun before he completely lost his aim.

BAM!

There was a sudden spurt of blood as Hajime’s body was thrown to the side. The force wasn’t enough to knock him down, though, and he continued being electrocuted with Ricardo. As for the bullet that was just fired, it didn’t connect with his neck. Instead, it shot clean through his shoulders, causing his arm to whip up in a creepy manner. Blood started dripping down Hajime’s shoulder, but even then, he still didn’t lose his grip on Ricardo.

Upon noticing that Hajime got everything under control (well, not really), she stopped short and tried to calm herself down.

Before Megumi could grab Hajime by the hand and potentially electrocute herself, Shelly grabbed her by the shoulder. "Let’s get out of here." Shelly continued. "Before Ricardo gets back on his feet, we have to leave."

"I’m not leaving. I’m going with Hajime." Megumi obnoxiously spoke while she forcefully tried to remove Hajime’s hand on her shoulder.

Then... the people inside the abandoned warehouse began panicking. Right outside, familiar sounds could be heard, and they were alarmed by it. Right at that moment, even Ricardo knew that it was the end.

At the same time, Ricardo’s eyes finally rolled backward, and he fell into unconsciousness. With only the whites in his eyes visible, Ricardo fell to the ground with a thud, and Hajime fell on top of him. He managed to turn off the taser in time.

As it turned out, he had more tolerance than Ricardo when it came to electricity, and he didn’t lose consciousness. Forcing a smile on his face, Hajime turned his head to the side, his lips weakly curving upward. "I’m glad you’re all right. I’m glad you’re all right." He muttered as his gaze landed on Megumi.

.....

"Are you sure this is the place?"

Franz, who had been sitting by the backseat of the police car, nodded his head while pointing at his phone. "Yes, I checked the location, and this is the place. The signal had been lost, but I’m sure that this is the place." freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"Let’s just raid the place. I’ll take care of the damages if it’s the wrong place." Kikuchi Koji blurted out as he tried to calm himself down. He was seated in the backseat with Franz, but his fidgeting was getting to the police, who were seated at the front. freewebnovёl.ƈom

"Um, that’s not how it works." The police mumbled to himself, but he jumped out of the car and proceeded to approach the house. Their chief specifically told them to go with Koji after the tip-off, and that’s why they ended up here.

A few minutes later, the policeman who secretively infiltrated the house could be seen sprinting at his top speed. With a panicked look on his face, he knocked on the police car. In response, the second policeman who stayed behind rolled down the window. "What is it?"

"You gotta call an ambulance, I mean, right now!" The policeman raised his voice before radioing the other policemen who were on standby. As per the chief of police’s instructions, no one turned their police sirens on, just so they wouldn’t give away their presence when they tried to round up the criminals.

Franz and Koji did say that they’re aiming to capture a criminal named Ricardo Basilio, and he’s known to be a slippery one. That’s why they weren’t taking any of their chances when they located the place.

Upon hearing what the policeman had to say, Franz and Koji didn’t need any telling twice; they immediately got out of the car and rushed to the house without regard for their safety. Their impulsive actions spurred the other policemen to get out of their cars as well and follow the two.

Apparently, the policeman who trespassed on the property only caught a brief glance from the gaps of the abandoned warehouse. And that’s why the criminals weren’t alerted as of the moment. However, Franz and Koji had already given away the police’s presence due to their rash actions, and that’s why the authorities moved in earlier than expected.

While the police were radioing the helicopter and while the other policemen on standby were being mobilized, Franz and Koji were already in front of the abandoned warehouse, pushing it open.

And in an instant, they saw Hajime and Ricardo lying unconscious on the ground. Megumi was right there, standing along with the three debt collectors, and a dozen or so guards were scattered around the warehouse.

It was a big break, not just for the authorities but for Franz and Koji as well. More than anything, they were glad that Megumi was all right, but deep inside, they were horrified at the state Hajime was in. He was bleeding all over, and his body spasmed due to the electrocution he had to suffer. To top it all off, his hands were positioned in a weird and horrifying manner due to his injuries.

No one even had the luxury of celebrating Megumi’s safety. As soon as they caught a glimpse of Hajme, all that relief went out the window, and they were just mortified at the sight. Even the authorities who rushed inside the not-so-abandoned warehouse to group up everyone in there felt sick to their stomach upon seeing the state Hajime was in.

As for Megumi, she didn’t even hear the gentle coaxes of the police that they go with her, nor did she hear the three debt collectors telling the authorities that they’ll testify. Even the presence of her father and her butler didn’t faze her. She just collapsed on the ground, tears pouring down her eyes as she gently touched Hajime’s limp body. She couldn’t feel his body heaving up and down in breathing. Heck, she couldn’t even tell whether he was alive or not.

"Hajime? Hajime? Please, not like this... please..." Megumi muttered to herself as she choked on her tears. A continuous stream of salty liquid poured from her eyes. Time had stopped for her, and her wails and weeping filled the room with unimaginable grief.