"What? There's a bomb on the car?" Commissioner Gordon was startled when he received the call from Harvey Dent.
After calling the police, Liu A'dou had Iseline call Harvey Dent as well. This ensured that Gordon would quickly learn of the situation. As expected, Gordon only found out about it through Harvey Dent. "I'll handle it immediately," he said.
This was no joke. The bomb disposal team and traffic police quickly mobilized and began heading towards Liu A'dou's location. Harvey Dent was also in pursuit. Liu A'dou and Iseline were in this situation because they were trying to help him, and Harvey wouldn't sit idly by. He wouldn't be at ease until the hostages were safe.
The streets of Gotham City quickly became busy.
"Don't worry, the police will be here soon," Liu A'dou reassured her. He noticed Iseline's hands trembling, and her face had turned pale.
This wasn't something Iseline could control. As an ordinary girl, it was her first time facing life-threatening danger, and her instincts were to be afraid. Not everyone is born with the talent to dance on the edge of a blade.
Liu A'dou thought back to the first time he encountered danger. He had been targeted by a sniper. It was his own fault for lacking experience, and he almost got killed. But that experience had taught him to stay calm no matter how dire the situation.
He didn't blame Iseline for her reaction. She had done well—she hadn't panicked and had been able to make the call for help. Iseline had shown a lot of courage.
Faster than Commissioner Gordon's team were the traffic police. Liu A'dou ran two red lights, seriously violating traffic laws and driving dangerously. The traffic police pursued, but because they had already been informed by headquarters, they didn't intercept him. Instead, they cleared a path ahead of the broadcast van.
"They're finally here!" Liu A'dou hadn't expected much from the police, but for Iseline, this was a big show of support.
Along with the police came a helicopter from the news station, signaling that Howard, the station manager, had personally come to the front lines. It showed concern for his employees, but of course, he was also there for the big news. Howard also knew the rules: this was a kidnapping case, and no news could be broadcast until the hostages were safe, to prevent the criminals from taking any drastic actions.
A shadow in the darkness flashed a pair of sharp, white teeth. "The actors are in place. The show is about to start."
The bomb disposal team's black vehicles and the broadcast van were driving side by side. The bomb disposal officers leaned out and used a soft hose camera to check under the van and discovered the bomb. However, since the bomb moved with the van, it was impossible to disarm it while the vehicle was in motion.
So, Gordon decided to proceed with the rescue plan. The plan was simple: find a convertible car and drive it alongside the broadcast van. During the drive, the passenger would be moved first, and then officers would climb onto the van to install a throttle lock. Essentially, it was a long stick, one end wedged against the accelerator and the other locked onto the steering wheel. This would allow the driver to leave the vehicle while ensuring that the car wouldn't slow down.
Woo woo woo woo—
The police sirens led the way, and everything seemed to be going smoothly. The rescue plan was moving fast, and the criminals' trap seemed easy to dismantle. However, Liu A'dou had a feeling that things wouldn't go as smoothly as they appeared.
"Execute the rescue immediately," Gordon ordered, knowing that every second counted.
"Yes, sir!"
A convertible car, which had been towed to headquarters, was brought in to begin the rescue plan.
"Listen up. The convertible will drive alongside you on your right, matching your speed. First, get the person in the passenger seat to get out."
Liu A'dou was fine, and Iseline nodded in agreement. Moving between speeding cars was something you only saw in movies. To think it would actually happen in real life, and to think it would happen to them—it was clear that reality was even more chaotic than the films!
"Iseline, don't be afraid, the police will catch up with us. The key is to stay steady and not rush. Remember?" Liu A'dou instructed.
Iseline nodded at her boyfriend, feeling a deep sense of admiration for him. He was calm and collected throughout the whole ordeal, showing what it truly meant to be a man who could face a crisis without a flicker of fear.
The car was now speeding at 70 miles per hour. Once they were on the ring road, the speed had barely decreased. If everything went smoothly, Iseline would be safe soon.
Iseline unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the passenger door. Outside, the police in the convertible were already standing, arms stretched out, ready to grab Iseline.
But if the assassin had allowed the target to escape so easily, he would have been too incompetent. So he took out his phone and dialed a number.
Ring, ring, ring…
A phone ring that didn't belong to either Liu A'dou or Iseline suddenly echoed in the car, halting Iseline's movements.
"Phone?" Liu A'dou's heart tightened. That unfamiliar ring was definitely an ominous sign. "Iseline, look under the seat and find the phone."
"Oh!" Iseline did find the phone, but she wasn't sure whether to answer it.
"Answer it," Liu A'dou said calmly.
"A nice little show," the strange voice, mixed with static, came through again. "But my employer wants me to kill you both. So, I won't let you escape. You will be tortured by the fear of death until you die. If either of you tries to run, I'll detonate the bomb. Because you've tried to escape, I'm quite unhappy, so from now on, the bomb's countdown will begin. You only have two hours left, enjoy your last moments of life. Hehehe—"
"It's a show alright, but there's a director who loves to boss around, turning the whole thing into a farce," Liu A'dou sneered.
"I don't argue with you. Remember, you only have two hours," the voice on the phone said before hanging up.
Liu A'dou turned to Iseline, his gaze filled with pity. "Iseline, call Commissioner Gordon and tell him what's going on."
Iseline felt the tension rise again as she realized the danger wasn't over, but she was better able to handle it than before. She immediately called Commissioner Gordon, who, with resignation, paused the rescue operation.
Liu A'dou was wondering how the assassin had known their movements. "Can you see anything suspicious under the seat?"
Iseline lowered her head, but the gap under the seat was too narrow to see anything.
"Use your hands. Is there anything sticking out in the middle of the seat?"
Iseline reached her hand in, feeling with her palm. "Yes, there's something. What is it?"
"Probably a listening device," Liu A'dou sighed. No wonder the assassin knew all about their rescue operation.
"Should we take it out?" Iseline asked.
"Probably not. If we destroy the listening device, the assassin will immediately trigger the bomb. He hid the phone specifically to push us tighter, step by step, until we're completely desperate. He wants to kill us and destroy our will," Liu A'dou replied.
It was a cruel plan, designed to break them.
"Are we going to die?" Iseline asked, her voice trembling, sensing that the situation might be beyond saving.
Liu A'dou coldly sneered inside, thinking to himself that they would never kill him with such trivial methods. However, he spoke out loud, "I don't think we'll last for two hours. The car will run out of gas in about an hour. When that happens, we'll definitely have to stop. We only have about an hour left."