Chapter 666
Verus's Movements!
“So what do we do now?” Rodriguez asked. “Should we go check out that abandoned warehouse right now? Maybe the box is still there, and the killer might be there too.”
“No, that’s too risky,” Lynn shook his head. “We don’t know how many mutants are in the abandoned warehouse yet, and the killer is very powerful. If we go in rashly, we’ll only be in danger. Here’s what we’ll do: Jason, you take three team members and quietly sneak into the area around the abandoned warehouse to scout out the situation inside. See if there are any mutants guarding it, and whether that box is inside. Remember, don’t act rashly. If you find anything unusual, report it immediately.”
"Understood!" Jason nodded, immediately gathered three team members, changed into civilian clothes, and quietly headed towards the abandoned warehouse on the west side of the slum.
Lynn remained at the crime scene with Rodriguez, awaiting further news. "Officer Rodriguez, have someone investigate the background of that abandoned warehouse again. See who it used to belong to, and whether anyone frequented it after it was abandoned. Also, check Carlos's recent bank statements to see if there have been any large sums of money flowing in. Maybe he got that box from the mutants."
“Okay, I’ll have someone investigate right away,” Rodriguez immediately took out his phone, dialed the police officer’s number, and carefully explained the task.
Not long after, Rodriguez's phone rang. He answered it, listened for a few minutes, and then said to Lynn, "Detective Lynn, we've found it. That abandoned warehouse used to be a gang's hideout. We wiped out the gang, and the warehouse was abandoned. In the last six months, people have seen mutants loitering around the warehouse, and Carlos's bank statements show a large sum of money flowing in recently. It was transferred from an anonymous account a week ago—$100,000."
"One hundred thousand dollars?" Lynn's eyes lit up. "It seems that the black box is indeed very important. The mutants paid Carlos one hundred thousand dollars to keep the box safe, but Carlos wanted to keep it for himself or hand it over to us, which is why he was killed by the mutants."
“That’s possible,” Rodriguez nodded. “However, Carlos is just an ordinary day laborer. How could he dare to make a deal with mutants? And why would he hide the box in an abandoned warehouse?”
“Perhaps he was coerced by the mutants,” Lynn pondered. “The mutants may have found something on him and forced him to help keep the box safe. He didn’t dare to resist and could only do as they said. He hid the box in the abandoned warehouse because he was afraid that the mutants would find it and wanted to wait until things calmed down before making any further plans.”
Just then, Lynn's phone rang. It was Jason calling, and he answered immediately: "Jason, how's it going? What's the situation in the warehouse?"
On the other end of the phone, Jason's voice was low and tense: "Lynn, there are two mutant guards in the warehouse, both of them are strength-type, very similar to the one we encountered before. Also, I saw a black box on the table in the warehouse, which should be the one we're looking for. In addition, I also saw that the mutant we injured was also in the warehouse, it seems he was rescued by his accomplice!"
"What? They actually rescued that mutant?" Lynn's expression changed. "Where are you now? Have you been discovered?"
“We were in an abandoned building across from the warehouse, and we weren’t found,” Jason said. “The warehouse doors and windows were all closed, and there was only one entrance. Two mutants were guarding the entrance, and the security was very tight. We couldn’t get close at all. Moreover, the mutant who was rescued, although he had a knee injury, was still very fierce and seemed to be discussing something with two other mutants.”
Lynn took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down: "Jason, you guys continue to monitor them there. Don't make any rash moves. I'll take the others over immediately. Also, I'll contact Officer Rodriguez and have him send some officers to help us surround the warehouse. This time, we must wipe them out in one fell swoop. We not only need to retrieve that black box, but also interrogate them to find out their purpose and Verus's whereabouts."
“Understood! We’ll keep a close watch and won’t let them get away!” Jason said.
After hanging up the phone, Lynn immediately said to Rodriguez, "Officer Rodriguez, please send ten officers immediately, armed, to the abandoned warehouse on the west side of the slums. We need to surround the warehouse, capture the mutants inside, and retrieve the black box. Also, tell the officers to be careful; those mutants are very powerful, so don't engage them in direct combat."
“Okay, I’ll arrange it right away!” Rodriguez didn’t dare to delay. He immediately took out his phone, dialed the police station, and arranged for officers to go to the abandoned warehouse.
Lynn then gathered the remaining team members, organized their weapons and equipment, and said to them, "Brothers, we're going to the abandoned warehouse now to surround the mutants inside. There are three of them, all of them strength-type, and one of them was injured in the knee by us, making it difficult for him to move. But we still need to be vigilant, cooperate closely, and not act rashly. We need to ensure our own safety, and at the same time, we must make sure to retrieve that black box and not let them take it away."
"Understood!" the team members responded in unison, their eyes resolute, gripping their weapons tightly, and followed Lynn toward the abandoned warehouse.
A dozen minutes later, Lynn and his team arrived near the abandoned warehouse. Rodriguez, along with ten police officers, had also arrived. Jason and three team members emerged from the abandoned building across the street and quietly approached Lynn.
“Lynn, the situation inside hasn’t changed. The two mutants are still guarding the door, and the mutant who was rescued is still in the warehouse. He seems to be on the phone, but I don’t know who he’s contacting,” Jason said to Lynn in a low voice. “The back door of the warehouse is locked. There’s only one front door. As long as we guard the front door, they won’t be able to escape.”
Lynn nodded and said to everyone, "Now, we'll split into three groups. The first group, led by Jason, will surround the warehouse from the left to prevent them from escaping from the side. The second group, led by Officer Rodriguez, will surround the warehouse from the right while guarding the front door. If they come out, we'll intercept them immediately. The third group, led by me, will raid the back door, open it, and enter the warehouse to cooperate with your operation."
"Understood!" everyone responded in unison, and immediately followed Lynn's instructions, splitting into three groups and quietly moving towards the warehouse, preparing to surround it.
Lynn, along with two team members, quietly circled around to the back door of the warehouse. The back door was a dilapidated iron gate with a large, seemingly flimsy padlock. Lynn gestured for his team members to step back, then took a crowbar from his pocket, gently inserted it into the keyhole, and with a forceful pry, the padlock was opened with a "click."
Lynn gently pushed open the iron gate. The inside was pitch black, filled with dust and a musty smell. He signaled his team to turn off their flashlights and quietly sneaked into the warehouse. Relying on the dim light, they carefully made their way forward. The warehouse was large, filled with many discarded grain sacks and some old tables and chairs, looking quite cluttered.
Reaching the center of the warehouse, Lynn saw three mutants sitting around a dilapidated table. On the table lay the black box. The rescued mutant, his knees bandaged, was making a phone call. The other two mutants stood beside him, their eyes warily scanning their surroundings. "Yes, sir, we've got the box. That Carlos guy wouldn't hand it over, so we killed him," the rescued mutant said respectfully into the phone. "Lynn and the others are still at the crime scene; they shouldn't find us here anytime soon. We'll deliver the box to them now, don't worry."
Lynn's heart skipped a beat. He quietly took out his phone and turned on the recording function. He wanted to know who the "adult" the mutant was talking about was, whether it was Verus, or another high-ranking member of the Karen organization.
“Yes, sir, we’ll be off right away,” the mutant said to the other two mutants after hanging up the phone. “Hurry up and pack your things. We’ll deliver the box to you now. Lynn and the others will find us soon, or it will be too late.”
"Understood!" The other two mutants nodded and immediately stepped forward to pick up the black box on the table.
"Attack!" Lynn shouted, immediately raising his hand and firing his gun at one of the mutants. At the same time, his two teammates also opened fire on the other two mutants.
"Damn it! An ambush!" the rescued mutant shouted, immediately dodging to the side. A bullet grazed his shoulder, splattering blood. The other two mutants reacted instantly, charging towards Lynn and his companions, their arms flailing with powerful force.
Outside the warehouse, Jason and Rodriguez heard the gunshots and immediately led their team to rush in from the front and sides, firing at the mutants and creating a pincer movement.
"Damn it! We're surrounded!" a mutant roared, dodging bullets as he charged toward Lynn, his fist slamming into Lynn with tremendous force and a powerful gust of wind.
Lynn quickly dodged to the side, the mutant's fist grazing his chest and striking the food sack behind him. With a "crash," the sack burst open, scattering grain everywhere. Lynn seized the opportunity to raise his hand and fire, the bullet hitting the mutant precisely in the chest. The mutant groaned and staggered back a few steps, but still didn't fall, his eyes growing even more ferocious.
"These mutants are tough and thick-skinned; ordinary bullets can't kill them!" Rodriguez shouted, firing at the mutants while telling his team, "Aim for their heads and knees; those are their weak points!"
The team members and officers immediately adjusted their targets, aiming at the mutant's head and knees, and pulled the trigger repeatedly, bullets whistling as they shot towards the mutant.
The rescued mutant, already injured in the knee and unable to move easily, was unable to dodge the bullets quickly enough. Several bullets struck his knee, and he let out a piercing scream before his legs gave way, collapsing to his knees, unable to stand again. "You bastards, I won't let you get away with this!"
Another mutant was hit in the head by several bullets and collapsed to the ground, losing vital signs. The remaining mutant, seeing his companions fall one after another, had a look of fear in his eyes. He knew that he was no longer able to fight alone, and if he stayed, he would only be subdued by Lynn and his men. He gritted his teeth, turned around, and rushed towards the front door of the warehouse, trying to escape.
"Don't let him get away!" Jason shouted, immediately raising his hand and firing. The bullet accurately struck the mutant's calf, and the mutant let out a scream, staggering and falling to the ground, unable to escape any longer.
The battle ended quickly. Inside the warehouse, the gunfire gradually subsided, leaving only the screams of the mutants and the panting of the others. Of the three mutants, one was killed, and two were wounded; they were completely subdued.
Lynn walked to the table, picked up the black box. It wasn't big, about the size of a palm, with a black outer shell and a silver skull logo on it, which looked eerie. "This is the box they're looking for. It seems that what's inside must be very important."
Rodriguez walked up to Lynn, looking at the black box with curiosity on his face: "Detective Lynn, what do you think is in this box? That mutants would kill to get it back?"
“I don’t know,” Lynn shook his head. “I’ll know once I open it.” He carefully opened the box, inside which was a small silver USB drive with the same skull and crossbones logo as the box.
“A USB drive?” Jason frowned. “Could this USB drive contain secrets of the Karen organization? Or information about Verus’s secret base?”
“Very likely,” Lynn nodded, putting the USB drive away. “We’ll take this USB drive back to our temporary base, crack its contents, and see what secrets it holds. Also, we’ll take these two injured mutants back to the police station for interrogation. We must get them to tell us who this ‘master’ they’re talking about is, and where Verus is going.”
"Understood!" The team members and police officers immediately sprang into action, taking the two wounded mutants into custody and heading out of the warehouse.
Lynn followed behind, carrying the black box and the USB drive, and walked out of the abandoned warehouse.
Back at the police station, Lynn and Jason immediately took the USB drive to their temporary hideout, preparing to decipher its contents. Rodriguez, meanwhile, instructed officers to lock the two wounded mutants in the interrogation room under close guard, awaiting their interrogation. (End of Chapter)