Chapter 4

He flicked his wrist, and Jason let out a strangled whimper.

"Ahhh!"

Faced with immediate death, Chloe shrieked, losing her mind completely.

She spun toward the command perimeter, her voice turning into a high-pitched, hysterical wail devoid of any clinical credibility.

"Sean! Did you hear him?! He insulted me! He actually cursed at me when I was trying to save him!"

"He's a rabid, uneducated animal!"

"Arrest him right now! Teach him a lesson!"

Silence choked the comm line.

The only sounds were her indignant sniffling and the killer's ragged pants.

Sean's voice snapped on, loaded with desperate favoritism.

"Chloe, evacuate now! Alpha Team, cover her retreat!"

His order came sharp and decisive—a stark contrast to his hesitation over the hostage.

Assaulters shifted quickly into a protective wedge, dragging Chloe back toward the armored truck.

Watching this circus, the killer burst into hysterical, mocking laughter.

"Hahaha! The princess got her feelings hurt, so her white knight panicked!"

"God, I hate you self-righteous bastards!"

His bloodshot eyes snapped back to the limp hostage, the madness in his face reaching a fever pitch.

"Show's over, rich boy. Looks like your life isn't worth a single tear from that little bitch."

He ran his tongue over his cracked lips, slowly sliding the blood-soaked knife down the boy's neck toward his chest.

Mayor Adams' shouts over the line had degraded into guttural screams.

Sean's voice stretched tight like a snapping wire, fighting to keep the chaos contained.

"EOD! Report! How long do you need?!"

"The wiring is too complex! The grid is massive—we need at least ten minutes to locate the primary detonator!"

"Ten minutes?!"

Sean's voice cracked.

Chloe was dragged behind the temporary command barricade by the assaulters.

Her hair was a mess, tear tracks streaking her dirt-smudged face, her eyes filled with humiliation and spite.

"How dare he... How dare he treat me like that?!"

Her voice shook as she grabbed Sean's tactical vest.

"Sean! I can't let this slide! He has to pay for this!"

Sean's brow furrowed deep. Eyeing the EOD timer, he tried to brush her off.

"Chloe, calm down. It's too hot here—"

"No!"

She slapped his hand away, a flash of pure lunacy crossing her face.

"I'm taking him down myself!"