chsdbacks Chapter 964 I want him dead
Chapter 964 I want him dead
“But I want him dead.” Kiel coldly broke free from their grasp and then ran off quickly.
Upon seeing this, McClane broke out in a cold sweat. After exchanging a blank stare with Vodka, who was still immersed in embarrassment, she silently thought, "She's going to get me killed sooner or later."
On the other side of the passage, the low hum of the ventilation system, like the dying gasps of a giant beast, provided a somber background for this escape.
Rum leaned against the cold metal wall, beads of sweat mixed with blood sliding down his forehead, reflecting a disheveled light under the pale lamp.
Each heartbeat pounded against my eardrums, overlapping with the approaching footsteps in the distance—
That wasn't one person, but two, one steady as a pendulum, the other light as a cat.
It was baijiu (Chinese liquor), and that enigmatic woman, Vermouth.
They finally appeared at the corner, separated by a black iron railing that suddenly descended.
The shadow of the fence cut through the narrow space like a blade, also cutting off any possibility of close combat.
Baijiu's knuckles were already white, but his gaze bypassed the obstacle and went straight for Rum.
That wasn't the look a policeman gives a criminal; it was more like a hunter staring at a wounded beast destined for its trap, a look of calm tinged with a cruel assessment.
In that single glance, Rum's blood seemed to freeze instantly. There were no words of confrontation, no tentative maneuvering; the instinct for survival screamed and overwhelmed everything.
He twisted his body sharply, channeling his remaining strength into his legs, and fled desperately deeper into the passage, the abandoned signposts swaying behind him, emitting mocking creaks.
The liquor company did not act immediately.
He silently watched the hastily departing figure, then took two steps forward, braced his shoulder against the cold iron railing, and steadily, tentatively, bumped into it three times.
"Clang, clang, clang—" The dull metallic sound echoed in the passage, but the fence remained motionless.
He stopped, turned his head, and uttered two very brief words to Vermouth: "Take a detour."
There was no explanation, no discussion, and the tone was an unquestionable command.
She had no objection, and the sound of her high heels clicking on the ground immediately shifted, disappearing into another side path along with the liquor. The sound of her footsteps was quickly absorbed by the complex pipe system.
Rum's escape route was soon blocked by a crystalline barrier—a narrow maintenance passage with thick observation glass embedded in the walls on both sides, behind which were dark, undefined holes.
At the end of the passage was an airtight door, and the control panel was flashing a faint red light.
He lunged to the door, slamming his hand against the cold recognition area with a loud "smack," panting heavily, his eyes burning with a final glimmer of hope.
One second, two seconds... The red light on the panel suddenly turned a blinding scarlet, and a shrill electronic synthesized voice ruthlessly announced: "Permission error. Access denied."
"Damn it!" A suppressed roar burst from between his teeth.
Despair mixed with rage surged through him, Rum clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, and then, uncontrollably, slammed them against the glass beside him. "Thump!" The dull impact echoed, the glass vibrating and humming, reflecting his distorted face and the bloodshot eyes.
This punch did not bring relief; instead, it triggered even greater panic.
Even before the echo of that muffled thud had faded, another, even more deadly sound shattered the silence—
From the direction he came from, clear, swift, and undisguised footsteps rang out again!
Not one group, but at least two, rapidly approaching in alternation, like the rhythm of death.
Baijiu and Vermouth!
They managed to get around it so quickly!
His will to survive unleashed his final strength. Rum's eyes were bloodshot as he whirled around, lunged at an inconspicuous black lever inside the passageway entrance, and pushed it down with all his might!
"Clang—!"
A heavy metallic scraping sound suddenly rang out, and another black fence plummeted from a hidden compartment in the ceiling above, crashing to the ground and completely sealing off the entrance to the glass passageway, raising a cloud of dust.
Almost the instant the fence was set in place, Baijiu's figure appeared outside the fence like a ghost.
He stopped, his chest heaving slightly from running, his cold gaze piercing through the gaps in the fence, scanning the empty glass passageway.
Only the messy footprints on the ground and the glass that had been smashed by a fist and was still shaking with the aftershocks testified to the prey's panic moments before.
Rum's presence had completely vanished, as if melted into the shadows of this cold labyrinth.
A moment later, a jumble of footsteps gathered from behind Baijiu.
McClane, Kiel, and two other members of the action team arrived one after another, and the five of them met in front of the closed fence.
Kiel breathed heavily as he rapidly reported on the search progress in other directions;
McCallen frowned as he examined the fence's structure, searching for a possible way to force his way through.
Only the baijiu (Chinese liquor) remained oblivious to the surrounding noise.
He remained standing quietly at the very front, gazing at the empty glass passage behind the fence, which seemed to lead to an endless abyss.
The cold light from the ceiling reflected two points of cold light onto his expressionless glasses, obscuring the expression in his eyes.
Only the hand hanging at its side, naturally clenched, slowly and forcefully tightened its five fingers until the knuckles were taut and the veins were slightly visible.
It was as if all the failed schemes, the vanished prey, and the obstacles imposed by this steel jungle were to be crushed in this silent grip.