Novels2Search

71. Hostage Taker

."Monica!" Barrett's heart was filled with complexity at this moment. He had never experienced such complicated emotions for a woman before, softly speaking a sentence.

Monica looked at Barrett, feeling that her love for this man had reached an irreparable level. From the initial gratitude and confusion, it had gradually fermented into a rich aroma. But now, Barrett suddenly wanted to leave for the sake of a so-called brother, and instantly, a heavy wave of sorrow engulfed her like a flood, engulfing her heart and making her feel suffocated, desperately seeking an outlet. Yet, she tried to tell herself to be strong, reminding herself of the many challenges she had overcome since childhood, and the numerous problems she had solved. No matter how difficult these were, at this moment, she realized that everything she had experienced in the past, when faced with matters of the heart, crumbled like a sandcastle on the beach. Thus, the tears continued to flow uncontrollably, as she turned away, choking back sobs.

Baron pulled Barrett and gestured for him to go and comfort Monica. Barrett looked at Monica's sorrowful figure, hesitating to extend his hand. Perhaps, if he offered some comfort, Monica wouldn't be so despondent. However, Barrett's body froze, ultimately retracting his hand, pushing Baron beside him and saying, "She should be with you instead!" Barrett resolutely turned away, realizing that lingering on would only prolong the pain. When would this entanglement come to an end?

Barrett Walk walked through the bamboo forest, his mind in disarray. Countless small and large issues swirled in his mind. In the previous life, he had never encountered such issues. Why was he facing them in this life? The questions of gain and loss seemed to be influenced by an invisible force, perhaps this was the so-called will of heaven! Barrett Walk let out a bitter laugh, entering the empty elevator.

"Barrett Walk, you scoundrel, you're a complete coward. I swear I'll never see you again," Monica watched Barrett Walk step into the elevator and turned to Baron, wiping away the tears on her face, her delicate appearance even more enchanting. With discontent, she said, "You're pleased, hmph!"

Boom! Baron didn't know how to speak to Monica. Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed in his ears. It turned out that the elevator outside the bamboo forest had exploded, a huge tongue of fire bursting through the wall, causing the nearby bamboo to tremble.

Both of them were stunned. Wasn't that Barrett Walk in the elevator? Monica screamed and rushed towards the elevator, Baron following closely behind. They soon realized that Monica's speed was terrifying, almost reaching the elevator in the blink of an eye. However, the huge tongue of fire forced them to retreat, preventing them from getting any closer.

Boom! Boom! As they anxiously lingered outside the elevator, explosions resounded from all around. A group of people dressed in black, armed with various high-tech weapons, emerged from the bamboo forest. The sky above the bamboo forest rang with a piercing alarm. Despite the bamboo forest being known as an impregnable fortress, there were some who couldn't resist the temptation.

"What's going on?" Monica asked, standing still, looking at the approaching black-clad individuals.

"These should all be hunters, right? I knew something like this would happen," Baron found himself in a dilemma. On one side was Barrett Walk, on the other, Danny and countless others underground. He finally gritted his teeth and said, "I'll go down to see what's happening. You should stay here with me or come down with me."

"Besides the elevator, is there another way down?" Monica had heard that if these elevators were stopped, the bamboo forest would be almost cut off from the outside world. The various supplies and equipment here would be enough for 30,000 people for ten years, making it a safe place. But if these elevators were bombed, was there another way down?

"There is one, known to only a few people. Fortunately, this property belongs to the Rockefeller family, otherwise, I would be helpless," Baron said.

"You go down first! Go see what's happening down there," Monica said, watching as the flames in the elevator diminished. She picked up a fire extinguisher from the side, not looking back as she spoke.

"Alright! You stay here for now." Baron's expression was somewhat despondent. Monica had already made her choice, and he felt a twinge of heartache as she ran towards the secret passage. This hidden fortress, with its secret passage that could unleash deadly laser cannons if the highest level password wasn't entered, was a dangerous place.

Suddenly, from the grassy ground of the bamboo forest, numerous dark muzzles appeared, machine gun bullets weaving a deadly web. Unprepared, the black-clad individuals were instantly riddled with transparent holes, causing the hunting formation to falter and find refuge in the fortifications.

Monica watched as the flames in the elevator diminished, pulled up her skirt, transforming it into shorts, and grabbed the cable, ensuring there were no issues before jumping into the elevator. The deep elevator shaft was long, and as she descended, the elevator plummeted to the lowest level, forming a large mass in the ruins. In a trembling voice, Monica called out, "Walk, are you alive or dead? Make a sound so I know!"

In the echoing depths of the shaft, only her trembling voice reverberated. This news was neither good nor bad, and Monica, searching through the ruins, was afraid of finding Walker's body or anything else. Under the dim light, each search felt torturous, but she finally found nothing related to a body. Her heart relaxed, but then she cursed loudly, "Barrett Walk, you damn scoundrel, are you playing with me like this?" Finally, she cried, in a place where no one could see, in a place cut off from the world after an accident, and in a place where nobody was present.

Monica vented her anger and grievances, then pulled the cable to climb back up, agile as Spider-Man. She truly lived up to her rank as a colonel. As soon as she emerged, covered in soot, several dark muzzles were aimed at her head.

A deep, rough voice, as grating as tearing burlap over glass, said, "Slowly come up, don't play any tricks, or your life won't be guaranteed!"

Bang! Almost simultaneously, the heads of these people exploded, and amidst the flying bullets, there was a series of light, peculiar, evenly spaced and short sounds. Monica did not know what this meant, but she watched as the attackers were killed, feeling a sense of confusion as she looked around, and then, seeing the black-clad individuals converging, she picked up an automatic rifle from the ground. Though she rarely used such a weapon, she was still more proficient than these hunters.

A barrage of bullets hit their mark as Monica retreated into the grand hall, fighting and retreating. The elite security forces of the bamboo forest had managed to withstand the onslaught of these hunters, despite being outnumbered.

Sam Afley looked at the heavily armed bamboo forest, a bitter expression on his face. Sending a combatant to fight a siege battle was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, completely the wrong approach! However, word had it that this time, a certain bigwig from the hunters' alliance had personally issued the order, and after this kidnapping was carried out, the ransom would be quite valuable to the hunters.

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"A group of useless people, still unable to reach the main hall after so long," grumbled Ray Orren, dressed in an oversized white T-shirt and a thick gold necklace around his neck. He seemed like a rap singer, but his wielding of a knife was ferocious. With a determined stride, he approached the bamboo forest hall, roaring like a mad black panther, charging into the hall with his knife. The tremendous force broke through the wall, his long blade slashing through, blood spurting, like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, instantly catching the security personnel off guard.

The manager, Malcolm, watched the bloody scene with a slight frown. This man was a colonel, and a powerful one at that. Once this kind of person is in close combat, it can be said to be invincible, but he had to face it head-on. It had been a while since he had fought. With a few swift steps and nimble maneuvering, he agilely dodged, and then with a swift punch to Ray Orren's side.

"Wing Chun, still quite pure," these popular martial arts, though beneficial for physical fitness, had long abandoned their true lethality. Ray found it quite interesting, and with a graceful sidestep and a sweeping motion, he sent Malcolm manager flying. The tremendous force was like a 10,000-ton giant ship crashing into him, causing him to cough up blood and see red. For a fellow colonel like Malcolm, it was truly a humiliating defeat.

Monica gazed at the bold Ray-Oran. She had no intention of interfering, but the thought of these people breaching the supposedly impregnable fortress was not only a disgrace to the Rockefeller family, but also to the federal government. As she gazed at Ray-Oran, she could sense the hostility in his demeanor. In an instant, he transformed into a fierce leopard, changing direction and charging towards Monica with a swift blow of his long knife. A fierce storm of wind and rain blew through the room, unstoppable like a tornado. He intended to take Monica's life!

Bang! Ray-Oran swiftly shifted to the side, but it was too late. A bullet struck his left shoulder, causing him to stumble and fall, the heavy necklace around his neck jingling as he hit the ground. Taking cover behind a sofa, Ray-Oran realized that his injury was not severe. The bullet had only pierced his skin and been stopped by his powerful muscles. However, he could sense that this was a warning, and he had to remain vigilant.

"Ray-Oran, are you ready? Three minutes have already passed, and the deadline is approaching!" The group's plan had a time limit of twenty minutes, and they were already past the halfway mark. The impending arrival of the police and military was causing them great concern. If they didn't leave soon, they would be in trouble.

"Are you in a hurry to die?" Ray-Oran, hiding behind the sofa, shouted back in frustration at the sniper hidden somewhere. This situation was giving him a headache.

Beep! Beep! Suddenly, the sound of an alarm echoed through the lobby. Despite being critically injured and lying on the ground, Manager Marklen suddenly leaped to his feet and shouted, "This is bad! Run!" He then sprinted towards the exit at an incredible speed.

Although puzzled, Monica chose to trust the manager, who seemed to have a thorough understanding of the bamboo forest. Instantly, countless people began to flee, and with a thunderous roar, the entire earth began to shake. The dazzling aurora pained everyone's eyes, and a massive mushroom cloud rose into the night sky, illuminating the entire Hero City.

Despite the earth-shaking explosion, none of the escaping individuals were harmed. They emerged from the ground like groundhogs, shaking off the thick layer of dust from their heads. The explosion was powerful, but surprisingly did minimal damage. Manager Marklen stood at the edge of the crater, his face a bitter melon color, his eyes staring blankly as he said, "We have a traitor! The impregnable fortress always crumbles from within."

Monica was covered in dust, but she shook out her hair and gazed at the huge crater that had been blown open. "What happened? Can anyone inside survive?"

"They should be able to," the manager said uncertainly.

As soon as he finished speaking, people began to emerge from the crater, coughing and covering their noses. Several of them were covered in blood, and behind them came several hunters dressed as waiters, armed with guns, and a warrior carrying a sword on his shoulder. There were so many traitors among them!

Upon seeing the sword-wielding warrior, Manager Marklen was shocked and pointed at him in disbelief, saying, "I knew you were not responsible for guarding. I didn't expect you to be the biggest traitor!"

The warrior with the sword sneered disdainfully. "What can a guard dog achieve? Nothing at all. I'd rather make a big fortune that will last me a lifetime!"

Bang! A bullet suddenly struck the man in the head, silencing his laughter in an instant. The unexpected turn of events caused the others to pull the students behind them, with someone shouting, "If anyone else fires a shot, the whole plan will be ruined!"

Another shot rang out, grazing the face of the person who had been threatening the students. The bullet exploded, causing bloody chaos, but the person did not die. Instead, they clutched their shattered face and screamed in agony, creating a scene of extreme brutality that made the female students scream in terror.

Another shot was fired, as one person was about to execute the screaming students, causing them to clutch their broken hand in pain. This effectively prevented the group of hunters from making any reckless moves.

"Is it the Gun God?" Sam Aflei looked around at the swirling dust, his visibility dangerously low. Only the legendary figure known for his exceptional marksmanship could have such an intimidating presence in such adverse conditions.

Despite receiving no response, Sam Aflei's words ignited the emotions of everyone present. The Gun God! The weight of those two words was greater than a thousand pounds. Only someone with real achievements could be worthy of such a title. The Gun God's extraordinary marksmanship and mysterious identity had made him famous throughout the federation. Now, after more than a month of silence, the Gun God had reappeared, instantly igniting the emotions of the students. They were trembling with excitement, ready to rise up and defeat everyone with the slightest provocation.

"Gun God?" Ray-Oran tapped his long knife lightly, the crisp sound echoing through the dusty ruins, fully exposing his position.

"Gun God, is this person truly so extraordinary?" It was only at this moment that Monica recalled the scene of multiple headshots as she emerged from the elevator. At the time, she had been too nervous to notice, but now she realized the extraordinary marksmanship required to take down multiple targets with one shot. She couldn't help but become interested in him, but at the thought of Barrett Walker, she looked towards the group of students, hoping to find him. However, the swirling dust made it difficult to see clearly.

Barrett Walker looked through the foggy scope, listening to the faint sound of the battle. He hadn't expected the large black man to understand these rhythms. This time, the mental alertness of the ability warrior had saved him. Entering the elevator, he had felt a sense of unease and had not activated it, which ultimately saved him from the explosion. After seizing an automatic rifle, he had hidden himself, feeling moved as he watched Monica jump out of the elevator. He felt anger as he saw people pointing guns at her, which prompted him to unleash a rapid barrage of shots, shortening the time almost recklessly. But impulsive actions often lead to two outcomes: heroism or cowardice. For Monica's sake, he had forced himself to become a hero.

Unfortunately, no one had witnessed his stunning marksmanship, which far surpassed his peak state in his previous life. This was truly entering the realm of the gods, reaching another level. But the feeling he had just experienced was now gone. He understood the loneliness of a master.

A surge of powerful mental energy swept towards the source of the sound. A three-dimensional image appeared in his mind, and at such a close distance, even though the shot was slightly off, it would be more than enough for a high-ranking officer.

"Come on! Gun God, let me see how extraordinary you really are!" Ray-Oran suddenly charged out from behind cover, his high-speed movements making it difficult for the sniper to track him. This was the true method of dealing with a skilled marksman: simple yet effective.

Barrett Walker remained unfazed by Ray-Oran's provocation. He then saw Ray-Oran suddenly charge towards the students, deliberately moving in slow motion. It was a deliberate attempt to goad Barrett Walker into action.

Barrett Walker had no desire to engage in a battle of egos or to show any concern for unfamiliar people. After all, they were all children of wealthy families, and their deaths would not affect him. As Ray-Oran made a slashing motion with his knife, Barrett Walker's finger tightened on the trigger.