Brown sprinted forward, his heart sinking as he saw gunfire perfectly blocking their escape route.Men could not outrun helicopters. Small handguns stood no chance against heavy‑duty onboard weaponry.“Stop running! That’s a military attack helicopter from the training base!” the middle‑aged man shouted in a desperate warning. “Keep going and you’ll be shot dead right here!”Already gravely injured, the bearded man collapsed from exhaustion after the frantic flight. He stumbled, overcome with despair. “We’re done… We can’t get out. We kept everything so tight‑lipped. How did we get exposed?”“Get down on the ground!” The helicopter circled overhead, barking another sharp warning.Brown clenched his fists tight. Gritting his teeth, he dropped to his knees with his hands on his head. Fury burned in his eyes as he hissed a warning to the middle‑aged man. “If you talk and drag anyone else into this, you’ll be the first one to die.”Shaken to his core, the middle‑aged man stared at them. “

Kane reacted with lightning speed. He stepped sideways and drew back half a pace while driving his boot hard into the burly man on his left, hitting him in the ribs.The man was sent flying. He stumbled four or five steps backward before slamming heavily into the wall and collapsing to the ground with a groan.Having felled the first attacker, Kane snatched a wooden stool from beside the table. Using all his upper‑body strength, he smashed it toward the second assailant closing in on him.Chaos erupted inside the room in an instant. Raven snapped out of her daze, jumped to her feet, and tried to shove the assault operative closing in on them.“Don’t move!”The three remaining operatives outside moved in unison. They raised their weapons and chambered rounds, the muzzles of military submachine guns locking firmly onto the two people inside. The cold menace of the metal weapons hung heavy in the air.Kane froze mid‑swing with the stool. Unarmed against standard‑issue firearms, he stood

Cole saw the whole picture at once. “So the shooting took out the second‑in‑command’s key connections and funding pipeline.”“Exactly,” the man replied. “What matters more is that the orphanage had peripheral ties to Military Intelligence. Even without pressure from the second‑in‑command, Military Intelligence would have launched a full investigation to protect its own covert network.”“Right now, everyone within the police system assumes the Novara man taken in the cross‑border arrest is the gunman’s accomplice. Their goals for the arrest are twofold: confirm whether Silas is truly dead, and force a full confession to cement the gunman’s severe criminal charges.”Cole had sorted out every thread of the case. He gave a low‑voiced word of thanks. “Understood. Thank you.”After hanging up, Cole’s gaze turned sharp, and he moved swiftly to lay out plans.“Ingram, head back to police headquarters at once and file a written report. State that Kane, captain of Unit One, has gone missing and

Director Faulkner took the main seat and got straight to the point in a cold, flat tone. "You’ve all traveled a long way. What brings you here?"Wentworth dropped all formalities and asked sharply. "We have confirmed that your department detained our active sheriff Kane across district lines this morning. I am here to ask for the specific charges, tangible evidence, and visitation rights for our officer."Director Faulkner replied indifferently. "This case is under classified investigation. His identity has not been fully verified yet."A cold smile crossed Wentworth’s face, his tone firm. "The arrest operation is fully documented, with witnesses and physical evidence. His identity has long been confirmed. Director Faulkner, there is no need for evasion.""If his identity is confirmed, then why are you here pressing me for answers?" Director Faulkner retorted haughtily, refusing to yield an inch."I demand access to him," Wentworth stood his ground. "Detaining an active law‑enforcemen

【Outside the Building】Cole lowered his voice and gave Ingram instructions. “Go back with Director Wentworth first to secure ties with Central Bureau. I will stay behind alone to monitor the situation.”“Understood.” Ingram caught on right away.Cole politely saw Wentworth off. With courteous reassurances, he steadied the man’s frame of mind and secured Central Bureau’s firm support for their side, winning their commitment to pursue accountability.Once the others had left, Cole hailed a small transit tram on the snow‑covered, freezing street.As Chief Councilor of District One, he wielded virtually no clout in Southspire and found himself trapped in a tough spot. He bowed his head, repeatedly editing messages, working frantically to pave the way for Kane.He poured so much effort into helping Kane not merely because their interests were intertwined — rising and falling together — but also because he genuinely admired Kane’s grit and bold resolve. Across his decades‑long career in law