Shadows

Prologue

"Whimpering softly, the female hostage was dragged back into the building, her neck tightly gripped by the masked thug. Her tiny, hesitant steps mirrored her terror. A man’s lifeless body lay in front of them, a chilling reminder to the surrounding officers of the consequences.

'Stay back!' the trembling criminal shouted, brandishing his pistol at the circle of sheriffs. Though the officers didn’t flinch, the grim fate of the previous hostage had already heightened their vigilance.

'Bring in the negotiator!' Yao Wenhan, the commander of this operation, barked at a nearby officer.

'Don't come any closer! Let us go!' The thug, now more frantic, retreated into the building with the hostage. Despite his obvious panic, there was a calculated rhythm in his movements. Meanwhile, his accomplice was already stationed on the second floor, peering through a hidden window with binoculars, scanning for sniper positions and identifying the 'prey' among the sheriffs.

Once inside the building, the situation reached a deadlock.

Soon, the negotiator arrived.

'Our top priority is ensuring the hostage's safety, alright?' Yao Guanghan reminded him sternly.

'I'll do my best,' the negotiator replied, raising his hands as he cautiously approached.

On the rooftop, the hidden accomplice allowed a faint smile to curl at the corner of his lips.

'Don’t come any closer!' came the thug’s warning from inside.

'I'm here to negotiate! Would you be willing to exchange the hostage for a sheriff? How about a female officer?' The negotiator followed Yao Guanghan’s instructions carefully.

'Fine! Tie up one of the female sheriffs and send her in! Once she’s in, I’ll release this woman!'

The demand was clear, and all the officers on the scene heard it.

'Alright, we’ll comply with your request!' the negotiator responded.

Immediately, a few officers brought over some ropes and duct tape.

'Let me go,' a young, beautiful female sheriff, with delicate features and long legs clad in sheer black stockings beneath her pencil skirt, stepped forward.

'An Rou,' Yao Guanghan looked at her, 'we're counting on you.'

An Rou nodded, then turned to the officer holding the rope, 'Tie me up.'

The officer nodded, draping the rope around An Rou’s neck before winding it around her pale arms, binding her hands tightly behind her back. The high, awkward position of her bound arms forced her chest forward, emphasizing her curves. However, the officer discreetly left a slipknot within her reach, allowing An Rou a chance to free herself later.

All of this was observed by the hidden accomplice.

'She’s tied up now!' the negotiator called out.

'Gag her! Make sure she can't make a sound!' the thug demanded.

A simple strip of duct tape wouldn’t fool the thug, Yao Guanghan knew. They needed to thoroughly gag her.

'Does anyone have something we can use?' Yao Guanghan asked.

'Use this.' A female officer, unfazed by the stares around her, removed her shoes, lifted her skirt, and peeled off her black pantyhose, stuffing them into An Rou’s mouth.

'MMphh!' An Rou felt the faint scent of the fabric in her lungs, but for the sake of the hostage, she endured it.

The officer then sealed her mouth shut with duct tape, tightly binding it.

'MMphh!' An Rou nodded, signaling that she was ready.

'Everything’s done just as you asked!' the negotiator announced.

'Send her in!' the thug demanded.

An Rou stepped out from behind the riot shields and walked toward the building, while the snipers' sights followed her every move, ensuring her safety.

'Come here!' The thug watched her approach, and as soon as she was within reach, he grabbed her, shoving the original hostage forward to use her as cover. Then, in one swift motion, he pulled An Rou into his arms, making her the new hostage.

The snipers had no opportunity to take a shot.

'MMphh!' The released hostage ran as fast as she could toward the officers. A riot shield swiftly enclosed her in safety.

'MMphh!' An Rou, now in the thug’s grasp, was dragged into the building.

The moment they entered, a metal shutter slammed down, sealing them inside. 'Stay back!' the thug yelled.

'We’ve done everything you asked. Can we talk about your next demand now?' the negotiator pushed forward, though he harbored little hope. They were betting on An Rou freeing herself and turning the tables on the thugs.

An Rou had the same plan. She was already working her fingers toward the slipknot. But just as she was about to free herself, a hand suddenly appeared. The accomplice, hidden all this time, grabbed the knot.

'My, my, Sheriff,' he sneered, 'you’ve got quite the clever mind, don’t you?'

'MMphh!' An Rou hadn’t expected there to be two of them, nor that they knew about the slipknot.

With a quick yank, the slipknot was transformed into a dead knot, sealing her fate. The five-point binding was now truly secure.

'MMphh!' Before she could process what was happening, the two thugs forced her to the cold cement floor, pinning her down. One thug gripped her legs tightly as the other wrapped her limbs with rope, binding her legs securely.

'Since we're already here, let me share something with you, Sheriff,' the second thug whispered into her ear. 'You were the target all along.'

'MMphh!' An Rou's mind raced, her body twisting helplessly against the tight ropes. Soon after, they searched her thoroughly and stuffed her into a large suitcase.

'Three layers of soundproofing, three layers of breathable padding... you're going to be quite well protected...' The two thugs lifted the suitcase upright and opened a hidden underground tunnel. All the while, the surrounding officers were completely oblivious.

'Now, can you tell us your demands?' the negotiator kept the conversation going.

'What’s going on inside?' Yao Wenhan asked, confused.

'No idea, we haven’t seen any movement,' the snipers reported.

'They might have fled!' a voice suddenly crackled through the radio.

'He Minghui?' Yao Wenhan exclaimed, 'What are you doing here?'

'Just passing by, borrowed a car and a radio,' He Minghui replied as he parked the car in an alleyway.

'Don’t do anything reckless!' Yao Wenhan was worried about the young sheriff. His inexperience and recklessness could lead to trouble.

'The entire building is covered in obstacles that make it hard for the snipers to get a clear shot. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?' He Minghui gripped the steering wheel. 'And their proficiency in swapping hostages to avoid the snipers—these guys are pros. This isn’t some random, out-of-control hostage situation.'

'What are you saying?' Yao Wenhan asked.

'The building is probably empty by now,' He Minghui responded.

'Are you sure?' Yao Wenhan was skeptical.

'Ninety percent sure,' He Minghui’s answer lacked conviction.

'Send in the surveillance car!' Yao Wenhan ordered the ground control team to deploy a reconnaissance vehicle. Despite trusting He Minghui’s judgment, he couldn’t risk the hostage’s life.

Little did they know, this was all part of the thugs’ plan. By now, they had already emerged on the other side of the underground tunnel, well outside the police’s perimeter.

'We’ve got her!' The thug in the passenger seat turned to look at the suitcase strapped securely in the backseat. 'By the time they realize there’s no one inside, we’ll be long gone.' The driver chuckled as the automatic garage door slowly opened, sunlight pouring in.

'Where are you now?' Yao Wenhan asked He Minghui.

'I checked the map. There's an old industrial complex near the perimeter with minimal surveillance and a maze of roads. There’s only one blind spot for the cameras—I'm going to gamble on it,' He Minghui's voice brimmed with confidence as he drove into position.

'Don’t do anything reckless!'

'Report! The building’s empty!' The ground team’s voice echoed through the comms, reaching He Minghui.

'I was right!' He Minghui slammed the gas pedal.

In a flash, his car crashed into the vehicle trying to leave the garage, sending debris flying. The two thugs were instantly pinned down by the airbags.

'Whew,' He Minghui exhaled, stepping out of the car. Comically removing the helmet he’d borrowed from the traffic police, he wobbled over to the other car and cuffed the two dazed thugs.

'Well-planned criminals like these, if they’d escaped, would’ve been impossible to track down again,' he muttered, dragging the large suitcase out of the backseat. Opening it, he found An Rou, tightly bound inside.

Thanks to the special design of the suitcase, she was completely unharmed.

'Hey! He Minghui! What’s your status?' Yao Wenhan’s voice shouted over the radio.

'Feels like I broke a rib…' He Minghui chuckled, lying on the ground, awaiting backup and an ambulance.

Hospital

The sound of high heels clicked on the hospital floor. A young woman in a black pencil skirt and sheer stockings briskly approached the reception desk. 'Which room is He Minghui in?' she asked.

'Room 304,' the nurse replied.

'Thank you!' The woman hurried upstairs, opening the door.

'Lan?' He Minghui, munching on an apple, looked up in surprise at Xia Lan’s appearance. 'Aren’t you supposed to be at work?'

'You scared me to death!' Xia Lan sat down by the bed. 'They told me you’d been in a car accident, so I rushed over.'

'I can see that,' He Minghui glanced at her work attire, 'You look great, by the way.'

'You’re still joking? I was terrified!' Xia Lan’s worry quickly turned into irritation, and she gave He Minghui a hard shove.

'It's okay, I’m fine...' He Minghui tried to console her.

'You’re impossible!' Xia Lan huffed.

'Did I interrupt something?' Yao Wenhan entered the room.

'Captain!' 'Yao, sir!' The two looked at him in surprise. 'What brings you here?'

'Your boyfriend here gave us all quite a scare,' Yao Wenhan said, shaking his head at Xia Lan.

'Sorry for the trouble,' Xia Lan replied.

'In the end, he caught the criminals and saved the hostage, didn’t he?' He Minghui chimed in.

'You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that—ramming a car like that,' Yao Wenhan said, patting his shoulder. 'The doctor says you’ll be fine. You can leave by the weekend.'

'The weekend? Do I really need to stay that long?' He Minghui protested.

'You’ll stay here and rest, or else,' Xia Lan snapped, her frustration bubbling over.

'Got it,' He Minghui replied, looking like a chastised child.

'Hey, what are you two doing this weekend?' Yao Wenhan asked.

'Why?' Xia Lan asked.

'My family’s going on a picnic, and I was wondering if you two would like to join us,' Yao Wenhan suggested.

'Sure, I’m free.' Xia Lan looked at He Minghui. 'What do you think?'

'I’m in. I’ll consider it part of my medical leave,' He Minghui replied with a grin.

But beneath this calm surface, dark forces were stirring...

Weekend, Countryside

'Minghui! Over here!' Twelve-year-old Yao Ningyue waved at He Minghui and Xia Lan as they approached.

He Minghui waved back, heading toward the tent where Yao Wenhan and his wife, Jiang Yue, were busy setting up.

'Planning to stay the night?' He Minghui asked as he helped Yao Wenhan with the gear.

'This little one insisted on stargazing, so we brought the telescope along,' Yao Wenhan nodded toward the telescope set up next to the car.

'We’ve got something for you too!' Ningyue chirped, opening the car’s trunk and pulling out a second tent.

'How thoughtful,' Xia Lan smiled, patting Ningyue’s head, then glanced at He Minghui. 'Are we staying the night?'

'I don’t mind,' He Minghui shrugged. 'The weather’s perfect for stargazing.'

Soon enough, the picnic turned into a full-blown camping trip. Two large tents were set up, along with a barbecue grill and a campfire.

As night fell, Yao Wenhan attempted to light the fire, but it just wouldn’t catch.

'What’s wrong?' Jiang Yue asked.

'The wood’s damp,' Yao Wenhan muttered, standing up. 'I’ll go gather some dry firewood.'

'I’ll come with you,' He Minghui offered, knowing it would be a bit of a physical task.

As the two men ventured into the woods, a figure hidden among the trees whispered into a radio, 'Wait until they’re far enough, then make your move.'

'You’ve got some nerve, Minghui,' Yao Wenhan said, picking up a dry branch.

'Everything turned out fine in the end, didn’t it?' He Minghui chuckled, gathering more wood.

'You’ve got a lot of nerve to say that after how many reports you’ve made me write?' Yao Wenhan complained.

'Writing reports is better than not catching the bad guys, don’t you think? Besides, with your talent, writing a couple of reports should be no big deal.'

'You’ve got guts, kid!' Yao Wenhan laughed, giving He Minghui a playful nudge on the shoulder.

'Now! Do it!'

Suddenly, the roar of an engine broke the quiet night, grabbing their attention.

'What’s going on?' they wondered, confused.

'Let’s go check!'

Out of nowhere, a van burst into the campsite.

'Who are you?' Xia Lan shouted.

Jiang Yue immediately sensed something was wrong. 'Ningyue, run!'

As soon as she heard her mother, Yao Ningyue bolted toward the woods where her father had gone.

'Where do you think you’re going?' A man leaped out of the van, grabbing her arm. 'Let me go!' Ningyue struggled, but couldn’t break free.

Xia Lan quickly grabbed a stone from the campfire and hurled it at the man. 'Ningyue, run!'

The stone hit the man, making him lose his grip just enough for Ningyue to escape.

'You i***t! Get her!' another man barked, grabbing Xia Lan’s wrist before she could throw another stone. Jiang Yue lunged at him, trying to help, tearing at the man’s arm.

'Get off me!' The man shoved Jiang Yue to the ground, where her head struck a rock. She passed out.

'You!' Xia Lan slapped at the man, but it was no use. He pinned her to the ground. 'Behave yourself!' he sneered, pulling out tape and binding her wrists and ankles.

Terrified, Yao Ningyue ran toward the woods, but just as she was about to reach safety, the man caught up and grabbed her.

'Help! Help!' she screamed, but the man clamped his hand over her mouth, stopping her from biting him.

Just as the man was preparing to leave, He Minghui suddenly burst out of the trees, snatching Ningyue away. The force sent all three of them tumbling down a small hill. He Minghui clung tightly to Ningyue, shielding her from injury, while his face was slashed by a rock.

'Ningyue!' Yao Wenhan calmly descended the slope. The man, trembling, scrambled to his feet. As soon as he saw Yao Wenhan approaching, he bolted, disappearing into the night.

'Are you alright?' Yao Wenhan gently lifted Ningyue off He Minghui, but her legs were trembling too much from fear to stand.

'Mom… Sister Lan…' Ningyue mumbled, still in shock.

Hearing her words, He Minghui’s heart sank. Ignoring his pain, he jumped up and sprinted back to the campsite.

When he arrived, the van’s engine was roaring. Jiang Yue lay on the ground, blood trickling from her forehead.

'MMphh!' Xia Lan’s face appeared in the van’s rear window, her mouth sealed with tape.

'Xia Lan!'

In an instant, He Minghui charged at the van like a madman.

Bang!

A single gunshot shattered the rear window, the bullet piercing He Minghui’s abdomen.

He collapsed to the ground, the searing pain growing as blood poured from the wound, his vision slowly blurring.

Desperately, he forced his eyes to stay open, watching as the van drove off into the distance. Xia Lan’s terrified, despairing eyes stared back at him through the window...

'Xia Lan...'"