Chapter 70: The Touch (Please Continue Reading)

Why didn’t you tell me earlier? If you’d told me, I wouldn’t have rushed in.

He would never have charged forward if he’d known they were bringing in the SEB tactical team. It wasn’t like he had to kill the target at all costs.

The gunman was clad in body armor and a helmet, while he only had a nine-millimeter pistol. Charging in for a direct confrontation would be sheer madness.

Bang, bang, bang.

Ao Xi turned his head, seeing the gunman inside the motel firing outward, trying to keep the police at bay. But it was pointless.

There were too many cops now—dozens of cruisers had surrounded the entire motel.

The gunman fired a few shots, realized it wasn’t helping, and stopped shooting outside. Instead, he found the main power switch and plunged the motel into darkness.

What a fool. SEB had night vision goggles—turning off the lights wouldn’t help, only limiting his own vision. Unless he had night vision too, but Ao Xi doubted it, grumbling inwardly.

Just then, a police car slipped through the cordon and stopped at the motel’s front entrance. Ao Xi saw the man getting out was Chief Mesa. He was having a rough night, unable to sleep and now here to command.

Normally, Mesa’s presence wouldn’t concern Ao Xi, but he noticed the chief point at him and wave his phone.

Ao Xi scratched his head, puzzled as to why Mesa would call him. A moment later, his phone rang.

“Hello, Chief, it’s Ao Xi.”

“Ao Xi, do you think you can lead a team and take down the gunman before SEB arrives?”

Ao Xi was taken aback. “Why? Wouldn’t it be better to let SEB handle it?”

“Because this gunman is on our turf. He shot and wounded, killed officers from our precinct. Think of Brian, think of Rick.

If we can’t handle him ourselves, if we must call in SEB, it shows the whole precinct is incompetent! We must prove our courage and strength!”

It was much the same as what Wally had said before: if you can’t solve it yourself and have to call in backup, it makes you look weak.

Mesa sensed Ao Xi’s silence and assumed he was considering. “I heard you gave Rick first aid, and you carried Brian’s body back—you’ve already done plenty. If you’re unwilling, it’s fine. It’s dangerous. I’ll choose another officer to lead the team.”

“Who said I wouldn’t go?”

If this were just about tallying another kill, Ao Xi wouldn’t bother—there were plenty of street punks, no need to risk his life.

But thinking of his fallen colleagues, and Rick, with whom he’d just shared a barbecue, he felt conflicted.

Mesa’s reminder that he’d done enough stirred something in him. To quit halfway was the worst; if he had a reputation score, it would have gone up already, but if he finished this, defended Temple Precinct’s honor, his reputation would surely double.

“Get me two grenades. I’ll blow him up.”

“If I had grenades, would I need you? I’d do it myself!” Mesa retorted irritably.

A chief who couldn’t get grenades—what use was he? But perhaps it wasn’t about availability, but the risk. This wasn’t war; a police officer tossing grenades would be a public relations disaster.

“If you need stun grenades, smoke grenades, night vision goggles, I can get them for you immediately,” Mesa said.

Ao Xi didn’t reply, peering at the motel shrouded in darkness. The building was made of brick, the main entrance to his left. The gunman had entered through a side door, plunging the interior into pitch blackness. He couldn’t see inside, but motels were usually similar: a corridor with rooms on each side.

The trouble was, the motel had three floors, each with many rooms.

He couldn’t be sure the gunman was still in the same room. Even SEB, with night vision, would have to search room by room, unless the gunman gave away his location.

He thought for a moment, then picked up his phone. “Give me a night vision goggle and a shotgun loaded with shells.”

“No problem. Anything else?”

“That’s enough.”

“How many people do you need?”

“None. I’ll go alone.”

Mesa was shocked. “You alone? Is that possible?”

“A full assault will mean casualties. We’ve already lost enough today. I’ll go up alone, check things out. If the chance comes, one shot is enough. If not, even with more people, we’ll have to wait for SEB.”

Mesa considered it and agreed. His officers could handle routine cases, but storming a barricaded gunman was another matter. He couldn’t afford more losses.

Ao Xi, meanwhile, preferred to act solo. With his own skills, he could sense where the suspect was and slip in quietly. With a team, that wouldn’t work; they’d have to search room by room. Might as well wait for SEB.

He nodded. Nearby officers fetched the gear—a TNVC Mohawk Mk3 soldier system, equipped with a PVS-31A battery pack and PVS-31A night vision goggles. On the helmet’s top, a CORE Survival HELSTAR 6 strobe light, able to emit white and infrared for friend-or-foe identification.

Ao Xi had never worn such gear before, but the dual-tube night vision wasn’t uncomfortable; only the green vision took some getting used to.

He moved slowly through the parked cars, shotgun in hand, edging up to the motel wall. He searched along the windows and found one shattered by stray bullets. Clearing away broken glass, he slipped inside.

The room was a wreck, scattered possessions and clothes everywhere. One could imagine the despair of the guest who heard gunfire and saw bullets shatter their window.

Ao Xi paused for a moment of silent respect, activated his silent movement skill, avoided obstacles, and followed the open door out.

Outside was as he expected: a long corridor flanked by rooms, standard for a motel. Not far away, a staircase led up.

He quietly intoned, “Location of the gunman who wounded Rick,” and sensed the man was upstairs.

Ao Xi pretended to search a few rooms, then avoided debris in the corridor, inching toward the stairs, step by step.

He climbed to the third floor, but there were no more stairs. Yet he felt the gunman was still above. He realized the man had gone up onto the roof, likely to shoot down at the police or prevent SEB from landing a helicopter.

Searching the third floor, Ao Xi finally found a steel retractable ladder at a corner. It would make noise, surely alerting the gunman.

He switched his phone to silent and texted Mesa: “Gunman is on the roof. Beware of gunfire. Make some noise to cover me.”

Moments later, shouts and gunfire erupted outside.

The gunman on the roof immediately opened fire downward, trying to keep the police at bay.

Ao Xi seized the chance, climbing the steel ladder as it creaked loudly.

Luckily, the rooftop gunfire didn’t cease, and Ao Xi breathed easier as he quickly climbed.

He reached the roof and peeked out. In the distance, a shadow was prone on the opposite slope, body concealed by the roof, firing downward nonstop. Beside him lay several guns and magazines.