80: Chapter 8 He closed his eyes and thought about the situation on the West Coast 80: Chapter 8 He closed his eyes and thought about the situation on the West Coast “GO!
The Saint Rodu Police Department’s Niangniang Temple precinct was in utter chaos.
The highest level of alarm beeped incessantly with a ‘beep-beep-beep’ sound.
Captain Gru of the Niangniang Temple precinct’s action team shouted loudly, urging his team members on.
“Three people to a car, move out as soon as you’re ready, GO!”
The cops, equipped and wearing bulletproof vests, climbed into patrol cars one by one.
Each car had a riot shield; now, their task was to hit the road as fast as possible to reinforce urgently.
Other officers were prepping rescue equipment, preparing for the potential aftermath of a gunfight.
Five robbers had taken a child hostage on a certain road in Saint Rodu.
At first, no one paid much attention to this common abduction case, just another day in America.
Yes, the kidnapping of a child was serious.
Every year there are so many school shootings, mass casualties.
The LAPD said, “It’s just one kidnapping, don’t panic, we’ve already deployed police forces.”
But it was only after the LAPD leadership received a call from a big shot of the Democratic Party on the West Coast that they realized the magnitude of the problem.
The child wasn’t just snatched off the street.
He was kidnapped by five robbers who blocked the road with a truck, despite being under the protection of a bodyguard and a driver.
The child’s father was an important donor to the Democratic Party!
The bodyguard and driver had been killed, and the person who reported the kidnapping did not know the identity of the child!
Consequently, over an hour after the incident, the LAPD had not been able to deploy a large police force in time to follow up.
By now, the five robbers were almost out of Saint Rodu!
If they actually made it out of the city, the heads of the LAPD would be sweating bullets!
“Captain, you’ve got a call from Committee Member Tonks,”
a policewoman said with a pained expression, handing Gru the mobile phone from the office.
Gru glared at the policewoman, but he knew no one dared refuse a call from such a big shot on his behalf.
Reluctantly answering, Tonks’s roar came through immediately.
“Gru, this happened in your Niangniang Temple precinct’s jurisdiction.
Have you become impotent from soliciting prostitutes?
Is your Niangniang Temple precinct full of useless trash?
Why did you let them get that far?
Now they have nearly crossed half the city district!”
Gru wanted to defend himself, but he had indeed just crawled out of bed and failed to handle the emergency promptly.
“Sir, we will do our utmost, please rest assured!”
“I’ve already sent SWAT and the Emergency Action Department to deal with it.
Now I command you to make sure your men secure the perimeter, preventing the desperate criminals from breaking through the cordon!
If you can’t even manage that, I’ll throw you into the sea, I’m not joking, trash!
It was not that Tonks was deliberately picking a fight; the trouble today was just too big.
The hostage was the young son of an important Democratic Party donor!
California is the Democratic Party’s territory.
If they couldn’t give the donor a proper explanation, the Democratic Party would lose face!
Even the police had to handle the kidnappers with caution—they had to ensure the safety of the hostage.
There were two reasons, in order of priority.
First, the hostage was a child, not an adult like in past incidents.
Second, the hostage was the child of a true American lord, not a regular child.
If it had been an ordinary child, a couple more ‘sorry’s and ‘pity’s would have sufficed if he’d died.
But a donor’s child was different!
In the eyes of the Democratic Party, in the eyes of this Democratic Party’s dog, Tonks.
The life of a patron’s child is as precious as gold!
“Yes, Commissioner Tonks, I understand!”
Gru clenched his teeth as he handed the phone to the trembling female officer in front of him and spit on the ground.
You old piece of shit!
If I get the chance, I’m definitely taking you down!
The Saint Rodu police department, also known as the LAPD, is made up of four major divisions, each reporting to the Los Angeles Police Department Chief Committee.
The other members of the Chief Committee are basically retired and no longer deal with the mess of the four divisions.
Only this Tonks, at sixty years old, was still wagging his tail for the Democratic Party like a dog!
Technically, Gru’s superior is the chief of the Niangniang Temple division, but the chief is currently on vacation in Hawaii.
So, at this moment, Gru is effectively the leader of the Niangniang Temple division!
But how could Gru not be angry when Tonks, this dog of the Democratic Party, showed him such disrespect?
“Boss Gru, should I lead the team, or should you do it personally?”
Seeing his boss looking dark and brooding, as if contemplating something, one of Gru’s subordinates couldn’t hold back anymore, breaking the silence.
So many officers had already departed, they must send someone significant to back them up.
“Haha, Jax, no worries, I was just thinking about how Saint Rodu has become more chaotic.
Let’s go, get in my car, and we’ll head over to take a look.
We can talk about how to handle things on the way.”
Interrupted by his subordinate, Gru didn’t mind.
He pulled Jax along, and they both took their seats in the back of the command vehicle.
“Boss, fresh news, those robbers fled near Red Street, and technically, that’s not within our Niangniang Temple division’s jurisdiction.”
Jax was Gru’s most trusted subordinate, and his words were exceedingly astute.
Gru understood what his subordinate meant—let others worry about their own issues, we just need to make an appearance and that’s quite enough.
Shaking his head, Gru tapped the driver’s seat back with his knee, signaling the driver to slow down.
“This issue isn’t as simple as you think.
The one who just called me is Tonks from the Chief Committee; he’s nothing but an old dog that seeks to please his master!
You get what I’m saying?”
Hearing his boss bluntly refer to a senior leader as a dog, Jax maintained his composure, even showing an indignant expression in solidarity.
“Tonks doesn’t want to see you become the permanent chief of the Niangniang Temple division that easily, we shouldn’t get too involved in this matter.
If anything unexpected happens, the outcome would be…”
The back seat fell silent.
The driver kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, seemingly oblivious to the conversation happening behind him.
Gru’s left hand rested on the edge of the car window, his fingertips gently rubbing against the glass.
Seeing that his boss had no intention of speaking, Jax recollected the words he had just said, worried he might have misspoken.
After some thought, he finally spoke up.
Mid-sentence, Jax glanced at the driver sitting in the front, then fell silent again.
Gru smiled and reassuringly said,
“Jax, that’s why I have high hopes for you.
Don’t worry, he’s deaf, born without the hearing organs in both ears.”
Despite the limited space inside the vehicle, Jax, sitting next to Gru, tried his best to turn his body respectfully and bow.
“Boss, I will always follow you.
I don’t think that dog Tonks will be jumping around for much longer, what do you think?”
Gru didn’t answer; he closed his eyes, pondering the situation on the West Coast.
Gru shook his head firmly and used his eyes to signal to his subordinate that now was not the time to move against the old dog.
“It’s not the time to talk about this.
Find out where the robbers are now, are they still on Red Street?
Where is the escort car taking us?”
Understanding Gru’s intention, Jax settled back into his seat, his heart eased.
He was ready to risk his life side by side, but if it could be avoided, all the better.
Those robbers actually entered a library—they’re holding hostages inside a library near Red Street!”