Chapter 2

“Only seven minutes left! What’s the status of the negotiations? Any news from over there?”

“The assault team and bomb squad are in position. Is the negotiation happening or not? We’re ready to breach at any moment!”

Commander Riley, the deputy, had yelled into the public channel for the fourth time. But the only response was Derek’s impatient fury.

“I’m telling you again, you’re just the deputy! Who gave you permission to speak out of turn? Everything goes through me, understand?!”

“Serena will be fine. It’s her first real mission, it’s normal to be a bit nervous. Just give her more time, she’ll get it done.”

But Commander Riley couldn’t wait. He was positioned directly above the hostage-taker’s floor, hearing everything crystal clear through his comms.

“Serena’s just fanning the flames! Everything she’s saying is only provoking him! If the hostage gets hurt, can you handle the consequences?!”

Derek, without a word, immediately cut Commander Riley’s comms and continued to yell into his headset:

“I said wait, so you wait! What’s with all the questions?!”

Then he suddenly turned to me:

“Cassidy, what do you think?”

I released my finger from the trigger, replying calmly:

“I’ll follow Derek’s lead. He’s the commander-in-chief right now, we should obey orders.”

Derek clearly paused at my words, but quickly recovered:

“Hear that? Look at Cassidy, *that’s* what I call a teammate!”

“Everyone listen up, any action must be approved by me first! Nobody moves until I say go!”

I observed the hostage-taker through my sniper scope. His face was getting redder, his breathing ragged, and the knife in his hand trembled. He was clearly losing control.

Meanwhile, that so-called negotiation expert, Serena, was still rambling on, like she was giving a speech, completely oblivious that the perp was about to snap.

*This* was Derek’s highly-praised “professional”?

Bombs had already been planted throughout the building. If the hostage-taker pressed the remote, the entire structure would be blown to smithereens.

Yet, Derek insisted on letting a rookie negotiation expert experiment, using the entire team’s lives as collateral.

In my last life, I was too hasty. In that split second, I fired my shot, pulling the terrified hostage to safety.

Serena’s useless performance was obvious to the whole team. Afterwards, she became a joke, everyone mocked her.

Gambling with everyone’s lives, only getting a few laughs was the team being merciful. She couldn’t handle the pressure and eventually quit, checking herself into a psychiatric hospital.

As for me, I was promoted for the successful rescue.

But Derek said nothing. For my next mission, he sent me undercover into a gang.

Just before the raid, after I’d secured my position, he suddenly sent my coordinates to the gang.

The gang members found me, tied me to a street light pole, and sliced me to death, piece by piece. The last thing I saw before I died was Derek standing in the distance, speaking into his phone, saying “revenge served.”

I didn’t need to guess. It was definitely on Serena’s behalf.

This time, I wouldn't make the same mistakes. I wanted to see how long they could keep this charade going.

Five minutes left. Everyone in the building held their breath, except for Serena, who stood casually in front of the hostage-taker.

“Hey, buddy, no need to get worked up. Put the knife down, let’s just talk this through.”

“That knife won’t do you any good now. Release him, can’t we just talk calmly?”

Her voice echoed through our comms, and everyone couldn't help but wonder—*this* was professional negotiation?

“Does she even know how to talk? She’s just repeating the same two sentences!”

“If two sentences could get someone to drop a knife, what do we even need the assault team for? Is she an idiot?”

“Damn it! Are we just supposed to stand here while she plays word games? Captain, let’s move!”

Serena heard them, of course. In my scope, I saw her, right in front of the hostage-taker, pout her lips and complain with a whimper:

“Well, if you’re so good, *you* do it!”

“Derek, I’m done. They’re bullying me!”

She started to cry. The entire channel went silent in stunned disbelief.

Someone couldn’t help but curse, “Lady, is this a playdate? Are you out of your mind?!”

A few hot-headed agents immediately started to yell at her.

Serena completely gave up. She turned and ran to the door, banging on it furiously:

“Open up! Let me out! I’m not doing this anymore!”

It wasn't that she couldn't withdraw, but the exit she chose was precisely where we’d set up a trap. If she came out through there, all our previous deployments would be compromised.

The agent who had just finished setting the trap and was withdrawing through a detour yelled in frustration:

“We went out of our way to secure that exit! I told you not to use it! Are you crazy?!”

Before his words faded, Derek spoke again:

“What’s all this racket?! Clear that position, let Serena come out through there!”

“Dare to talk back again, and you’ll be silenced too! Understand? Follow my orders!”

Serena, hearing this, actually chuckled in front of the hostage-taker:

“Hehe, Derek always spoils me the most.”

Even the hostage-taker looked like he was about to laugh from sheer disbelief and rage.

“Oh, really?! So you cops sent a clown just to piss me off, huh? Do you really think I’m that easy to mess with?!”

He tightened his right hand around the hostage’s neck, and his left hand pulled a bomb remote from his pocket.

“You dare to play me like this? Today, no one is getting out of here alive!”

Dealing with someone completely unhinged, out for revenge, required a delicate touch—praising him, building him up to stabilize his emotions and buy time.

Even I, a frontline combat operative, understood this. Yet, *she*, the "expert," was lecturing him, every word poking at his last nerve.

A warning blared in everyone’s comms: The hostage-taker had raised the remote, ready to detonate at any moment.

Every agent’s heart was pounding in their chest. One press, and we were all dead.

Sergeant Miller, the assault team leader, finally couldn't hold back. He made an urgent request:

“Captain! Assault team requests immediate breach! Hostage-taker is extremely agitated! Repeat, request immediate breach!”

The word “repeat” was a critical distress signal, indicating the situation had reached a breaking point, demanding immediate action.

My finger pressed hard on the trigger again. Protecting the public was a cop’s sworn duty.

But Derek’s answer was still the same:

“Wait! We move only after Serena is safely out!”

“Hehe, Derek’s the best! I knew you’d protect me!”

Serena’s childish whine filled the comms, but no one was in the mood to respond.

At that moment, the lives of everyone in the building hung by a thread. No one was smiling, and no one dared to curse.