An hour later, the case at the warehouse was exposed. Abbigail personally wrote a detailed report, bringing the case to the attention of officials and the public.
Compared to scenes of violence, people were even less tolerant of the trafficking of women and children, as it brought lifelong pain to countless families.
Abbigail also demonstrated in detail the traffickers’ tricks on the bus, advising people to call the police immediately if accused of being thieves in public transportation.
As the case progressed, Judith and her team quickly pointed their focus toward Pierce.
The police took him into custody at the hospital by noon.
At the same time, Judith discovered that Pierce’s wound was from a gunshot, adding a shooting suspicion to his charges and making his situation even more desperate.
That afternoon, all businesses and establishments connected to Pierce were seized by the police, who also rounded up more than forty prostitutes.
Facing pressure from the police and public opinion, Pierce could only buy time by knocking himself unconscious in the hospital while trying to devise a strategy.
Meanwhile, the police intentionally downplayed the masked killer’s role, neither making him a hero nor putting him on a wanted list, only assigning people to investigate quietly.
At dusk, Judith led another team of officers, using Darnell’s information to rescue more than thirty children from a basement.
Frida was among them.
Watching Frida’s smile on television, Darnell felt relieved.
With police action and Darnell’s help, the police also found Nathen at another location.
Nathen still couldn’t remember his past and was terrified of his current situation. For safety, Sophia moved into Woodsea, reunited with her brother.
While the police were reaping their rewards, Darnell had no rest. He joined Callum and other Apex members, lying in ambush outside Valentin’s villa.
The warehouse incident today had the Axe busy, and Valentin was overwhelmed. His subordinates, other branch leaders of the Axe, and police officers came non-stop, keeping the villa lively from afternoon until night.
During this time, Valentin went out the main gate at least eight times to see off police officials who came with messages.
Valentin’s villa finally quieted down at midnight.
Darnell and Callum appeared precisely on time, dispersing their men. At two in the morning, Darnell gave the signal with a wave of his hand.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
Eighteen Apex members rose simultaneously, shooting eighteen fireworks toward Valentin’s villa.
“Bang, bang, bang!”
The fireworks exploded in the garden, displaying a beautiful array of colors, attracting the attention of both the Axe members and the guards, who stared wide-eyed.
“Go!”
Darnell waved his hand again, stepping back himself.
Callum nodded slightly, drew his axe, and charged forward.
More than eighty Apex members followed closely behind, the killing intent filling the air.
Callum, who reached the entrance first, saw an enemy guard turning around. He swung his right hand, and the red axe traced a dazzling arc as it struck.
“Thud!”
The guard hadn’t even fully turned away from the fireworks when he was struck down by the red axe.
Callum didn’t even look at him. With a backhand swing, he blocked the knife of an ambusher.
“Screech!”
The axe tilted, its bloodied edge creating a grating sawing sound against the knife, inexplicably irritating.
Then he brought the axe down on the opponent’s neck. Callum kicked the opponent away and rushed toward the most intense battle!
Callum moved like a fierce tiger, killing seven people in succession, immediately pouncing on the next target after each strike.
Inspired by his brave and fierce attacks, the Apex members charged forward as if pumped with adrenaline. Soon, both sides were in an all-out battle.
The garden became a killing field. Nearly two hundred people from both sides fought furiously, with wails and screams coming from all directions, dismembered limbs visible everywhere.
Before long, dozens of injured bodies lay on the ground, making the night thick with bloodshed!
“Kill!”
As the battle raged, the garden, which originally had nearly a hundred guards, suddenly saw the arrival of a large batch of reinforcements. They wielded axes while charging at the Apex members with battle cries.
For a moment, the Apex were outnumbered and at risk of being surrounded, but Callum and his men didn’t panic, continuing to fight vigorously.
A moment later, Valentin darted out from the main door, shouting triumphantly, “Haha, Callum, I knew you would launch a sneak attack.”
“The Apex has always been shameless. You saw Pierce taken into police custody, and now Axe is under their watch too, you would definitely take advantage of the situation.”
“So I brought in reinforcements early, just waiting for you to walk into our trap.”
Valentin was quite pleased. Tonight’s battle would finally wash away my disgrace and allow me to report success to our boss.
Callum laughed heartily, his red axe whirling with power, “Valentin, who will prevail remains to be seen.”
“You have less than a hundred men, but I have two hundred.”
Valentin snorted dismissively, “This is my territory, and large reinforcements are coming to surround you. Your defeat is inevitable.”
Callum ignored him and led the Apex members into an all-out battle again. Valentin raised his machete and also charged forward with a battle cry.
Valentin moved extremely fast, dodged a knife, and kicked someone away. Just as he was about to follow up with a slash, he suddenly felt dizzy.
Then he saw his comrades struggling to stand steady, while the Apex members, noticing their condition, intensified their attacks.
In an instant, the Axe defense line crumbled, more than twenty men were knocked down, and the Apex members surged forward like a tide.
Two hundred elite fighters were no match for Callum and his men.
“How is this possible?”
Valentin struck down several men but also began to feel weak, his body swaying uncontrollably.
Then his head inexplicably became heavy.
An Apex member noticed his daze and silently threw a dagger!
“Clang!”
Valentin backhandedly deflected the incoming dagger, then slashed with a flourish, cutting down the attacker.
Amid the fighting, he wiped his head, finding it covered in smoke and dust.
“Retreat! Retreat quickly! The fireworks are poisoned!”
Valentin suddenly realized, his body trembling uncontrollably, finally understanding why their combat effectiveness had decreased!
The fireworks shot in earlier weren’t simply attack signals. Why would they need eighteen fireworks just to signal an attack?
There must have been some narcotic inside, reducing people’s fighting ability and turning it into a one-sided slaughter!
This plan was truly insidious and vicious!
Valentin felt extremely aggrieved. He anticipated the beginning but not the outcome. Two hundred men had surrounded the Apex members, but he hadn’t expected them to be poisoned by the fireworks.
At Valentin’s shout, the dizzy Axe members became even more flustered, starting to retreat, trying to get back to the villa for defense.
But before they reached the door, Callum and his men were already upon them, moving extremely fast. The Axe had to scatter, and Valentin also fled toward the back mountain.
Seeing no chance of victory, he decided to escape for now, wait for reinforcements, and then counterattack.
Valentin moved extremely fast. In less than two minutes, he reached the small path on the back mountain. Callum was very frustrated, not expecting Valentin to run so fast.
Escaping from the battlefield, Valentin hid in a place he considered safe, gasping for breath while cursing, “Damn! I’m exhausted, I’m exhausted.”
“Callum, just wait. When reinforcements arrive, I’ll kill all of you.”
Then he patted his head hard. “Argh, why am I getting dizzier? I’m already far from the villa.”
As he spoke, Valentin reached out to support himself against a tree trunk. When he touched it, he felt something slippery on his hand and neck.
As he looked at it closely…
Shit! Venomous snakes!
Some people feared dogs, cats, or spiders, but Valentin feared snakes. That slippery feeling made him wish he were dead.
A venomous snake coiled around his fingers, another around his neck, raising its upper body, its tongue flicking out with a hissing sound.
Tears nearly welled in Valentin’s eyes as he gritted his teeth, trying to get rid of the two snakes.
“Good evening, Valentin.”
A voice calmly reached him. “Why did you stop running? I thought I wouldn’t catch up to you.”
Valentin looked at the figure emerging, feeling overjoyed. “Darnell, no, Mr. Halford! Please help me get these snakes away.”
Darnell sauntered forward and grabbed the venomous snake on Valentin’s finger.
“Whoosh!”
But before Valentin could breathe a sigh of relief, Darnell stuffed the snake into his collar. The snake swiftly slithered in, moving around the warm chest.
Valentin’s entire body went limp, and he was on the verge of tears.