Captured By The Cold Detective (BL)-Chapter 405: Not On His Watch!
At that moment, He Juan suddenly recalled the confidential report from Interpol that Marius had shown him. Ten years ago, in a small town in Canada, a young child manifested without a warning in the middle of the street and ended up killing seven people who were closest to him. The child was then taken into the military hospital, but in the end...
The image of the foreigner’s boy flashed through his mind. Such a thin, fragile and terrified boy. Too weak and helpless to contend against the cruelty and malice of the world.
If He Juan did nothing, the boy in front of him would most likely become the next victim of such harrowing fate. No, he could not allow that tragedy to repeat all over again – not on his watch!
"How long has it been since his manifestation period started?" A hint of anger bled into his tone as he questioned Ye Qiu in a hurried tone, "Do you know how dangerous this situation is?! If his pheromones explode here, then many people will die and all of you will not be safe either!"
"I–I know..." Ye Qiu’s thin shoulders shook, and her complexion turned even more ghastly. "It’s my fault... I didn’t notice it until it was too late. I am trying to suppress it using my own pheromones, but it will not work for long. Please...!" She fell down on her knees in front of He Juan with her head hung low, anguished tears streaming down her face. For an Alpha, such a humble act was more excruciating than peeling off one’s skin, but she did not even hesitate to do it if she could save the child whom she had taken as her own brother. "Please save him... I beg you, XIU! I will do anything for you – anything! Even if you want to kill me or hand me over to the authorities, I will comply. But please save Xiao Gu, he’s still too young!"
"No!" The children started crying one after another when they heard Ye Qiu’s words, adding chaos to the already tense atmosphere. "Ye-jiejie, don’t go... don’t leave us here!!"
"Quiet!" Ye Qiu barked out with bloodshot eyes.
He Juan bit the inside of his cheek harder, using the pinch of pain to keep his instinct in check. The saturated pheromones in the air were akin to a sharp spear that kept prodding and provoking his Alpha, and it was only through sheer willpower and resolution that he could keep his feet rooted in place instead of going on a mad rampage. As a superior Alpha, he had never been affected by other Alphas’ pheromones no matter how repulsive they were, and it was not until now that he learned how challenging it was to control his own Alpha!
After making sure that he would not accidentally attack these children amidst his manic haze, He Juan stepped forward to lift Ye Qiu up. "There’s no need for you to do this, Little Miss Ye. I would still help you nonetheless. First thing first, pull back your pheromones."
"But Xiao Gu..."
He Juan pondered for a while before taking off his suit jacket, handing it over to her. "Here, you can wrap him with this. It will cover his scent for a short while, enough until we get into the car." He had far too many experiences in dealing with those hostile and distrustful gazes. He knew that he would only make things worse if he got close to them, and thus he could only leave this task to Ye Qiu.
He Juan could finally breathe a little easier when the pheromones began to dissipate in the air. He waited outside the door as the six minors hastily packed up their meager belongings into two duffel bags, which were easily carried by Ye Qiu. Their familiarity and ease told He Juan that this was not their first or second time to do this – having to flee their momentary shelter without a notice.
Xiao Gu was being carried behind the back of another boy around twelve or thirteen years old, and the other children stuck close to Ye Qiu like baby birds seeking comfort from their mother.
"Ready?" He Juan asked, earning him a resolute nod from the girl. Then he told her, "My car is parked right downstairs. As soon as I give the signal, run and get inside as fast as you can. Do not let anybody see your faces, understand?"
"Don’t worry, XIU," Ye Qiu reassured him with a nod. "After all, we have been doing this for months."
’Months’, He Juan repeated with a painful twinge in his heart. Exactly what kind of life had they been living while they were on the run? He could not even begin to fathom how big of a pressure Ye Qiu had to shoulder as the oldest one. She had to become the pillar and backbone for the five others who were relying on her, and she could not allow herself to bend or break. She stood tall, proud and unyielding, just like her pheromones that smelled like a stretch of bamboo forest.
He Juan reached out gingerly and patted her on the shoulder, causing Ye Qiu to snap her head up to him in shock.
Next, He Juan looked around to make sure that the surroundings were clear, and then he commanded, "Go!"
Six minors and one adult rushed down the stairs in perfect tandem, with He Juan taking the rear. And as Ye Qiu had stated earlier, they were indeed very proficient in slipping away. Everytime they bumped into a person, they would hang their head low, tug up their collar and walk quicker. Sometimes they would warrant dubious glances, but He Juan swiftly took over with a bright smile and succeeded in drawing all the attention to himself.
They reached the first floor soon after, and He Juan pressed on the car key to unlock the door. "Get in!"
Ye Qiu opened the door to the backseat and pushed the others inside first. "Quickly!" They scrambled into the car in a tangled mess of limbs, but none of them could afford to care about it right now.
Just then, the hair on He Juan’s nape stood on its end and his instinct alerted him of a great danger nearby. Ye Qiu also reacted the same, though she was a beat slower than him. He Juan’s gaze moved to the last child who was halfway into the car and his eyes widened when he saw a red dot aiming right at where his heart was.
A sniper! There was a sniper targeting them right now!
Without even thinking, He Juan moved on instinct to shove the kid into the car and slammed the door shut, and a fraction of second later, a bullet grazed the metal body of the car, missing his arm by a hair’s breadth.
The sharp collision attracted the passersby around, and when more bullets landed on the pavement, they instantly broke out into a cacophony of screams and scurried away like headless flies, "AH—! Run, someone is using a gun!!"
Damn it! He Juan cursed under his breath as he shouted at Ye Qiu urgently, "Protect your head and get in!"
Ye Qiu pulled open the door to the driver’s seat and ducked her head just in time for a bullet to pierce through the window and shattered the glass to pieces. She nimbly rolled to the adjacent seat, allowing He Juan to get in after her.
Two more bullets landed on the door right as He Juan slammed it shut. Gritting his teeth, he shifted the stick and stepped hard on the accelerator. The car’s engine rumbled to life and drove away from that place with a sharp screech of tires.
"Are you guys okay?!" Ye Qiu turned around to check on the five others, especially Xiao Gu, and she could finally be relieved when she saw that they were all okay and Xiao Gu was still sleeping while being wrapped in He Juan’s large jacket. But then, when she turned her gaze to the front again, she was shocked to see the smear of blood on He Juan’s pristine white shirt that kept spreading by each passing second.
"XIU—!" Her eyes widened in horror. When did he get shot? Was it when he was covering for them earlier?!
However, the man in question did not even bat an eyelid and only floored the accelerator harder, taking over one car after another in a thrilling manner.
"It’s okay, Little Missy. This little injury is nothing." He had one hand firmly holding the wheel, while the other was holding a phone to his ear. If not for the blood that soaked through his shirt, no one could ever tell that he had a bullet in his stomach from how composed he was.
"Hello?" He Juan said once the call was connected. "Yeah, I have a bit of a situation here..."
