Stella did not waste time, using a pair of scissors to cut open the pregnant woman's pants. The child's foot could already be seen. There was no time for a Caesarean. As time went by, the child would surely suffocate.
"Hold on a little longer." Stella injected anesthetic into the woman and made an incision across her lower body. The anesthetic had not kicked in yet.
Feeling the pain, the pregnant woman could not control her shouts, "I'm going to sue you, bitch! I will make sure you lose your license and never operate on another person again!"
"Once the child is safely delivered, you can sue me then. I'll wait for you." Stella shrugged her shoulders.
The child was delivered smoothly. Stella cut off the umbilical cord, and the child's loud cries reverberated throughout the room. Finally heaving a sigh of relief, Stella looked at the woman only to find that she had already fainted.
Stella's heart quickened and quickly placed down the child to check on her. "Official!" Stella glanced worriedly at Jasper.
Stealing a glance at her, Stella's forehead, the nose was already thinly veiled with a sheen of sweat. Something strange trickled in his heart.
"What's wrong?" His voice was deep.
"The blood pressure of the patient is very low, and we need to have an immediate blood transfusion and send her to a hospital for monitoring."
Looking towards the criminals, Jasper said without hesitation, "Let her go. I'll be your hostage." The trio glanced at each other, and the short-haired man looked at his watch.
"There is still 40 minutes before the plane arrives. Even if you stay and we let them go, that's just another ticking time bomb for us."
"I'll stay." Stella volunteered herself.
Surprised once more, Jasper looked at Stella. It was difficult to understand this woman.
Softening her tone, Stella said, "Send them to the hospital now, or it might be too late for both of them."
"Don't even think of leaving!" The short-haired man shouted.
"If you leave the pregnant woman and the newborn here, it will only be a burden to well-trained soldiers like yourselves."
"Let them go." The elder man suddenly spoke up.
Reluctantly, the short-haired man nodded and stood aside. Jasper stood quietly by Stella, and without another word, carried the lady and her child out. Outside the room, people were already standing ready to help. When the three of them emerged from the dark, the sigh of relief was audible.
"Send them to the hospital," His gaze sharpening, he continued, "Lieutenant Johnson, prepare the snipers."
"Chief, our mission is accomplished now that the hostages have been rescued. We can hand over the scene to the anti-drug brigade. You can rest now, Sir." The soldier spoke respectfully.
"How can I rest when the hostage is still inside?" Jasper's fury was fast and palpable.
Lieutenant Johnson could not understand his boss's fury. Just as how he could not understand why his Chief had chosen to undertake the mission personally.
"I'll arrange for the snipers immediately."
"If we have to choose between the safety of the hostage and letting the criminals go, choose the second option," Jasper added as an afterthought.
Lieutenant Johnson could barely hide his surprise.
The Chief had always impressed with his single-minded track focus, in particular when engaging with malicious forces.
Why was this time any different? Things were taking a surprising turn.
Time tickled by.
Jasper stood by the window, looking out to the scenery, his eyes an unfathomable black.
Three years ago, one of his mission had gone slightly awry.
He had been abandoned in the wilderness, left alone with the effects of an aphrodisiac flowing in his bloodstream. At the brink of losing consciousness, at the moment when he was about to faint, she had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
He had not controlled himself and had her.
When he woke up again, he was already in the army hospital. After utilizing all his resources, he finally found out who she was after two days. There she was, resplendent and pure like an angel standing at the altar. He had watched from the side-lines as she promised herself to another man, exchanged her rings, and said her vows. She had become another person's bride.
He had originally thought that the pregnant hostage was her, and came to her rescue. Who knew that the woman would be her husband's mistress? Even more so, she had sacrificed herself to save the pregnant woman and her husband's illegitimate child.
He did not understand her at all, he realized.
"Bang." A gunshot rang out from Room 801.
A cold fear gripped his heart. Turning around, he asked, "What happened In Room 801?"
"We are not sure yet." Lieutenant Johnson answered cautiously.
Sweeping his gaze towards Room 802's kitchen, Jasper realized that there was only a distance of 2 meters separating it from Room 801's kitchen. Walking towards the kitchen, he asked, "What's the situation with the helicopter? How long more will it take?"
The report from Lieutenant Johnson was clear, "ETA 30 minutes."
Jasper did not speak up again.
He placed the ladder in the middle of the two kitchens and started making his way over.
"Chief, it's too dangerous for you to go in yourself. "Lieutenant Johnson's heart was nearly in his mouth.
"You speak too much." Accompanied by a targeted glare.
Smartly, Lieutenant Johnson kept his mouth shut. Turning instead to rest of his troupe, he said under his breath, "008, 001, follow up, you must ensure the safety of the Chief at all costs."
"Yes, Sir!" The soldiers quickly trailed Jasper.
The anxiety was eating away at Lieutenant Johnson. The Chief had a bright future ahead of him, and he had been tipped to be the next President in line. There was a very real possibility that he would be hanged if anything amiss should happen to Jasper.
In the blink of any eye, Jasper made a light leap and was on the wall of the other side. His eyes scanned the living room. The short-haired man was pacing the living room, while the other two were still in the bedroom.
In one clean sweep, he squatted down and brandished the sword from his waist, his eyes fixed on the short-haired man. Before he could utter a sound, the short-haired man was already lying on the floor. 008 and 001 moved up to finish him off.
Gesturing in their own private language, Jasper relayed instructions for 008 and 001. Approaching the window, they took off the curtains. Light flooded the living room. And the snipers were already in place.
With his back to the wall, Jasper looked into the room, where he saw Stella sitting on the bed, lost in thought. Enveloped in a cloud of sadness, her melancholy was affecting him.
"Where is there still no movement from the outside?" The yellow-haired criminal dragged out his cigarette, ruffling his hair in frustration. The older man, however, was preoccupied with Stella, staring at her with an unknown look in his eyes.
"The plane will only arrive in 30 minutes. Let's take the chance to enjoy ourselves before that."
Realization dawned on the other man's face, and his lecherous face came into view. "This woman is indeed a rare beauty. It would be a pity to let her go to waste." His cigarette landed in an arc as he made his way to the immobile figure on the bed.
Jasper's throat tightened as he prepared to rush in.
"If you come near me, I will make sure you have no hostage." Stella raised her needle to her throat calmly.
"I dare you to."
In response, the needle made its way into her skin.
Jasper's heart skipped a beat as his eyes held a dangerous glint.