The bomber believed that now that the police were there, he would be able to escape easily using a hostage as cover. He could then come up with a new plan to assassinate Alex.
But just as the killer started to relax, Alex suddenly jumped at him and before he had a chance to retaliate, he found himself pinned to the ground.
Alex turned to the journalists and called out, "What are you waiting for? Don't you want to leave? Go find cover!"
The reporters realized what was happening with a jolt and looked at the killer, who was now pinned to the ground. They started to back away towards a nearby building.
"You go too," Alex said to the Moon maidens.
They were reluctant to leave. But they always obeyed Alex's commands, and it was clear that he was safely in control of the situation.
Alex sneered at the killer and said, "I told you that we were going to leave safely and now you have no choice but to believe me. But you did threaten to blow me up, and I really hate people who threaten me."
Then Alex gently pressed the camera into the bomber's hand, and then turned and ran toward the building the others had ducked into.
Standing in the doorway, Alex turned and looked back at the bomber who was still lying bewildered on the ground-hugging the camera. At that moment, someone patted him on the shoulder, and he turned around to see that it was Chelsea Woods. She was fully armed and was in command of the other officers.
"What did you just do?" she asked Alex.
Alex shrugged and said, "Nothing. The killer realized that he had a conscience and decided to let us go."
Chelsea looked around and said in a low voice, "I don't believe you."
Suddenly, a loud boom came from the direction of the assassin as the bomb exploded. The current of air that it emitted was so powerful that it knocked a lot of people over, even some who were standing a hundred yards away. Chelsea felt the impact a little, but Alex was standing in front of her, and blocked her from the worst of it.
After a while, the shocks from the bomb subsided. Chelsea looked at Alex and asked in surprise, "The bomber killed himself?"
Alex looked around him and saw that the roadside was a mess. Debris was scattered everywhere, and even a large billboard had been overturned.
"Well, he was a very considerate killer," Alex said with a smile.
Chelsea glanced at him. Her intuition told her what had happened, and she knew what Alex had done it. She was about to question him further when a female reporter, Lizzy Fairfield, approached them and said, "Officer, you must arrest this man for murder."
Alex was taken aback. He looked at the reporter and thought, Don't you realize that I saved all your lives?
Alex had tricked the bomber into turning his weapon against himself. If he hadn't detonated the bomb, most of them would be dead now. He was confident that the police would understand the situation and be satisfied with what he had done.
Chelsea looked at the reporter. They had dealt with each other several times before and knew each other. She said, "Lizzy, do you have any evidence? How did he murder him?"
Lizzy was dismayed when Chelsea challenged her. She knew that she was generally a very responsible, impartial, and honest officer, but it seemed that she was biased when it came to that young man.
"Chelsea, he detonated the explosive device on the killer. You must arrest him at once," Lizzy yelled.
Chelsea ignored the reporter's outburst and turning to Alex, she asked him, "Is she telling the truth?"
"No. I'm telling you that he detonated it himself." Alex said solemnly.
"You rogue," Lizzy screamed. She was almost too angry to speak.
Chelsea said coldly, "Lizzy, I must remind you that this is a police investigation. Please try to contain your emotions and tell me what happened calmly. Do you have any evidence that this man committed murder?"
"I, I," Lizzy stuttered. Then she said, "The bomber was unable to move so how could he have committed suicide? When we all ran away, we left this man alone with the killer and the bomb hadn't been detonated. He's the only one who could've done it."
Lizzy felt that her logic was impeccable, but Chelsea didn't seem to be convinced. She tried to work out why.
"Lizzy, you're just telling me your thoughts and deductions, but you're not a detective. I will ask you once more, is there any evidence?" Chelsea's voice was as cold as ice.
The reporters listening in understood that she was protecting the arrogant man.
"You, you," Lizzy stammered. She was starting to lose her conviction. She tried once more, "Why do you need evidence? It's obvious that he's the one who detonated the bomb."
"But you don't have any evidence, right? Then he can sue you for slander, Ms. Fairfield. Fortunately, you're not a police detective. Your attitude would have been disastrous for the police force. We cannot arrest people because we feel like it unless we have evidence against them," Chelsea said.
"Come on, I'm not going to sue her," Alex said impatiently.
The Moon girls tried not to laugh. They found their lord very humorous.
"Officer Woods, you're covering up for him," Lizzy said angrily.
"Well, you can make an official complaint at the station, but please stand aside now and don't hinder the police investigation," Chelsea replied casually.
Lizzy was about to retort, when another journalist grabbed her arm and said, "Leave it." The reporter thought, This man saved our lives. What's wrong with you? Why are you trying to get him in trouble?
However, Lizzy couldn't let it go. After thinking for a moment, she said angrily, "Okay, forget the murder. I don't have evidence for that, but he also smashed all our equipment to pieces. Are you going to make him pay for it?"
Alex explained, "The assassin's bomb was disguised as a camera. To ensure everyone's safety, of course I had to destroy all of the cameras in case any of them were also bombs. I can't see how there can be a problem with that."
The reporters were silent. Alex had told the truth about the bomb, and they really couldn't find fault with his logic.
Lizzy was getting desperate. How could he get away with smashing all their valuable equipment? Why didn't he feel guilty about it?
She thought for a moment and then said suspiciously, "I think you're involved. You turned up at exactly the same time as the bomber. That's really suspicious. I think you cooperated with the killer to cover up his criminal actions."
Before Alex could argue, a voice from behind them said, "Alex is telling the truth. We were supposed to hold a press conference this afternoon. That's why so many reporters are here. We're working with the police to investigate a series of bombings connected with the Clifton group. We hope the police will uncover the truth."
It was Rufus Clifton.