07.
Descending from the sky, Grim Reaper operatives quickly organized the situation.
The female suspect, seeing her colleague being reduced to minced meat by 20mm machine gun fire in front of her eyes, gave up the implant carrier and surrendered.
I had a hard time stopping the bloodless, tearless Grim Reaper operatives from machine-gunning her as well.
It is strictly illegal to shoot a surrendered suspect.
Of course, that didn't stop them from killing other suspects who were still on the scene and resisting.
Covered from head to toe in gray metal exoskeleton suits, the Grim Reaper operatives didn't stop firing until their machine gun barrels glowed red.
They fed a steady stream of rounds from an ammunition feeder mounted on their backs, along with a jetpack, through rails that led to the machine guns on their arms.
The 'Death Machine'.
It was far too heavy for the average person to operate, but not for Grim Reaper operatives, who were equipped with exoskeleton suits that greatly increased their physical capabilities.
Thanks to them, the warehouse is completely devastated.
Including the Grim Reaper operatives, the total number of suspects killed in this operation is 15.
The four suspects who surrendered will be taken to a hospital for brief medical treatment before being brought to trial.
Ultimately, our Bravo team suffered no casualties.
We had a close call with a white phosphorus round that blew up our shields, but we suffered no casualties.
Some of the hostages were caught in the crossfire of the Grim Reapers' machine gun fire and were seriously wounded, but all were rescued and taken to hospital.
The Grim Reaper operatives took only their belongings and disappeared.
Not exactly a success, but not a bad one either.
"Sir, Team Leader Alpha is here."
"Huh?"
I turned around from where I was leaning against the bonnet of the armored vehicle, scratching my forearms, which were still raw from the blast of Max's shield.
As the nearby police force moved in to clean up the scene, I caught a glimpse of a familiar woman walking toward me through the flashing lights of the sirens.
It was Ellis, her eyes as tired as ever...
"Yes?"
...but covered in blood.
"Lieutenant, are you hurt?"
"Oh, don't worry, it's not my blood, my teammate accidentally blew a 40mm grenade into the suspect's torso."
"I'm sorry, Team Leader."
As she wiped her eyes in annoyance, a burly, distracted officer approached and politely handed her a clean towel.
"I'm glad to hear you're not hurt. Anyway, what were you trying to tell me?"
After roughly wiping the sticky blood from her face, she turned to me and opened her mouth.
"Well, it's just that I just witnessed a very strange sight during an operation."
"What...?"
I shook my head, completely at a loss for words, and Lieutenant Ellis spoke up.
"I saw one of Lieutenant Ian Rogers's team shoot a downed suspect in the head, with a double check shot to the head."
"Ah."
I knew it was coming.
I shuddered at the tingling sensation creeping up my spine and considered the best response.
"I apologize, sir. I'll make sure my team is properly trained."
Of course, my dumb brain, which has no talent for this sort of thing, came up with its usual garbage answer.
Lt. Ellis scrunched up his forehead with an expression I couldn't tell if he was laughing or annoyed.
I felt like I was getting a migraine.
"Ha... All right, just make sure you're ready to go as soon as you get back to headquarters. This is a pretty big case, and it's attracted a lot of attention from reporters. Be careful for a while."
"You mean reporters?"
As soon as Lt. Ellis said that, I looked around and saw that there were indeed plainclothes reporters running around with cameras everywhere.
I can see them trying to cross the police cordon and arguing with the officers.
"Ellis, shouldn't you be stopping them?"
I ask, and he responds nonchalantly.
"Well, our job is to apprehend and kill suspected violent criminals. Dealing with reporters is their business-"
"Eh, you little shit...!"
Pfft-!
Before she could finish her sentence, a fist slammed into the reporter's face from the police officer's side.
The sudden turn of events froze me and Lieutenant Ellis, as well as the officers who were trying to break up the fight nearby.
"You son of a bitch...!"
The reporter staggers for a moment, then his eyes widen, and the hyper-vibrating blade in his arm reaches out and slashes at the officer's wrist.
"OFF...!"
Red blood gushes out of the officer's cleanly severed wrist like a fountain, and it looks like he was unfortunate enough to be hit in a place that doesn't have an implant.
"This asshole...!"
Bang-!
Bang-!
"Oh, man, I'm fucked."
I muttered in disbelief as I watched the journalist who had attacked the officer go down under the return fire from the other officers.
Ellis covered her face with her hands, unable to look up.
As I watched her reaction, I turned my head again to see other reporters from nearby news organizations rushing in.
"I think we both look like we're about to get our asses handed to us by the troop commander, don't you?"
"...Shut up."
That was the end of the short and bold 'Alpine Group Security Container Hijacking' story, as me and Lieutenant Ellis exchanged inane banter.
.
.
. .
. . .
. . . .
[A hostage situation at a distribution center resulted in an estimated $70,000 worth of property damage...]
Tsk-.
The news broadcast from the hologram on the hospital bed abruptly shut off.
"So, how does it feel to be the subject of a news special?"
"..."
Sitting on the bed with her head bandaged, Carmen's violet eyes glanced at the sarcastic policeman.
Feeling her fierce gaze, the officer shrugged sarcastically.
"Why did you even bother with the Alpine Group? You could have just robbed a bunch of other small businesses and you wouldn't have gotten caught like this."
Instead of answering his question, Carmen chose silence.
As if he liked her aloof demeanor, the officer smirked and tossed her a piece of clothing.
"Strip yourself in quickly. Don't think of doing anything stupid. I'll be right here watching you."
"...Disgusting asshole."
"Shut up, criminal."
Despite Carmen's disdainful glare, the officer boldly demanded that she strip down to her underwear in front of him.
She was humiliated, but she didn't have much of a choice.
"If I get out of here, I'm going to rip your crotch off."
"Wow, scary."
All she could do was comply with the officer's meaningless threats.
.
.
. . .
. . .
.
"Hmmm, hmmm~"
"Did you have a good look?"
"Yeah, the young lady had a nice body."
Time passes, inside a police cruiser.
Two officers are chatting in the front seat.
In the back seat, Carmen, the suspect in question, is being handcuffed and taken to a holding cell.
"She's a good-looking woman, and in other places, too. She looks better than my wife."
"Hahaha, youth is the best, isn't it?"
"Yes, you're right, you're right, it is."
Carmen's eyes narrowed slightly at the crude conversation in front of her.
But she kept her mouth shut and stared out the window.
It wasn't time yet.
If She attacked them now, everything would be for nothing.
The patrol car cruised along the quiet road until it reached an intersection.
The patrol car stopped at the pedestrian signal, and Carmen watched the people crossing the street with impassive eyes.
"...!"
She looked up and saw a familiar face staring at her.
After a brief exchange of glances, they both nodded in unison, as if through some kind of communication.
"You've got the green light. Let's go."
"Okay."
Once the pedestrians had all crossed the street, the wheels of the patrol car began to roll again, but...
Bam!
"...Huh?!"
A huge freight car came out of the side of the road, blocking their path.
Kwaaang-!
"Off-"
The freight car, which slammed right into the driver's side door of the patrol car, didn't stop and continued to drag the patrol car along.
Kwaang-!
The truck's wild rampage only ended when it slammed the patrol car into the exterior wall of the opposite building.
"Ugh... Officer Edwards..."
As flames erupted from the engine compartment, the officer in the passenger seat was the first to wake up.
The officer behind the wheel was already unconscious.
He pushes open the passenger door, realizing he needs to get out.
A dull thud.
"Shit...!"
But the door, wedged deep into the exterior wall of the building, showed no sign of opening.
A cold sweat broke out on the officer's forehead as the flames from the engine compartment grew stronger.
"Shit...!"
He decided to take a risk and break the windshield to escape.
He pulls his pistol from his holster and squeezes the trigger against the cracked bulletproof glass, sending shards of glass flying in all directions.
BANG!
Bang!
Wham!
The officer smiles in relief as the glass shatters with a loud bang.
Then, his smiling face cracks wide open.
His tongue stuck out, his skull and brain tissue split in half, and his eyeballs popped under the pressure.
After shattering the bulletproof glass that separated the back and front seats and crushing the officer's head, the silver-gray metal tentacle slowly returned to its master.
"I told you I'd kill you...?"
Carmen laughed, stroking the metal tentacle that had returned to her tailbone.
Outside the patrol car, members of the Mephisto gang, dressed in all-white combat fatigues, were approaching.