Chapter 196
On the fifth floor, Palmer stood with his back to a sawed–off concrete pillar, where one false step meant a perilous tumble into the abyss below.
“Vocalist, you’ve got five minutes to make up your mind. Are you in or out?” sneered a member of the Westwood Mercenaries, their faces twisted with the anticipation of Imminent victory on seeing Palmer’s lonely figure.
Lyra’s heart pounded as she watched Palmer, trapped by a window on the fifth floor, isolated and alone.
Palmer was the picture of calm. There seemed to be a fresh cut across his handsome face so a streak of blood was trailing down his resolute cheek. That had made his gaze even more piercing and severe–a gaze that also carried coldness and malice.
Even now, cornered, he exuded that irresistible air of royalty.
If only Vocalist would agree to join them, he would be hers to command.
“You lot?” Palmer chuckled dismissively while methodically removing his watch and cufflinks and treating them like precious treasures as he stowed them away.
After securing his valuables, he rolled up his sleeves to reveal muscular forearms. His gun might be empty, but the thought they could easily capture him was pure fantasy.
Lyra grew anxious, “Just say yes, Vocalist, and we won’t harm you today! We’ve got the Abyssal Organization blocked; they can’t get to you!”
Palmer glanced at them with contempt, sending shivers down the spines of everyone
present.
“Now men from Westwood Mercenary Corps are causing a ruckus, and the Shadow Dragon Society’s got a death wish too? Or are you saying Yates and Arthur don’t care for their lives anymore?”
The leader, clad in a military coat and chomping on a cigar, retorted, “Once you’re dead, Yates and the old man will be safe.”
Palmer shook his head and said with a mournful voice, “I was just planning to clean up the Shadow Dragon Society, but now it seems I’ll have to take care of the Gruber family
too.”
Despite his loneliness, his icy gaze still made everyone hesitant to underestimate him.”
“Take him out now!” Those mercenaries yelled.
Lyra shouted, “Just agree, Vocalist, and come back with us to the border. The Westwood) Mercenaries will protect you!”
Then a cool, indifferent voice echoed from above.
1/4
12:53
“Who gave you that right? The Westwood Mercenary Corps?”
In shock, Lyra’s head snapped up, just in time to see Noella leap from the sixth floor, landing gracefully and catching steadily by Palmer.
“Why are you here?” Palmer asked.
Nonchalantly, Noella handed Palmer a gun, “Heard your crew was held up, thought I’d see If you needed a hand.”
‘If you needed a hand‘, and that was the reason she came herself?
Palmer knew Noella must have been worried. A surge of untimely joy warmed his heart, prompting a smile he couldn’t suppress.
Lyra, seeing the smile on Palmer’s face–was dumbfounded. His smile was reserved for Noella, and that idea made her feel a surge of sour jealousy.
She glared at Noella venomously, “So, you’re here too. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down. You really think the two of you can escape from us?”
Noella’s contemptuous gaze made Lyra seem insignificant, like nothing more than a mayfly.
“Escape? That word doesn’t exist in my dictionary.”
Noella clapped her hands, and suddenly a thunderous explosion erupted from one of the buildings, which collapsed in a cloud of dust.
“Oops, my bad. Hit the wrong button. There are explosives in this building too, seems I armed the one next door.”
“You laid explosives here? Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?”
Noella shrugged, “Since you guys are bold enough to dig up public roads, what’s stopping me?”
ma
Besides, those explosives were leftovers from a bar they’d dismantled, planted by Thorpe. If anyone got in trouble with the authorities, it’d fall on Cerulean Whale, not them.
Suddenly, Noella aimed her sniper rifle at the leader of the Westwood Mercenaries and pulled the trigger.
Without a chance to react, the mercenary leader clutched his chest and fell.
Noella then pointed the gun at Lyra, “Oops, how clumsy of me. Should’ve aimed for you,
right?”
“Have… have you lost your mind? You’ve killed our leader; the corps won’t let you off!”
Noella chuckled, “Let me think which one was the button for this building’s explosives again. Wouldn’t want to hit the wrong one.”
12:54
Palmer added from behind her, “Doesn’t matter, we’ll get it right eventually.”
The head of the Shadow Dragon Society clenched his teeth, “Take them down! Don’t let that woman go crazy on us!”
If Noella really had bombs in this place, they were all doomed.
As he finished his sentence, a bullet whizzed by Noella and Palmer and pierced his head.
Noella watched the fallen leader emotionlessly, “Sorry about that. My people can get a little overzealous. I’ll tell them to be more careful next time, maybe take out a few more.”
Lyra’s eyes grew colder. “You brought the Obelisk Organization with you? Damn it! Move, we can’t let them leave alive!”
Clap.
A bullet fell to the floor, followed by the thud of a woman’s body. Noella glanced dispassionately at Lyra, who lay dying with eyes still open.
“Should have put a bullet through your head back at Lockhart Prison. What a pity.” She added.
Palmer chuckled, “No worries, now is just as good.”
Years ago in Northstone, she had saved his life in the same manner. Now, history repeated itself as his girl descended from the heavens to rescue him once more.
Being protected by her was an unexpectedly pleasant feeling,
Noella holstered her weapon, turning to Palmer.
“I could really blow this place. Aren’t you scared?” she asked.
“Not in the least,” he replied.
Wiping the smudge off Noella’s cheek with a tender swipe, Palmer’s eyes were filled with unspoken affection.
“Whatever you want to do, I’m right there with you!” he said.
“How about we throw in a freefall for kicks?”
Noella’s lips curled into a wry smile as she clasped Palmer’s hand. Just as the goons from the Shadow Dragon Society charged in, she suddenly leaped into the air!
Gunshots and the thunderous roar of an explosion echoed simultaneously as a building was reduced to rubble in the blink of an eye!
Palmer, with one arm wrapped around Noella’s waist and the other gripping the rope ladder dropped from a helicopter, quickly whisked them both to safety.
Looking at the scratches marring Palmer’s face and body from the blast, Noella bit her lip
and said, I’m sorry you got hurt.
She knew their plan might lead to Injuries, but she hadn’t anticipated Palmer holding her so tightly through the explosion to shield her unscathed from the flying debris.
In contrast, it made his body a patchwork of wounds that made her heart clench.
“It’s okay as long as you’re safe. I’m happy to protect you. But before that…” Palmer bent down and enveloped Noella in his arms, his lips finding her cool cheek, his voice heavy with exhaustion and affection.
“I need to catch some sleep. As for these cuts… I’ll be counting on you, my fiancée, to patch me up. Goodnight.” With those words, he succumbed to unconsciousness.
Noella quickly reached out to catch Palmer, preventing his body from slumping to the ground.
She realized he must have been hurt before and had been stubbornly pushing through the pain after that.
Palmer was so tall, and it wasn’t easy for Noella to carry him. Heading to a hospital would certainly alert Grandpa Sexton to his injuries.
“Let’s head to Polaris Star,” she decided.
