After getting the rundown and confirming the other party wasn't joking, Evan Keller was eager to lead a team over.
Hearing this confusing exchange, Sean Hughes grabbed Evan Keller by the sleeve. "What's the good news? Spit it out!"
Perhaps because he was in such a good mood, Evan Keller didn't mind Sean Hughes's behavior. Instead, he explained carefully, "Remember when we went to pick up Miss Sawyer? Wasn't she sitting at the entrance of a mall waiting for us?"
Sean Hughes nodded. He remembered, of course, but what did that have to do with what Evan Keller was about to say?
"I remember. What's the connection to what you're about to say?" Sean Hughes asked, baffled.
Then, as Evan Keller explained, Sean Hughes's expression grew excited as well.
It turned out that besides their two teams, another squad had been dispatched to the restaurant across from the mall.
However, not long after they arrived, a female officer was suffering from menstrual cramps. Her face had turned pale, but she was still pushing through.
Eventually, her captain noticed something was off and sent her to the mall across the street, telling her to rest inside for a bit.
Unexpectedly, this twist of fate led her to stumble upon a human trafficking attempt that used offering sanitary pads as a pretext.
She decided to play along, successfully apprehending two of the traffickers.
Afterward, in a restroom stall used for storing cleaning supplies, she discovered a hidden door.
The female officer dared not delay. After subduing the two, she quickly contacted her captain and told him everything from beginning to end.
Once everyone had gathered, they proceeded in pairs to investigate where the hidden door led.
What surprised all of them was that the hidden door's final exit actually led to the back entrance of the mall.
And from this back entrance, there was a small path with no security cameras that offered a quick and hidden route to the small restaurant across the way.
They could quickly move the kidnapped girls over without anyone noticing, then return and leave, using the mall's security cameras to clear themselves of suspicion.
If not for the female officer's chance discovery, they might not have even known if the people from the restaurant had already fled.
"Great work. Once this case is wrapped up, you might even get a commendation!" the captain said, chuckling as he patted the female officer's shoulder. This whole breakthrough was thanks to her!
After praising his team member, the captain promptly notified Evan Keller.
He didn't let her down, immediately offering to head over and help.
After a discussion, it was decided that Sean Hughes would continue to lead his team on watch here, keeping an eye on any activity across the street.
Meanwhile, he would take a team to the mall to coordinate with the third squad and dismantle this criminal nest.
Once their escape route was cut off, they could close in and round them up.
Soon, Evan Keller arrived at the mall with his team.
The two teams conferred, finalized a plan, and then quickly dispersed.
Evan Keller took his team to guard the front, while the captain of the third squad went in through the hidden door.
The two teams moved in simultaneously, catching everyone inside red-handed.
And sure enough, after hearing the commotion at the front, some people instinctively ran toward the hidden door—only to be intercepted by the captain of the third squad.
The two teams worked in tandem, turning the restaurant upside down. Only after confirming that nothing had been missed did they escort the suspects out of the restaurant and take them to the police station to be placed under guard.
"Are they just going to keep watch like that?" Zoe Sawyer asked in confusion, looking at Sean Hughes, who was still crouched in place on the surveillance feed.
'Under normal circumstances, shouldn't they find an opportunity and rush in?'
'They might even save some of the surviving victims.'
'What's the point of just staking it out from the outside now?'
Zoe Sawyer couldn't figure it out. She looked to the beautiful medical examiner sitting beside her, who seemed to be taking it easy, hoping for an explanation.
"It's not that simple. Judging from their expressions, there must be something wrong with the freezer, which is why they can't just rush in.
They need to wait for the right moment, a chance to catch them with irrefutable proof." The beautiful medical examiner motioned for Officer Lee to rewind the surveillance video.
She then stopped on the footage of the employees moving a freezer for the first time. Pointing at their faces on the screen, she said, "Here. Their expressions are obviously strained, which means there was something else inside besides the freezer."
After saying this, the beautiful medical examiner paused, then pointed to the latest video to explain, "And this one—it looks like the same model freezer, but their expressions are much more relaxed as they move it. That proves it's just the freezer inside this time, nothing else."
Zoe Sawyer's jaw dropped in amazement. 'There's a way to tell all that?!'
'I hadn't noticed that at all!'
Just then, a commotion erupted outside. After going to inquire, they learned that Tiger and his group had been arrested and brought back.
Not long after getting out of the car, the group of four had become fully conscious.
They looked around at their surroundings—a place they were all too familiar with, yet tried their best to avoid: the police station.
"Alright, let's not just sit here. Let's go out and see what's going on."
With that, the beautiful medical examiner pulled Zoe Sawyer outside with her.
Tiger, who had been struggling constantly, suddenly stopped when he saw Zoe Sawyer, a bizarre smile spreading across his face.
"So you're here," he said. "Don't worry, we'll be seeing each other again very soon."
As he spoke, he deliberately stuck his tongue out and licked his lips.
The woman next to Linus also shot Zoe Sawyer a flirtatious look, tapping a finger to her own chest. "Such a naughty little girl. How could you know the police and not give us a heads-up? Now we're all caught because of you."
Zoe Sawyer didn't reply, her eyes fixed instead on a bag of steamed buns that a junior officer beside them was holding.
The thought of the pregnant girl who might be inside made her stomach churn, and she fought the urge to vomit.
Seeing her reaction, Tiger couldn't help but roar with laughter. "I know what you're looking for, but give up! You'll never find her!"
With that, the four of them were shoved along by the junior officers toward their respective interrogation rooms.
Standing in the doorway, Zoe Sawyer bit her lip, having made a major decision.