The Devil’s Cage

“Hell Breath is a sculpture from the papal era six hundred years ago! Master Sculptor Mordin’s final masterpiece before he died, it’s priceless! But as the papal era came to an end, the ancient art sculpture vanished as well.”

“Recently it re-appeared in the underground market and was found by those folks Bloody Ridge! They didn’t just want to sell it off for a huge amount of money, they wanted to double-cross their buyers as well. The receiver that Baryl introduced me was one of them, he did offer quite a high price, seems like they are determined to get it done!”

After Emma Eddie explained, she couldn’t even pause and continued asking, “Now what should we do? I know a decent hiding spot, if we get there, we should be safe from the killers now!”

“Are you sure your hiding spot is really safe?”

Emma Eddie couldn’t help but hesitate when Kieran questioned her about the safety.

Her hiding spot should be safe most of the time but now? In a desperate time like this?

Emma Eddie took another glance at Baryl who was hung to death further away, she eventually shook her head.

“So…

“We should take the initiative to strike first! Besides, I don’t like being chased around like rats by others.

“Right, can you tell me more about Bloody Ridges?”

Kieran said as he saw police cruisers rushing to the scene, he also walked towards the police.

Pudder took the files in his hand and knocked on the desk with one of the folder’s edges.

“2567, four months ago he stopped a robbery when the robbers tried to harm the public, disregarding the people’s safety. After luckily apprehended three of the robbers, he joined the voluntary police force. Based on the witnesses at many of the scene of incidents, at least five cases of violence happened around Smorewill Street block are related to you.”

Pudder said to Kieran who was sitting in the chair in front of him with a cold tone.

Pudder didn’t really dislike Kieran but he hated those voluntary police who thought they were so high above the law.

If it was possible, Pudder didn’t mind arresting the voluntary police instead.

After all, in the chief officer’s point of view, all voluntary police acted recklessly on their own will and were barely any different than those dangerous criminals.

“Chief, I am here to report a case. My house was bombed by someone.”

Kieran restated the reason he was at the station.

“I know right, your house was blown up! But can you tell me, under what circumstances that while your house was being blown to hell, yet you still appear around Scorching Fire Bar? What do you have to do with Baryl’s death?”

Pudder was speaking fast but his intonation was clear and precise.

His way of questioning unconsciously added a pressuring manner on him and a common man would be frightened instinctively, but not Kieran as he looked at the chief officer with a calm gaze.

He had worked with too many “chief officers” before, so he knew how to handle the situation before his eyes.

“I was there chasing down the culprit that blown up my house! I have nothing to do with Baryl’s death! And don’t forget, I am a citizen seeking aid from the police, not some criminal being interrogated.”

Kieran was emphasizing with a very slow tone and heightened pitch.

His voice instantly attracted gazes from the people around and based on the camera in front of their chest and notepads in their hands, taking down notes rapidly, their identity was obvious: reporters.

In this city which often had extraordinary powers showing off, a piece of explosive news was enough to attract the reporters’ attention, especially when casualties were involved.

The reporters were like sharks picking up the scent of blood, they didn’t just swarm over, but with an aggressive manner as well.

Even with the officers blocking them off with a “wall of men”, it didn’t really stop the uncrowned kings of their industry from showing off their enthusiasm and forcefulness.

“Damn it! You guys didn’t have dinner? Or you do think this is a game?”

“People died! I am trying to find the clue to the murder here, so can you guys get these annoying bastards out for the sake of your uniform and the badge?”

One of the reporters somehow able to pass a portable recorder to Kieran but before it truly reached him, Pudder slapped the recorder off the reporter’s hand and pushed him away.

He then shouted at his men, urging them to do their job properly while ignoring the camera flashes on his face, capturing the mean move of pushing away the reporter.

Pudder then looked at Kieran.

“You think your little tricks will work? You pesky little bastards, you like the limelight so much huh? I tell you what, if I am really scared of these annoying reporters, I won’t purposely order my men to take you back to the station, instead I’ll ask a beat cop to brush you off with some written testimonial!”

“Come here, you pesky bastard! The big wide hall doesn’t seem to suit you enough, but I know another place that fits you perfectly!”

Pudder bent his body and lowered his head down before Kieran, warning right in front of his face.

The rage and sneers in Pudder’s face were obvious but Kieran, on the other hand, didn’t feel angry when he was treated like that, instead, he felt a little nostalgic.

Pudder’s image unconsciously was overlapped with the other few natives in Kieran’s memory that he could call friends.

“Similar occupations and persistence forged the same character? Though… I don’t hate it.”

Some would flow along with the current, some would stand their unique ground.

The latter would seem abnormal, antisocial and a deviant in most people’s eyes but wasn’t it because of the stubbornly persistent deviants that the world was given something to look forward to and yearn for?

Kieran stood up. He glanced over the few officers that moved quickly after being scolded by their superior yet a lot of them showed an unwilling expression; he then followed Pudder to the so-called “suitable” place.

Interrogation room.

The moment the door was opened, Kieran knew what the room was built for; he strode in right away.

Pudder who wanted to push Kieran inside was stunned by the little action but what shocked him more was when Kieran turned around, showing his back to the surveillance camera and signaled him with lip movements.

‘Are you sure this place is safe? If not, we better change locations.’

Pudder though quickly came back to his senses. Many years of experience allowed him to know why Kieran did that.

‘Pesky little bastard trying to mystify the facts!’

Pudder commented on Kieran’s action as a cheap move in his heart but his actions were not slow.

He shut the surveillance camera and closed the shutter on the wall.

“What tricks are you trying to play? Agitate me so you can have a tour of the interrogation room? If it’s true, I’ll bring you to visit more places! With bars!”

Pudder sat in front of Kieran after making sure no one would watch them and said with an angry tone.

“I’m sorry. Something happened and I am forced to do this. Know anything about Bloody Ridges and Hell Breath?” Kieran asked.

“A voluntary police like you joined this matter as well? Fret not, you are not the first and certainly won’t be the last! We real police will settle everything! We are prepared for his!”

It seemed like Pudder knew Bloody Ridges got their hands on Hell Breath as well and Kieran wasn’t all that surprised about it.

He nodded and continued slowly, “Um, preparation is good. After all, this is a really good elaborated hoax.”