The robbers were professionals.
Two of them blocked the front door of the bus, while another two quickly took control of the back door. The last one, the leader armed with a rifle, moved to the back row to oversee the entire scene.
The bus had only two doors, each guarded by two robbers, effectively putting the whole vehicle under their control.
Three guns.
Among the two robbers at the front door, one wielded a knife, and the other had a handgun. The two at the back door were similarly armed, with one holding a handgun. The robber standing in the last row held a rifle, which had a wide range of damage and was the most intimidating.
"Nobody move! Anyone who moves gets shot!"
The robber with the rifle immediately chambered a round, his voice filled with menace. "Stay put if you don't want to die! We're here for money, not lives!"
Why did the robbers target the bus?
It was simple.
The leader had professional training and knew their van had been compromised. With the police closing in, they needed hostages as leverage. The bus was perfect for both escape and holding enough hostages.
Everyone was terrified by the sudden turn of events, including Felicity, who was a police officer. However, beyond the initial shock, she felt a strong sense of duty and honor as an officer—she couldn't just sit there and donothing because she was in uniform!
Just as she was about to act, a hand quickly reached out from the shadows, gripping her small hand tightly. A voice, barely audible to anyone but her, whispered.
"Do you want to die?" Merritt's voice was soft but firm.
"You..."
Felicity's heart skipped a beat as she whispered, "I'm a cop!"
"Do you have a gun?" Merritt asked.
The answer was no.
She had visited her parents two days ago and returned to Bien City today. Cops on vacation couldn't carry their service weapons, and even on duty, not every officer was armed.
Merritt lowered his voice, "Didn't you see the news? There are five robbers, armed with knives and three guns. Even if you had a gun, you might not stand a chance. In your current state... I guarantee, if you stand up, you'll get shot."
"How do you know what's in the news?
Weren't you asleep?" Felicity was stunned.
When she saw the news, Merritt had been fast asleep. The fact that he knew the details meant... he had been pretending?
This jerk had been faking sleep to take advantage of the situation!
Thinking this, Felicity couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. She realized her small hand was still tightly held by him, which only fueled her fury.
"Don't move!"
Seeing her angry expression, Merritt frowned and whispered urgently, "Is this really the time to think about that? How did you even become a cop? What good would it do to stand up? You'd just get yourself killed, and for what? A meaningless sacrifice that would endanger everyone else!"
These robbers were on the run. They had taken hostages to protect themselves. If they didn't have to, they wouldn't kill, as it would only worsen their situation.
But!
If Felicity made a move against them, things could take a drastic turn.
First, her resistance might anger the robbers.
Second, although the robbers had guns, they hadn't fired them yet. Gunshots would expose them further. If Felicity's resistance provoked them into shooting, it could lead to a desperate situation, causing more casualties. It wouldn't just be her life at stake.
Felicity froze.
Right!
She was a police officer, and she could risk her life to fight the robbers. But if they were pushed into a corner... what about the dozens of people in the car?
"So... what do we do now?" Felicity was at a loss.
She had been on the job for less than six months and wasn't a frontline detective, SWAT, or special forces officer. She had no experience handling major cases like this.
"Do nothing."
"Do nothing?"
"Because there's nothing you can do!"
"I..."
Merritt's words filled her with immense sadness, but she knew he was right. At this moment, there was truly nothing she could do.