Chapter 569
Chapter 569
The pain no longer mattered. There was only one thought in his mind.
Get out. Be free.
At last, he reached the door. His trembling hand reached for the handle. He pulled it with all the strength he had left. The door opened. No guards blocked their way.
None.
Beyond it, the corridor lay empty. Harold paused. Something felt wrong. Normally, every corner was watched. Every movement monitored. But now-
No one.
Suspicion flickered through him, but the urge for freedom was stronger. He stepped out. His pace quickened, the others following close behind. They moved down the long corridor, turning at intersections, passing several empty rooms.
No guards. No radio chatter. No warnings.
“Move,” Harold ordered.
They pushed themselves faster, even as some staggered from their injuries. Their breathing grew ragged, but no one stopped.
At last, they reached the building’s main exit. The door wasn’t locked. The moment it opened, fresh air rushed over their faces. The daylight was blinding. The clean air felt like freedom they hadn’t known in a long time.
Outside stretched an open clearing, bordered directly by dense forest.
A thin smile crossed Harold’s lips. “We’re free,” he said under his breath.
Then his voice hardened. “Split up! Save yourselves p>
They ran. Some headed toward the main road. Others rushed into the forest to stay out of sight. Harold ran toward the trees. Every step hurt. His chest burned. His ribs throbbed with every breath.
But he didn’t stop. A few seconds later-loud barking shattered the air.
One.
Then two.
Then many more.
Harold turned.
From between the trees, several large tracking dogs burst into view. Tall, muscular, fast-and moving with clear direction.
“Run!” someone screamed in panic.
1/3
Chaos ex
They scattered without direction, crashing through bushes, stumbling and scrambling back to their feet. Some shouted as the dogs closed in. One man fell and cried out when a dog lunged close beside him, barking furiously.
Harold forced his body to keep moving.
“Cale…” he growled between breaths. “This has to be your doing p>
He pushed deeper into the forest, over uneven ground and snapping branches. The pain in his body intensified. His breaths grew shorter, harsher.
After several minutes, the barking began to fade.
It sounded as if the dogs were being driven away from the forest-almost as though they were meant to push them outward rather than capture them.
But Harold didn’t lower his guard. He feared an ambush-from behind, from any direction. He kept moving quickly through the dense woods, even under the harsh midday sun.
Eventually, silence returned. Only then did Harold slow down. His body trembled with exhaustion.
If he stopped now… who knew when Cale’s men might come back for them?
He stepped out from the line of trees and stopped, taking a moment to steady his breathing and scan his surroundings.
“At last,” Harold sneered, satisfaction curling across his face. “You thought you could play me? Turns out I’m the one who’s ahead, Cale Miller p>
With renewed confidence, he continued walking out of the forest.
But then- in the open clearing ahead, several police vehicles were already lined up in formation.
Their sirens flashed. Uniformed officers stood ready. And behind the police line-dozens of cameras and reporters waited. Some of them were already broadcasting live.
One reporter spoke rapidly into her microphone.
“Viewers, we are at the scene of the arrest of former SunCity mayor Harold Grant, who has just emerged after what appears to have been an attempt to evade capture p>
Harold looked around.
The forest stretched behind him, the distant sound of tracking dogs still echoing. In front of him stood armed officers. To the side, cameras and journalists crowded together, lenses trained directly on him.
There was nowhere to run.
One officer stepped forward. “Harold Grant. You are under arrest p>
He moved in without hesitation, grabbing Harold and pulling his arms behind his back. Metal cuffs snapped shut with a sharp click.
2/3
Camera flashes exploded in rapid bursts.
On the portable monitors held by the media crew, Harold’s face was clearly visible–bruised, filthy aan bheaving for breath. Only then did the truth finally sink in.
The loosened security back there hadn’t been negligence. There had never been any real chance to escape Even the men who fled with him were already being picked up one by one.
All of it had been deliberate. He hadn’t been given a way out. He had been given hope-just enough to make the fall worse. Dragged out. Driven forward. Comered. And now, the entire city was watching him colligose.
Harold slowly lifted his head. His jaw tightened.
“Cale,” he whispered, his voice thick with hatred. “You’re going to pay for this p>
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