“Is everything ready?”
“Yes. We’re almost done.”
Ashmia nodded, looking at the bags of money Claudia and Matilda had prepared. She took back the radio she had given to Kira and pressed the button.
“Can you hear me?”
William, who was waiting outside, responded.
‘—Yes. I can hear you.’
“Tell Ron to get ready.”
Ron, listening in with William, answered loudly.
‘—I’m ready!’
“Okay. Here we go.”
Ashmia forcefully threw the money bag held in Michael’s arms.
CRASH—!
Seeing the money bag smash through the window, Ron got out of the car and immediately accelerated.
Weaving through the crowd, he leaped off a police car and, drawing a dagger, slashed the bag.
SWOOSH—!
The moment bills poured out of the bag, Ron yelled.
“It’s money!”
After throwing all the money bags.
“…It seems Ron did a good job.”
said Claudia, peering out the window while pressed against the wall.
“We should go now.”
The chaos would be temporary, and with Kira’s mana nearly depleted, the ice covering the stairs would soon melt.
But Ashmia, while nodding, held out her hand and asked.
“Does anyone have a spare regeneration booster?”
“Are you hurt?!”
Ashmia shook her head at a surprised Vanessa.
“No, not for me—”
Understanding her meaning, Claudia took a syringe from her pocket but spoke coolly.
“You may not be able to save everyone.”
“I know. But I have to try.”
Seeing Ashmia’s determined expression, Claudia sighed softly and said.
“Then I’ll join you. Matilda, take the other two and go first.”
“Understood.”
Matilda handed her own regeneration booster to Ashmia.
“Please be careful.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll catch up soon.”
“Right. Anyone who can walk, follow us.”
As Matilda, Vanessa, and Kira led the conscious and lightly injured people toward the back exit, Ashmia entered the vault and summoned Michael.
Then, alongside Claudia, she quickly checked the pulses of the fallen people, injecting them with small doses of the regeneration booster.
‘Is that everyone?’
With Michael’s speed and Claudia’s help, the task didn’t take long.
But then.
Waaah— Waaah—
Michael moved toward the sound of a newborn’s cry. The woman who had handed Ashmia the old wallet was lying there, clutching a baby tightly.
…Damn it!
She had been hidden by an overturned desk, delaying their discovery.
She’s bleeding heavily!
Michael’s face contorted as he saw the gunshot wound on the woman’s back. As he checked her pulse, the woman’s eyes fluttered open.
“This… this child…”
But Michael shook his head and said.
“Don’t talk nonsense, and stay with me! She’s your child, you have to raise her!”
Michael tore a piece of cloth from a nearby fallen guard’s uniform to stanch the bleeding, then injected the woman with all the remaining medicine in the syringe.
“So don’t you die. Not for this child’s sake.”
Tears streamed from the woman’s tightly shut eyes.
“We have to go now.”
At Claudia’s words, Michael vanished with a pained expression. Ashmia, wearing a similar look, walked out of the vault.
“You got our share, right?”
“Yes. Here.”
Ashmia nodded, looking at the two money bags Claudia pointed to.
“Let’s go.”
After a final glance toward where the woman lay, Ashmia ran down the corridor.
She passed several guards lying on the floor with bloody noses, who must have emerged from hiding, and was nearing the back door.
Just a few meters from the door, Ashmia came face-to-face with police officers entering with paramedics.
“Hands up!”
As the police aimed their guns, Ashmia and Claudia calmly raised their hands.
“Don’t mind us. Just get the paramedics inside, quickly.”
At Ashmia’s words, the paramedics looked at each other, flustered.
“I said go! There are injured people inside!”
At Ashmia’s sharp command, the paramedics rushed inside as if they’d been ordered by a superior.
“Get Detective Westfield. I have nothing to say to you.”
“D-Don’t move!”
‘So much for conversation.’
Just then, a familiar silhouette appeared behind the officers.
“Perfect timing, Nikita.”
Nikita scowled at Ashmia, who called out to him as if they were old friends.
“You people…”
“I have a favor to ask. Get us out of here.”
“Why should I do a favor for a mafioso like you?!”
‘Ugh, this one’s just as stubborn.’
“Sir, just a moment.”
Yulia appeared from behind Nikita and approached Ashmia.
“Come with me. Everyone, lower your weapons and go secure the scene inside.”
“Yulia! What do you think you’re—?!”
“Sir, would you mind supervising the scene?”
Nikita looked furious at Yulia for cutting him off, but he soon strode past Ashmia without another word.
“Let’s go.”
Yulia gestured to Ashmia and Claudia as if nothing had happened.
“Thank you.”
“I’m just following orders.”
Yulia replied to Ashmia’s thanks, then continued walking straight ahead and muttered.
“What have you gotten yourself into this time?”
Ashmia answered with a faint smile.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
“I look forward to it.”
As they reached the police line, passing through the chaotic street where people were still scrambling for money, Yulia looked at Ashmia and said.
“You’re leaving without seeing Detective Westfield?”
“Yes, he’s probably busy right now. Tell him I’ll be in touch soon.”
Yulia nodded and turned away without another word.
‘Still as cool as ever.’
Ashmia watched her back for a moment before she and Claudia slipped past the police line and disappeared into the crowd.
“He’s gone into hiding?”
Clint answered Ashmia’s question while tossing feed to the pigeons.
“Yeah. He disappeared right after you left, little missy.”
And for three days, no one knew of Andy Bolton’s whereabouts.
“What on earth did you steal from that bank?”
Ashmia handed a folded piece of paper to the curious Clint.
“…This is?!”
“It’s one of the many contracts from Andy Bolton’s backroom deals. A copy, of course.”
“Heh. Didn’t that fool know that keeping something like this would be like putting a noose around his own neck?”
“It was insurance. A smart move, in its own way. As long as he wasn’t found out.”
Andy Bolton kept a contract for every one of his illicit dealings.
Just as Clint said, it was a dangerous move for Bolton, but it also served as a shield against the whims and threats of criminal organizations.
“And how did you figure out something like this existed, little missy?”
“A hunch.”
Clint let out a short, hearty laugh.
“With this, we’ll be able to figure out every last person who was involved in dirty business with Bolton.”
“Exactly. And once rumors start spreading about what went missing from the central bank, they’ll all be desperate to find Bolton.”
If Andy Bolton decided to expose them first to avoid going down alone, more than a few nobles and criminal organizations would face the consequences.
“He’ll have to spend the rest of his life in hiding.”
“It’ll be a good lesson for the other corrupt cops. But what if Bolton requests witness protection?”
“If that happens, just tell me the location of the safe house. I’ll take care of it.”
“Whoa, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Anyway.”
Clint stood up after giving the last of the feed to the pigeons.
“About that hamburger joint, I heard someone made a large anonymous donation. They say it’ll be fixed up and reopened in about a month.”
“Oh? That’s good news.”
“I also heard someone paid for the medical and hospital bills of everyone injured at the hamburger place and the bank.”
“Wow, there must be a lot of kind people in the world with too much money on their hands. I’m jealous. I wish someone would make a donation to me.”
Clint smiled through a grimace.
“And, just talking to myself here, but I heard the woman with the newborn is recovering safely. The baby’s healthy, too.”
“…”
‘This old man is practically psychic.’
Ashmia gave a wry smile, as if in defeat.
“Detective.”
“Hmm?”
“The guards started their attack on someone’s orders. They went after the branch manager first, not us. Andy Bolton wasn’t the only one hiding something in that bank.”
“…”
Clint silently took out a cigarette, put it to his lips, and lit it.
“So, ‘future police commissioner,’ please keep up the good work.”
“Hey, where did that come from? I told you I’m retiring as soon as I’m eligible.”
“Yes, well, we can talk about that then. I’m leaving.”
After Ashmia left, having succeeded in her petty revenge, Clint scowled and muttered.
“Police commissioner… The very thought is horrifying.”
The ‘CBI Bank Robbery’ case ended up focusing on the casualties caused by the guards’ excessive force and the bank’s security flaws, perhaps because the witnesses—that is, the survivors—all feigned ignorance about the culprits.
Ashmia sighed and put down the newspaper, having read the absurd article stating that the investigation was all but closed. True to the saying ‘dead men tell no tales,’ the deceased branch manager and guards were made to take all the blame, with no real search for the actual perpetrators.
‘Someone must have pulled some strings before the bigger story got out—the one who made that radio call. Should I just set a day and shake them all down?’