Chapter 1102 Harvest Day Heist II - Rats In The Midst
As the stolen alchemical treasures vanished into their space rings, one of the dwarves couldn't help but mutter, "There's so much more we could grab!" The allure of wealth and rare alchemical ingredients was hard to resist, especially when they were laid out in such abundance.
However, Michael knew better than to let greed cloud their judgment. He responded with a stern warning, his voice tinged with urgency, "Greediness will land us in prison." His years of experience had taught him the value of discretion and timing.
"Backup crystals will power up in two minutes," he continued, emphasizing the need for haste. "We leave through that door in one minute."
The dwarves and orcs understood the importance of Michael's words. With reluctance, they began to make their way towards the exit, their space rings filled with their ill-gotten gains.
As the dwarves and orcs hurriedly made their way toward the exit, Michael contacted Elmer through the earpiece. "Watch the dwarves and orcs closely," he instructed, his voice filled with caution. "Make your way out of the building."
Elmer acknowledged with a quick "Roger that," and started his own exit from the power room. His eyes fell on the high-grade celestial crystal, now in his possession. Uncertain of what to do with it, he asked Michael, "What should I do with this celestial crystal?"
Michael's response carried a touch of humor, even in the midst of their risky heist. "We're here to rob, aren't we? Take the crystal with you." It was a reminder that their primary objective was to secure valuable goods, and this crystal certainly fit the bill.
Elmer carefully placed the celestial crystal into his space ring, making sure it was secure. With their stolen treasures in tow, he continued to make his way out of the power room,
In the dimly lit main hall of the Eden's Garden, the two dwarves, four orcs, and Elmer came together, their stolen treasures secure in their space rings. An orc spoke up, his voice filled with admiration, "John really outdid himself this time. Everything went so smoothly."
Another orc chimed in, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, credit where it's due. John really impressed me."
The two dwarves, however, were less enthusiastic about their exit. Greedily eyeing the remaining valuables in the hall, one of them grumbled, "We're leaving so much behind. We should clean this place out."
To this, Michael responded with a sly sense of humor. "I can still hear you," he remarked, causing the dwarves to lower their voices and share a nervous chuckle.
Elmer, ever the cautious one, intervened. "As much as we'd all love to stay and plunder further, we need to get out of here. The backup crystals will activate soon, and we don't want to be around when that happens."
As Elmer and the crew were on the verge of leaving the hall through the same entrance they had sneaked in, a sudden and ominous turn of events unfolded. The runes etched into the walls of the hall came to life, casting an eerie glow that illuminated the entire space. Simultaneously, all the glowing orbs suspended in the air burst into radiant light.
Elmer and his crew froze in their tracks, their hearts pounding in their chests as they exchanged fearful glances. Something was definitely amiss.
Elmer, always alert, muttered in a tense voice, "Something's happening."
Michael's voice crackled urgently in their ears, "Get out of there, now!"
Panic set in as the crew scrambled towards the hole they had cut into the wall. But before the dwarf could make it to safety, a sudden, powerful kick struck him square in the chest. With a painful cry, he was sent hurtling across the hall, crashing into counter. The rest of the crew gasped in shock, realizing they were found out.
As the runes flared to life and the orbs lit up, Office Barug stepped through the hole with an imposing presence. His armor clanked with each step, and his sharp eyes scanned the intruders with a mix of surprise and anger. At the same time, the distant sound of heavy boots echoed as several armored orcs rushed into the building through the front door.
Elmer, trying to maintain his composure, called out frantically, "John! We've got trouble!"
Michael's voice came through the earpiece, steady and reassuring, "Keep calm. I'll get you out of there."
But panic gripped one of the dwarves, and he rushed at Barug, brandishing a battlecry and a string of curses.
The defiant dwarf shouted, "I won't go down without a fight!"
With a cold, calculated precision, Barug responded by delivering a swift and powerful kick, connecting with the dwarf's chest. The dwarf let out a gasp as the impact sent him sprawling backward, unconscious.
Office Barug, undeterred, calmly greeted the remaining thieves with a chilling tone, "Well, well, what do we have here?"
Office Barug's soldiers quickly closed in, forming a tight circle around Elmer and his remaining crew members.
Michael's voice echoed in Elmer's earpiece, a calm and measured tone, "Stay calm, Elmer."
Elmer mumbled under his breath, a sense of resignation in his words, "Whatever you're planning to do, just do it quickly."
Barug, keenly observant, noticed Elmer's quiet muttering and approached him with a mix of surprise and curiosity. He remarked with a hint of astonishment, "An elf with Vilnius gang? You must be Elmer, the infamous thief among the Vilnius gang. I've been searching for you for a long time."
Barug's imposing figure stood before Elmer, his eyes locked onto the elf with a sense of determination. He declared, "I've been waiting for this day."
Suddenly, Barug plucked the earpiece from Elmer's ear with a quizzical expression, muttering to himself, "What do we have here?" His large orcish fingers deftly held the small device, and he examined it in wonder.
His surprise was evident as he marveled at its capabilities, addressing his soldiers with the earpiece in hand, "There are no runes in this, yet it allowed them to communicate across vast distances. The runemasters and scholars will have a field day with this."
Turning his attention back to Elmer, Barug's tone became more stern. He demanded, "Who were you talking to, elf?"
Elmer, now defiant and uncooperative, replied, "I'm not telling you shit,"
Barug couldn't help but let out a deep, guttural laugh at Elmer's defiance. His laughter was cruel and mocking as he observed the elf. Without warning, he unleashed a powerful punch to Elmer's gut. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of him, causing him to cough and gasp for breath.
Through his pained breaths, Elmer managed to mutter a few choice curses at Barug. "You damn orc... you won't get anything out of me..."
Barug, now holding the earpiece, smirked down at Elmer. He slowly placed it in his own ear, a sinister glint in his eyes, as he remarked, "Well, then, we'll just ask them directly."
"I wonder who might be the genius behind this device," Barug muttered, still skeptical about its functionality.
To his astonishment, a voice responded through the device, infiltrating his ear like the growl of a predatory beast. "Office Barug. What a pleasant surprise," the voice hissed, carrying an almost animalistic quality.
Barug couldn't help but express his doubts aloud, saying, "Either this thing works strangely, or you're quite skilled at mimicking beasts."
The voice on the other end responded with a sinister chuckle that sent shivers down Barug's spine.
Michael continued to speak to Barug through the altered voice, a sinister edge to his words. "A good officer should do his boring work, end his shift, go home, and enjoy life as he's supposed to. Not meddle in matters above his paygrade."
Barug snickered in response. "You should say those words to my face."
The voice on the other end chuckled malevolently, "Oh, I fully intend to meet you eye to eye. But when that time comes, you can't to do anything,"
Officer Barug, undeterred by Michael's words, countered confidently, "Every criminal I've caught talked arrogantly and acted tough, but they all cried in their cells once I was done with them. I've caught your crew, and I'll catch you, the leader."
"Oh, is that so?" Michael replied with a hint of amusement in his altered voice.
Barug didn't mince words. "I know you're not Vilnius."
"Enlighten me," Michael prompted.
Barug explained, "Vilnius is too stupid to pull off something like this."
Michael clapped his hands slowly, his voice dripping with amusement. "Ah, life was becoming so dull, Barug. This might just bring back some excitement."
Barug countered, "It'll get a lot more exciting when I put you in prison."
Michael couldn't help but taunt him further. "You didn't catch them because of your brains, Officer Barug. You caught them because of a rat in the gang or maybe in your own crew."
Barug was met with a chilling response. "Expect to find more bodies in the upcoming days."
Michael added with a touch of amusement, "Cleaning out the rats is a necessary task, after all."
Barug cautioned, "You don't want to raise the robbery charges to murder charges."
Michael chuckled darkly, "It's cute to hear those words again."
"Laugh all you want. Under the law, you are nothing but criminal scumbags," Barug retorted.
Michael responded confidently, "Law doesn't apply to me or my crew, officer,"
Barug countered, "Your crew will sing a different song when I put them in prison."
But then, to Barug's astonishment, the words Michael was speaking started to emanate openly outside the earpiece. Michael's voice reverberated as he declared, "I'm not doing this for fun. I'm a professional. How can a professional like me leave his crew behind?"
The room's lights flickered ominously as Michael continued speaking, sending shivers down the spines of Elmer and the crew. Barug, too, heard the voice, and it warned, "I wish to see you, Officer Barug, and you'll get that chance sooner than you expect."
Suddenly, everything plunged into pitch-black darkness.