January 24, 2021: Geborgenheit

What was prominent from the men, who made their entrance to the scene, were the plain-white masks that covered their entire countenances. The mask solely had holes for their eyes, yet they had lenses. They were also wearing black gloves - Making only their neck, hair, and ears the parts that were exclusively exposed. Moreover, the cars that they were using had no plate cards, creating an elevated difficulty to identify them once they depart.

This extensive method of concealing their identities merely proved that they were prepared in dealing with the police. It was likely that they were thorough in their preemptive measures to rid themselves of the trail of the law.

"What 'give' are they talking about? Is she an object?" Orellia muttered under her breath, apprehensive of the intent of the man who nighed their vehicle.

The woman then looked at her comrades who were equally anxious, though they were thinking of a way on how to get out of the conceivably precarious situation. Meanwhile, the man kept on knocking, evidently rushing to fulfil his urgent task.

The three investigators in the police mobile remained motionless. However, they soon noticed that another suited man approached their car as he gave something to the man, bulky enough that his suit perfectly outlined his toned muscles, who arrived first. When Orellia descried the identity of the item that was bestowed, dread assaulted her being.

"That man handed over a key! Start the car now! We need to get out of here, fast!" Orellia alerted her comrades as she attempted to move Syn farther from the door. '

Withal, the lady was uncooperative, by virtue of her incapability to control her own body. Orellia didn't want to inflict any additional pain to Syn, yet she had no other choice. Hence, she went ahead and embraced the lady's waist, pulling her more distantly from the left backdoor of the car.

"I'm sorry, Miss Rosenfeldt. Bear with it for a little longer." She said all the while struggling to relocate Syn's languid body.

Lamentably for the officer, the door was unlocked even before she was able to progress with her task. The hulking man proceeded to open the door until the limit of the hinges. His companion promptly held the hatch as he knelt beside the passageway.

Orellia hurriedly unlatched both of her holsters, freeing both of her guns. She then put her grips around their handles and withdrew them, pointing the two guns at the man, who she considered a threat.

To her surprise, the unknown man didn't even react as to a slight flinch. He simply continued to scrutinize Syn's wounds, bringing his hand up to the mouth of his mask as he envisaged his team's course of action. Subsequently, he glanced at the three people who were glaring at him as if he was their worst enemy. Thus, he decided to speak up lest aggravating the police investigators.

"Fret not, we are not here to harm you nor Miss Rosenfeldt."

Perchance it was because of his baritone voice, muffled by the mask, resounding heavily in their ears that they couldn't find the guts to trust his words. Seeing their leery glowers, he stood up and fixed his suit. Latterly, he extended his left hand towards his companion as if asking for something.

Orellia became alert, expecting that a gun would be given, so she steeled her hold on her weapons. However, her assumption was stamped when she saw that it was a phone.

"We have no time to waste. Please follow the instructions that were saved on the notes app of this phone. We will be taking Miss Rosenfeldt to a hospital that Mr Herse won't be able to access. We will be needing the cooperation of the police to capture Larry Herse. We already informed your headquarters, so you will be getting a message from them soon."

Naturally, none of them believed his statement.

"What are you even on about?! How could we just follow what you're saying?!" Henry shouted at the man, losing his cool over the bizarre progression of events.

Although, the man simply ignored his outburst and stared at Jordan who had his eyes on the phone, tempted to accept it. Withal, his senses were woken up by his own phone that started to vibrate in his pocket.

"You better answer that. We have to move fast." The man advised, prompting Jordan to pick up the call.

"Hello, Chief?" He replied as he met the eyes of the masked man. "Yes, yes, roger that."

After dropping the brief call, Jordan turned his head to his comrades, first to Henry, giving them a nod to signal that they should cede.

"Alright, go ahead. We'll be part of the decoy." Jordan said while he put a hand over one of Orellia's guns to lower them.

Orellia couldn't help but set her other weapon down, duly returning them back to their holsters.

"It's good that we reached a compromise." The man uttered, then faced his companion to relay an order. The latter quickly let go of his grasp on the door to run en route a black van that just made its landing on the area.

In the intervening time, Orellia went out of the car through the right passageway. She consequently circumnavigated the car to confront the man face to face. Once she took the spot that was a meter away from the man, she held her hand out to ask for a handshake.

"I'm Orellia Reiner, a police investigator."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms Reiner." The man uttered as he accepted the gesture. Still, he didn't articulate any succeeding detail.

This made Orellia tilt her head, curious of the reason why the man didn't reveal his name. As she was near to inquiring regarding the issue, the sound of a myriad of footsteps hitting the concrete road closed in from behind, urging her to peep on what's happening.

Immediately, the investigator witnessed four men sauntering towards them, one of them carrying an orange stretcher.

"Miss Orellia,"

The instant that her name was called, Orellia reinstated her gaze on the masked man in front of her.

"We will not allow any mishaps from your end. Make sure to heed to the plan to the letter. Likewise, bring Miss Rosenfeldt's phone with you lot and turn it on. Stay in the car since Larry Herse is aware that she was shot. He might get suspicious."

"Oh, so I was right. It was a listening device."

"Was it on her clothes?"

"Yes, though I broke it."

"One is also probably on her phone - A tracking app. Probe it, but do not tamper with anything. Make Mr Herse trail you. Anyhow, it won't be long till he stops. Our boss is enraged after all."