What Should I Do?

*Mayu Shinohara's POV*

//July 16, 2040//Monday//

July 16, 2040. Another day for me to support the government, and capture criminals who are wreaking havoc all over the place. Usually, when it comes to pursuing criminals, Machida, and I are the ones who the government trusts in arresting these crazy maniacs.

But when Machida went to investigate at Saitei University, I have been pursuing criminals all over Japan by myself. It was not that much of a hassle for me since the Special Assault Team has been assisting me for quite a while.

"Don't move!!!"

But this time, these criminals that we are pursuing are hard to capture.

"Please, someone help us!"

*CLICK*

"I said don't move!!!"

Because they are robbing the largest bank here in Japan, and have a hundred hostages inside.

"Shinohara, we are on standby for the past four hours outside. Please give us your orders."

The commander in charge is becoming more impatient as time passes by while I am here observing the situation inside my laboratory for a few hours.

There are ten criminals that are heavily equipped with weapons inside the bank with 427 hostages that are cowering in fear while they were kneeling on the floor with blindfolds on. The criminals are demanding ¥200 Trillion in exchange for the freedom of the hostages. I am in contact with the leader of their heist, and there is no room for negotiation when talking with them. All they want is the money, and the hostages are free to go, that's it.

"What to do in this kind of situation?"

Six of the criminals are seen on the security cameras that I have access to inside the bank that is in charge of watching over the hostages, and the employees who were working there are collecting the money that the criminals want. The Assault Team can easily go inside and capture the criminals. But the problem is that I haven't found where the other four are. I can't take the risk of ordering the Assault Team to invade the place directly since that might cause the death of one of the hostages.

"Akira-san, I'm giving you another chance to surrender yourself. The whole Special Assault Team is outside of the bank right now. You and the others in your group have no chance of escaping them." I said through the phone that I am connected with the leader of these criminals.

*BANG*

As soon as I gave Akira-san, the leader of these criminals in this heist a final warning, he didn't hesitate to pull the trigger of his gun near one of the hostages' feet.

"AAAAH!!! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!"

When one of the hostages pleaded for mercy, Akira-san talked on the phone where we are both connected.

"Listen here, brat. All we want is the money, and nobody is going to be harmed. Try threatening us once again, and I might take one of the hostages' lives. You don't want that, do you?"

*BEEP*

"Tsk."

I lost contact with Akira-san, and they continued patrolling the area.

I became more uneasy as time passes by. The pressure was getting into me, as I hear the screams of the hostages, and the commander asking for orders while I am here who is just staring at the screen of my monitor inside my laboratory.

How can I save these innocent people who are inside the bank? What orders can I give to the Special Assault Team? How can I capture these criminals who I think will not hesitate to hurt the hostages? There are a lot of questions that I need to solve one by one as soon as possible.

But there is one thing inside my head that I am focused on thinking about.

"What would Machida do in this kind of situation?"

There is a reason why that man was called as Japan's Greatest Detective. Not only does he do well in finding criminals in different cases, but he doesn't have the slightest hesitation when acting in front of a crisis. Even if what he will do is risky, and will cause harm to innocent lives, the plan that he had in mind has been executed perfectly by himself without harming anybody except the criminals that we are pursuing in the past.

Both of us form a great team. While Machida was in charge of going to the field to capture criminals by himself doing the risky things that can sometimes be brutal, I am the one who is in charge of making sure that there are no traps that will get in Machida's way when infiltrating the place.

An aggressive type like Machida and a passive type like me make the two of us a perfect team. But now because Machida is gone, It is hard to do this alone without someone who has the same insane mindset as his.

"Boss, We have successfully collected ¥150 Trillion so far, and in about 30 minutes, we will have the money that we wanted."

"Alright, keep guarding the area, and be ready to open fire as soon as those bastards infiltrate the place."

A member of the criminal's group has entered the camera's view that I have never seen before ever since this heist began.

Where has he been all this time? Why didn't I see him earlier as I look around every security camera that this bank has?

"Wait a minute. That gun that he was holding."

As I zoomed in on the screen of my monitor, I focused on the person who had just shown up.

His gun had a scope equipped on it.

If I can assume something based on what this guy had. The three who are the same as him probably are in a place inside the bank on guard who is ready to hurt anyone if we intend to forcefully infiltrate the place just like Akira-san has said. But if I can't see them in the security cameras, then the position of those four is-.

*BEEP*

While I was collecting my thoughts, my phone connected once again to Akira-san and started then he started talking.

"It seems that we have almost collected the money that we need, and because of that, we need a route for us to escape this place. I want you to order your people to give us a way, and don't pursue us."

"And what if we don't want to?" I asked.

"HAHAHAHA! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! DO YOU STILL WANT TO PROVOKE US EVEN IF THE LIVES OF THESE HOSTAGES ARE ON THE LINE?! If you will not follow our orders, then someone is bound to get hurt."

*BEEP*

"Shinohara, we need to do something immediately, or else a huge sum of money will be taken, and we still need to guarantee the safety of the hostages inside."

"..."

I started recalling the data that is inside my head from what I got since this heist began, and tried creating a plan that will benefit our side the most.

"MAYU SHINOHARA! WE NEED ORDERS AT ONCE!"

I ignored the commander and answered all of the things that I had in mind. The four missing criminals, a surefire way to capture the ten of them, a safe method that will guarantee the security of the lives of the hostages. As I recollect the things that I have witnessed on my monitors that I am looking at…

I have created a plan in mind that will surely give us the victory we need.

"Commander, can I ask you to order some of your troops to go in these specific coordinates inside the bank that I will tell you?"

As soon as the commander agreed to my request, I immediately sent him the coordinates that I think were the location of the four criminals that are hidden inside the bank where.

"Are you sure about these coordinates, Shinohara?" The commander asked.

"I am sure about it. But before you order your troops to do as I told you to do, I'll explain the plan that I have in mind."

As soon as I told the commander the plan that I had created, his reaction was the same as mine when I thought about the whole thing earlier.

"What you are thinking is absurd, Shinohara! There is no guarantee that this plan of yours will work! Someone might die if this goes wrong!"

"I know, commander, but trust me on this. It's risky, but I can assure you that no one will get hurt."

Yes, this plan that I have thought of is dangerous. But while I was thinking of a way to infiltrate the place, I realized that I need to take a risk as well. Machida is no longer here, and this is the time for me to be aggressive as well to the orders that I will give to my comrades that will lead us to victory.

"Shinohara, I'll let my troops carry out what you wanted us to do. But let me ask you this."

"What is it, commander?" I asked

"Can you carry out your role in this plan as well?"

While I listened to what the commander had asked, I pushed the center of my glasses, and cracked my neck. I changed my position on the chair that I am sitting on. I leaned back on the chair then placed my feet above then leaned forward at the computer screen.

"What are you talking about, commander? Don't underestimate me."

I took a deep breath, cracked my fingers one by one, and prepared my hands on the keyboard.

"I am one of the greatest hackers that the government can offer to this country."

******** TO BE CONTINUED ********