Chapter 6: Pressure

News-" Knocks of unknown. Breaking of glasses. Unconscious on roads during the night. Due to quarantine method of police, the pranks and robbery has increased. We can't ask help from police for the time being but we have a detective to give some advice and it will be an audio conference for safety measures."

Mahiro-" As the serial killer is behind the police officers we have temporarily suspended the patrolling activities and other activities that involves them. So as per the situation I advice the citizens to stay at home during the night and ignore all the knocks at their door and breaking of windows."

News reporter-"As we are always protected by them, this time it's our chance to protect them. Let's fight the serial killer together."

(Someone enters to give a report.)

" The serial killer has made a new post and it's all over the social media."

Post-" That task is impossible for us to complete as we are unable to choose a victim. Hence, we have decided to take lifes of people  in return if needed."

Contains blank space for news.

News reporter-" Sir, this time the lives of people are on stake and while the police are on quarantine, there is no one to guard them."

" Well, as the same reason, we have to quarantine everyone until the issue is solved. For the time being we are unable to find any clues behind the serial killer."

Mahiro-Till now he executed everything perfectly there are no traces of the killer. Seems like he was not even present during the murder.

News reporter-" Our CM is on line."

CM-" Good evening. Looks like our state is on a very big crisis. The serial killer is challenging each and everyone in our state and trying to gain his popularity. As the serial killer is getting twisted. I hereby declare a state quarantine for a week until we are found to be safe. Let's make the serial killer fail and show that he is not worth being our opponents."

Mahiro- Was this all his plan? Is he trying to keep us out of this so he can kill someone with ease? If that's the case this would add up. He tried to avoid the police by posting a fake in order to complete his serial killing but it can even be the opposite. What is he thinking? Since it is a quarantine no one can leave the house without notice. We will have someone see anyone breaking into a house to kill. This time we can find him with clues. This will be really hard for him. It's interesting.

Post-" We have decided our target. It's gonna be a child and a father."

Mahiro-Huh? It's two this time. Is he removing his anger? There isn't much to help with this clue. There are father and child in most of the house. Wait does this mean that this is the fake one? He is trying to bring us out of quarantine. If I am correct the result of what he did will come soon.

(An hour after the post being posted.)

News reporter-" People are causing havoc asking for protection. People find it hard to guard themselves and ask the assistance of the police. They refuse the quarantine of police and want them back to action."

Mahiro-Well losing their family members will cause a lot of stress on them. The objective of the killers were to pressure us to come back to action. He was even able to convince them with the trolley dilemma where a person is given a choice to save one or five persons. As the number increases, people tend to save the one with more numbers, Hence 5. So, people who doesn't even have a family have come to a conclusion to pressure the police officers to come back to action. 

Mahiro-As I thought the police officer is the one he is targetting and not the people but even if I say this there is no way they would listen. Even if we had to vote only the police would vote for their safety and it would be a complete loss. The killer outsmarted us.

Mahiro-" As per the majority request, we have decided to put the police back in action. If you find anything unusual, please contact them. Note the number respective to the place you live. We shall work 24/7 from now."

For now people won't cause a problem. 

(All the police officers are called for a online meeting.)

"As per people request, we have  no choice but to relieve our quarantine. The killer might have succeeded and will be one step ahead of us. We are his actual targets so for that reason I am making a team of four. The reason behind this decision is the photo slot in his post. It has only one slot which means only one will die. It's just my hunch that this is what's going to happen so I want no one to leave their team alone even for a second but since it's a hunch we can't clear out I want you police officers to wear you mask until the matter is solved. Never remove it."

"Ok sir."

Mahiro-Since he posts the exact of what's in the newspaper it should be clear that only one dies. There would be no newspaper that would print the victims seperately and if he is trying to act like a predictor he won't like to fail by killing more than the slots that he had posted and for the people's section it is completely blank but it doesn't matter we will have an eye everywhere. Police officers are the one we should care now.

Days left : 2 days left.