Chapter 18 — Don't Open The Door At 2 A.M

The number of floors jumped from eight to seven, then to six. In the headset, Officer Tran's voice was very low. "Slow your breathing." I followed. Reaching the first floor, the elevator stopped for a moment. The door opens. There's no one outside. The parking lot lights shine in rows, the ground reflects cold white light. I pressed the second negative floor. The elevator door closed again. At that moment, the phone vibrated. The strange number sent another photo. In the photo, my mother is sitting in the living room of her aunt's house, next to two local police officers standing. Below was written: "Do you think that's enough?" I sent the photo to police officer Tran. “Don't answer,” he said. Elevator to the second floor. The door opens. A musty smell came over me. The parking lot is much colder than above, a few light bulbs are broken, the distance is sometimes bright and sometimes dark. I walked out. The sound of footsteps was magnified by the empty underground space. "Turn right." Officer Cao's voice was heard in the headset. I follow your advice. The electrical room is at the end, the iron door is ajar. A line of gray-white light appeared in the crack of the door. I stopped at the edge of the elevator lobby. "I'm here." No one answered inside. A few seconds later, old Trinh's voice came from the power room. "Ninh Ninh?" His voice was shaking very badly. "Help me, he has a gun." I stared at that door, not stepping forward. "You come out." Old Trinh's voice carried the sound of crying. "I can't get out, he tied me up." The processed male voice finally rang out. "Come in here." I said: "Let me see the things first." There was a bit of silence inside. "You don't have the right to dictate conditions." I said: "Then just send it." After saying this, my back was covered in cold sweat. But I don't back down. A very soft laugh came from inside the door. "Do you really think I don't dare?" I said: "If you dared, you would have sent it all a long time ago." "You still keep the documents to talk to me, proving that what you want is not sending." "You want to escape." There was complete silence inside the door. In the headset, Officer Tran lowered his voice and said: "Very well, prolong him." A few seconds later, the electricity room door was pushed open by someone inside. A hand stuck out. Wear black gloves on your hands. In my hand I held that gray file. "Come here and get it alone." I looked at the file, but my feet did not move. "Let me see Mr. Trinh." That hand stopped. Right after that, the door was pulled wider. Old Trinh knelt on the ground, his mouth was taped, his hands were tied behind his back, and his forehead was torn. Seeing me, tears immediately welled up in his eyes. And behind him, stood a man wearing repair clothes. The cap is pulled very low, the face is covered with a mask. In his hand there was no da.a.o. Only one phone. The phone screen is facing me. Above that is the sending interface. Dense list of recipients. I see the corporate group. Saw my mother's number. Also see the names of some relatives. The man raised his head. "If you don't come over, I'll press send."20I stood in place. The underground parking lot is so quiet, so quiet that you can hear the sound of water flowing in the pipes in the distance. The man's finger hung on the screen. "The last three seconds." I stared at the file in his hand. "You give me the things, I let you go." He seemed to hear a joke. "You let me go?" I said: "Right now I can still stand here because I have things in my hand." "But after you send it away, you will have nothing left." He squinted his eyes. "You know how to calculate." "If you're forced to this point, you have to learn how to calculate anyway." I walked away. one small step forward. Police officer Tran's low voice immediately came through the headset. "Stop." I stopped. The man noticed my movements. "What's in your ear?" I raised my hand and slowly took off the headset. "Didn't you say I was the only one coming? I'm here." He laughed coldly. "Throw it over here." I threw the headset on the ground. The headset slid half a meter out, stopping next to a streak

oil. The man's eyes also fell. At this moment, a very soft noise was heard from behind the electrical room. The man suddenly turned his head. But police officer Cao rushed in from the direction of the door to check. The man reacted extremely quickly, grabbed Mr. Trinh and pulled him forward, pressing the phone close to his face. "Back off!" Policeman Cao stopped, his hands on his side. Officer Tran appeared behind me, his voice calm. "You can't escape." The man pushed Mr. Trinh into the door frame. Old Trinh groaned, his whole body became even weaker. "I told you, let her come alone." Policeman Tran said: "You let go now, the situation is not at its worst yet." The man laughed. "Do you know who I am?" "You don't even know my real name, you said I couldn't run away?" Policeman Tran said: "Lao Mieu is just a nickname, the real name will be found out sooner or later." The man's eyes changed. Even though it was just for a moment, I saw it clearly. I spoke up. "You are Lao Mieu." He looked at me. "Duong Ly told you?" "She's not that smart." The man's eyes turned cold. I continued: "Ha Xuyen doesn't dare to arrange you." "In front of you, at best he is just a working dog."