Chapter 3: A Hair's Breadth Escape

  The sky is already fully lit, the Dongjiang Service Area has been sealed off, and many vehicles that are unaware of the situation have been blocked outside the service area. Many onlookers see so many military police surrounding the gas station and stretch their necks to watch the commotion.

  As more and more vehicles and people gathered, the special police wearing black combat uniforms also arrived. The hijackers became increasingly agitated and forced the hostages to lock the glass door from the inside with a chain, making it even harder for the special police to break into the room.

  When the fire truck arrived, there was no better way, and they could only wait. The negotiation expert shouted to the hijacker through a loudspeaker for two hours, but the hijacker didn't know what he was thinking, except that from time to time he looked out and didn't respond.

  The negotiation expert put down the loudspeaker with some helplessness and shook his head: "If he doesn't communicate with me, it's hard to judge what he wants."

  "Has the dope been found in his car?" asked Comrade Li.

  Always busy with chasing and capturing, this matter Old Wei almost forgot, after hearing Cheng Te Li's reminder, he quickly contacted the parking lot, the parking lot replied that the car had been dismantled into pieces, but no drugs were found.

  The parking attendant's response also made Lao Wei very suspicious. If the other party was not transporting drugs, why would they react so excessively? Lao Wei, who was still worried, added another question: "Is there a hollowed-out space inside the wood to transport drugs or other contraband?"

  "Nothing at all, we've used technical detection on everything, this car can completely pass through normally."

  The negotiation expert's eyes flashed with a hint of excitement: "If that's the case, it may prompt him to surrender."

  Regardless of why he ran and why there were no drugs in the car, the top priority now is to figure out how to safely rescue the hostages and capture the hijacker alive. Once that's done, many questions will be answered. Old Wei looked at the negotiation expert with anticipation and handed him a loudspeaker: "Let's trouble you again."

  Near noon, the scorching sun was baking the earth. In order not to irritate the hijackers' nerves, the SWAT team members were all waiting in the transport vehicle. The stifling iron compartment was like a steamer, and the SWAT team members were drenched from head to toe.

  The negotiator's shout finally got some response, the hijacker heard that there was no contraband in his car and began to talk to the negotiator, but progress was still very difficult. The hijacker's conditions often changed, and the negotiator could only observe and try to delay time.

  What is called negotiation is actually to make the hijacker believe that the crime he has committed is not as serious as he imagined, and the best result is to surrender, but this thing is not so easy. Holding hostages is already a serious crime, and negotiation experts do not have the right to replace the court in making judgments on him. The divergence often lies here, the hijacker demands that the negotiation expert give a clear answer, but the negotiation expert cannot answer at all.

  The tense situation continued until evening, and finally some progress was made. The negotiators claimed that shouting at each other through the glass was too tiring, and asked to move to the door for a conversation with the doors closed. The hijackers, who had been shouting all day, were already hoarse and could only agree.

  "He agreed to let me get close, do you think there's a chance?" the negotiation expert asked Cheng Te-li. Cheng Te-li looked at the angle and thought of a plan quickly.

  Breaking in to rescue now seems unrealistic, if a SWAT team appears, it's hard to guarantee the scene won't get out of control. But the appearance of one or two SWAT officers shouldn't be too stimulating for the hijackers. Cheng Te Li plans to let Commander Gao and Qin Xiaoyu go up. Commander Gao will use the name of protecting the negotiation expert, holding a riot shield in front to block the hijacker's line of sight. Qin Xiaoyu holds a 95 assault rifle, waiting for an opportunity to get close and shoot the hijackers dead.

  "Are you sure?" Cheng Te Li asked Qin Xiao Yu.

  If it were usual, Qin Xiaoyu would readily agree, but the piled-up gasoline would create a strong psychological pressure. The bullet had to penetrate the glass and then drill into a gap of about 10 cm. Once there was any deviation, the consequences would be unthinkable.

  Qin Xiaoyu was considering, when Peng Sizhe spoke up: "Squad leader, let me go, I've worked with Gaoling a lot and we're pretty in sync, I'm confident."

  Peng Sizhe is the best in the team at rapid fire and small angle shooting, and he would definitely be the first choice if it were normal times. However, his recent performance has made Cheng Teli very suspicious of whether he can still do the job.

  Qin Xiaoyu shook his head, he didn't have absolute confidence in completing this task. Cheng Te Li stared at Peng Sizhe for a long time, saying word by word: "Peng Sizhe, you must understand that if we don't succeed, the consequences..."

  "I know that if we fail, this place will be a sea of flames."

  "And also the lives of those inside, you must consider carefully!" Cheng Te Li emphasized.

  Peng Sizhe raised his hand in an OK gesture, and Cheng Te Li made a decision: "Gaoling, you hold the riot shield, Peng Sizhe, you must seize the opportunity, if there is no opportunity do not shoot."

  "Understood!" Commander Gao and Peng Sixi took off the special police's bulletproof vests and other equipment to avoid stimulating the opponent's nerves.

  "I'm coming over, don't get excited, these two comrades are coming with me." Commander Gao held a bulletproof shield in front of him, followed by the negotiation expert, and Peng Siche was at the back right position, which was just blocked by the bulletproof shield from the hijacker's line of sight, unable to see the gun in his hand.

  "Come over here... slow down a bit..." The robber's nerves were stretched taut, and when the three of them reached a gas pump, the robber suddenly shouted: "Halt! Halt! Do you have guns? Are any of you carrying guns?"

  The hijacker's words made the negotiator pause for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure: "I don't have a gun, you see, I really don't have a gun." He walked out from behind the shield, holding up both hands.

  "Are there two of them? Are they armed? I want to check!" the hijacker shouted.

  The high commander was secretly worried, if the hijackers found out that Peng Sixhe had a gun, what if...

  Seeing them stop, Cheng Te Li also became tense. If Peng Si Zhe couldn't get close to the effective design distance, the backup plan was to find a way to lure him in front of the glass and have the sniper take him out. Cheng Te Li turned his head to look at the sniper hiding under the chassis of a military truck, who was concentrating on taking aim.

  "We just agreed on that, you've been shouting for so long, aren't you tired? I'll walk to the door, don't worry, I won't go in, nor can I. You see, I don't have a gun, you're still very safe...". The negotiation expert tried to persuade the hijacker, and at this distance, he also understood that no one could guarantee hitting the swaying head in the gap of the oil barrel.

  "I don't want to hear your nonsense! I'm going to check if they have guns... whether they do or not..."

  "Look, we're all being watched by you, you see us coming over, how can we possibly bring guns? Don't worry, you're safe, I'll go to the door and we'll have a good talk. You haven't caused any consequences, we've talked it through, and it will be over soon." The negotiator doesn't seem like he can hold on for much longer.

  Peng Sizhe's brain was racing, he had considered the detail of how to avoid being discovered with a gun before they set out. He had adjusted his gun holster, slinging it diagonally across his shoulder, with the muzzle pointing down and tucked behind him. His right hand pressed against it to prevent any movement. Using the shield and the negotiator's body as cover, the hijackers wouldn't be able to see his gun. Once they reached the door, he was responsible for keeping watch. The negotiator would try to lure the hijacker's head out, Peng Sizhe just needed to quickly swing his gun forward from behind the shield, taking one stride. If everything went smoothly, a 9mm steel-core bullet could penetrate the tempered glass at this distance without any problem and wouldn't affect its trajectory.

  But at this distance now, no one can guarantee a hit. The negotiation expert is about to collapse and turns his head, using his eyes to tell Peng Siche: "Think of a way quickly."

  If you can't get close enough to effective range, then lure the hijacker out and let a sniper take care of it.

  "Either this way, you walk to the door and we talk..." The negotiation expert made a suggestion.

  "Damn you! You want to trick me into going to the door and getting shot by the SWAT team outside!" The hijacker saw through the negotiation expert's plan: "Let them come out, raise their hands and turn around, I want to check if they have any guns..."

  "Peng Sizhe, think of a solution quickly..." The negotiation expert realized that they could no longer delay and said in a low voice.

  "Why don't you trust us? I came here to solve your problem..." The negotiation expert was still trying to persuade him, but was abruptly interrupted: "Hurry up! Or else I'll burn this place down with a single match!" He said, raising the lighter in his hand and lighting it.

  The hijacker's lighter ignited, causing the two hostages to scream. The room was filled with a mixture of gasoline and air, which would explode if ignited, leaving no one able to escape.

  "Shut up! Shut your mouth!" The furious hijacker turned around and kicked the hostage crouching in the corner several times.

  Taking advantage of the hijacker's momentary distraction, Peng Sizhe removed his gun and leaned it against the gas pump with his left hand. He then gently patted the negotiation expert on the shoulder: "It's done."

  The negotiator's hanging heart has fallen, it seems that now we have to think of a way to cheat him to the door and use the backup plan.

  "Let's continue talking, I'll take another step... Look, we really don't have guns!" the negotiator called out.

  "Check... I want to check..."

  Peng Sizhe walked out from behind the shield, raised his hand and turned around in a circle. The bandit shouted again: "The one with the shield, raise the shield, turn around in a circle, turn faster!"

  It's never a good feeling to be ordered around, especially by a hijacker, but Commander Gao could only reluctantly raise the dozens of kilograms of bulletproof shield and spin around in a dance-like motion.

  The hijackers finally relaxed: "You can come over."

  Cheng Te Li looked at the sniper under the car again and asked on the intercom: "Sniper, are you sure?"

  "He hasn't reached the door yet." The sniper replied.

  Cheng Te Li turned his head and suddenly found that Peng Si Zhe had taken advantage of the shield and human cover to quickly retrieve the gun from beside the gas pump with his left hand...

  Cheng Te Li hastened, softly saying into the intercom: "Peng Si Zhe, don't be rash."

  Peng Sizhe heard it in his earphones but didn't respond.

  The three of them arrived at the door smoothly, and the negotiation expert began to talk with the hijacker across the door. Peng Sizhe appeared to have his hands hanging naturally, but in fact he was holding a 95 shield behind the shield, waiting for an opportunity.

  The negotiations were extremely difficult, and the negotiator tried every possible means to persuade the hijacker that surrendering now would be the best outcome for him. However, the hijacker refused to come out from behind the cash register. The negotiator then proposed exchanging hostages, offering himself as a hostage in exchange for the two female hostages, but this was also rejected. When asked what conditions he needed to meet in order to surrender, the hijacker remained vague.

  The sky had already darkened, and to block Peng Zhe's gun, Commander Gao held a heavy bulletproof shield for over 3 hours! His legs were numb, his hands slightly trembling, but he didn't dare put the shield too low, fearing that the hijacker would see the gun hidden behind the shield.

  Peng Sizhe never had a chance to shoot, the opponent hid behind an oil barrel, his head still shaking back and forth.

  Cheng Te-li anxiously glanced at his watch, it was already 8 o'clock. In the dark night, the sniper's line of sight was obstructed, and the hit rate would decrease. But this damn hijacker just wouldn't show up. Cheng Te-li looked at the sniper again, who shook his head at him.

  It would be disadvantageous to continue dragging on, so Cheng Te-li decided to withdraw the negotiation experts and softly said into the walkie-talkie: "Withdraw!"

  All the efforts of the negotiation expert were in vain, and they could only retreat and think of another way. Commander Gao felt a long sigh of relief when he heard the order to retreat. The three men made an excuse and retreated back. Commander Gao returned to a safe location, his hand went limp, and the shield "thudded" onto the ground.