Ch.130Chapter 17. Desertion (End)

“What should I do?”

Leticia tried to bring her finger to her mouth. I pulled her wrist toward my lips instead. Slap! She hit my wrist with her other hand and let out a deep sigh.

“What do you mean, what should you do?”

Leticia shook her head at my question.

“The Commander knows. Everything I’ve done. All those… those things…”

Maybe I should have just let her suck her finger. Leticia couldn’t keep her lips still for even a moment. Her face turning pale blue was just a bonus.

“What can Virginia do even if she knows?”

“She’ll tear my limbs apart and hang them in Hampton Square. The Commander is someone who does what she says she’ll do.”

Given that she’s fast enough to catch a moving car and can tear metal plates with her bare hands, it seems possible. An eerie chill ran down my spine.

“We’re feeling the same thing, right? Leti, you’re getting chills too…”

“Johan, this is no time for jokes. I’m finished. I should have stopped while I was ahead.”

Leticia covered her face with her palms. Well, I don’t think it’s because I waved her latex outfit in front of her face.

“The Commander has been very patient. Really. What just happened was like her final act of mercy. She was being polite, but she was saying, ‘I know everything you’ve done.'”

“Wait, Leti.”

Leticia’s eyes darted around as she was about to launch into a long speech. I deliberately pushed a bit harder. Some people get flustered when they’re tense, and Leticia seems to be that type.

In situations like this, it’s easier to just push for a yes or no answer. Complaints can come later.

“So what are you going to do? Stay here and die at the Commander’s hands?”

“There’s a better option. Capturing you now and offering you to the Commander.”

I smiled smugly, as if to say “go ahead and try.” Leticia’s body went limp. Her eyes too.

“…This is all because of you, Johan. You ruined everything. If you hadn’t shown up in front of me. Everything was perfect. This is all your fault.”

Now she’s about to start sobbing. That’s not fair. I’m the one who should feel wronged.

“Leticia. Let’s be precise. I brought you alcohol, and in return, I received goods. That was a transaction. But sending me pictures occasionally, roaming the streets at night in latex outfits—I never asked for any of that.”

Leticia looked like she’d been doused with cold water. Her expression suggested her mood had been completely ruined.

“You. How could you… how could you…”

“So, thank you.”

“What?”

“Thank you for liking me. I know. All those things you did were because you had feelings for me. Some were a bit bizarre, and some I didn’t quite understand, but…”

I couldn’t bring myself to deny that much. I stood up and positioned myself in front of Leticia.

“And Leti, if your life was truly perfect, why did you stray from it?”

Leticia looked up at me with a confused expression. Like a lonely, faithful dog. I quietly embraced her and stroked her head. She seemed to push me away at first, but soon wrapped her arms around my waist.

“Come with me.”

“No.”

Why is someone who’s saying no squeezing my waist even tighter? Leticia embraced my waist more and more firmly.

“…After everything I’ve done to get here…!”

As expected.

She hooked one of her legs around mine and pushed against my body with her upper body. I wondered why she was gripping so strongly. But I’d experienced this kind of move countless times from Camilla.

Instead of trying not to fall, I also grabbed her tightly. And then I just sat down. Leticia rolled forward off the chair.

“Squeeze!”

Camilla, thank you. Thanks to you squeezing my buttocks countless times, I know exactly where and how to press to make someone lose strength.

I squeezed Leticia’s large buttocks firmly. Her waist arched like a bow. I desperately hugged her, burying her face against my chest. She was so fierce that if we faced each other, she might bite my nose off.

“Let… this! How, how d-dare you… mmm… wh-where… no, don’t.”

“You don’t like it?”

Leticia shook her head vigorously in my arms. Wow, that’s too intense.

“N-no. I don’t.”

“Leticia. Were you really happy here?”

I squeezed her buttocks even more firmly. Leticia’s body trembled. Her eyes were already unfocused, and she seemed to be drooling slightly, but she was still holding on through sheer willpower.

“Tell me. Were you happy? If you say you were happy, I’ll just let you go. I’ll disappear from your sight forever and never appear again. Because I would have been wrong.”

“…Why are you so extreme…”

“Do you think if you hand me over to Virginia, you can turn everything back to the way it was? If so, go ahead. But it won’t be easy. I don’t plan on being captured quietly.”

I suddenly let go. Leticia seemed confused by the abrupt release of pressure. Taking advantage of that moment, I shook off her hands and stood up.

“I’ve made my decision. You make yours too, Leticia. Will you come with me, or will you continue living like this? Though from now on, you’d have to live like a mouse in hiding.”

Bang bang bang! Someone kicked the door violently. “National Gendarmerie!” Bang bang bang!

I grabbed my bag and stood by the hallway. The front door shook even more violently. Leticia stood still, unable to move either way.

“Or…”

I deliberately lowered my voice and spoke quietly. Leticia flinched and looked at me. I gave her a slight smile.

“How about this option?”

* * * * *

Hampton Safe Zone Guard Post.

The disciplined guards rolled their eyes nervously. It was because of Virginia who had suddenly burst into the guard post. After giving various instructions over the radio, she repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fist.

She gripped so tightly that her knuckles turned white and trembled, but somehow she didn’t seem to be calming down. Eventually, the guard post captain handed her a 500ml bottle of water.

“Um, Commander. Some water perhaps…”

Virginia’s purple eyes stared at the captain. The captain involuntarily recalled the zoo he had visited as a child. The eyes of the boa constrictor, said to be able to devour even elephants, looked exactly like that.

“Your face is flushed…”

“My face is flushed?”

Virginia touched her face with the back of her hand. Crack, she opened the water bottle and took a long drink. At the same time, the radio buzzed.

“Yes, this is Virginia.”

The next moment, veins popped on Virginia’s forehead. The reinforced plastic radio creaked in protest. The commander had literally “squeezed” it. Fortunately, it could still perform its primary function—delivering bad news and issuing unpleasant orders.

“…They’re not opening the door, you say. Fine. Is the SWAT team still on site? Break down the door and go in. Arrest Leticia and the man with her. Emergency arrest! The charges can come later…”

The next moment, Virginia’s face turned pale. Then she frowned deeply.

“…What do you mean? Fire?”

* * * * *

“Fire!”

I shouted enthusiastically while setting off another white smoke grenade. I kicked it hard so it would go through the gap in the front door. Meanwhile, Leticia was lowering a rope from the window.

Fire! Fire!

People rushed out from all over the apartment building. The National Gendarmerie and SWAT guys would prioritize evacuating people. After all, the residents here are Hampton’s elite.

“…You’re not pulling some trick, are you?”

Leticia glared at me.

“What?”

“I mean, you’re not planning to sell me off somewhere?”

“I told you. If you see any sign of that, contact Virginia immediately.”

That was the condition I set.

Leticia would send a long text to Virginia saying she had been a victim of a romance scam, that she had done all those strange things because she was being blackmailed, and that she had finally been kidnapped by that man.

And if Leticia truly wants to leave, I don’t plan to stop her. If she wants to go, she can go anytime. I have no intention of dragging her along.

But right now, her being here would be awkward in many ways. For both me and her. And while she’s with us, Leticia has agreed to cooperate with us.

Having an Elza Intelligence Department officer with us while threats are coming from all directions is helpful one way or another.

Seemingly satisfied with that, Leticia grabbed the rope and slid down the apartment building. I followed her down. The rope had knots tied at intervals so we wouldn’t slide too fast.

“How often do you climb these things to be so skilled…”

“Be quiet.”

We crouched down beneath the flower bed. Leticia took out two more smoke grenades and threw them. One was blue and one was yellow.

“I don’t think even artillery units carry this many.”

“Shut up. I just used the last ones.”

Colorful smoke spread out. By now the soldiers would have realized there was no ‘fire,’ but it was already too late. We were already racing toward the car. Good thing I had loaded the chemicals into the car in advance.

Leticia got in the passenger seat, and I took the driver’s seat. Leticia pulled a submachine gun out of her bag and pointed it at me. I stepped on the pedal and vroomed through the alleys.

“Go that way. The security is lighter over there.”

Leticia indicated the direction with a nod of her chin.

“Is there a warehouse or something?”

Leticia opened her eyes wide at my question.

“Why a warehouse?”

“Want to do it one more time before we go?”

“…Are you crazy?!”

Yeah, that was a bit much. I was going to say I was just kidding. Until Leticia’s face turned red.

“…Go straight, then turn left and right. Between the alleys with the blue sign. We’ll need to stay there for a while. Don’t, don’t get the wrong idea! It’s the route the shift troops take. We need to hide there for a bit and leave when it gets quiet.”

Right. Of course.