Carl’s heart was racing with anxiety.
Under extreme danger, his brain was working faster than usual.
He finally understood why these people had suddenly targeted the police station.
Su had gone into the community to investigate and was now fighting Paimon.
But besides Paimon, there were plenty of believer there too.
With everyone carrying guns, how could Su possibly escape?
Even if he could, with so many people dead, if the investigation led back to him, what then?!
Having lived at the bottom for years, Carl knew exactly how the government in this land operated.
If Su’s abilities were exposed, he might even end up in a lab for dissection!
To prevent that, the detective would need to lead a large group of police officers to intervene.
However, due to the cult’s long-term operation, a mole was planted in the police department, creating hidden dangers in the city.
Now Su was trapped in that dangerous community, isolated and without backup!
Carl’s pistol still had seven rounds left. Judging by the gunfire, Elliot was probably in the same situation.
He couldn’t give the other man a chance to catch his breath.
When it came to shooting, Elliot was about as good as him.
Dragging this into a long standoff was pointless!
His adrenaline spiking, Carl suddenly pushed hard and flipped the sofa over, creating a bigger visual obstacle.
Elliot on the other side immediately opened fire while using the chance to move closer.
Carl fired back. Neither of them really aimed—it was all gut instinct.
Wood chips and stone fragments flew everywhere inside the room. Dust kicked up, making it hard to see what was happening.
“Click, click, click, click…”
He kept pulling the trigger, but no more bullets came out.
Elliot instinctively moved to reload his magazine, but Carl seized the opportunity.
He burst out from cover, hurled the ashtray he’d grabbed earlier, and slammed it hard into the other man’s face!
Struck by the pain, Elliot hesitated for a moment, giving Carl the time to close in.
In just a couple of strides, Carl lunged like a lone wolf and tackled Elliot to the ground. As they struggled, both their guns skidded away!
Carl quickly moved to get behind Elliot, attempting a rear naked choke.
But he wasn’t that heavily built. Elliot managed to lift him up and slam him toward a corner of the wall!
Carl engaged his core, twisted his body sharply, and avoided the hit.
But he still hit the ground hard, his back aching from the impact.
Seeing Elliot about to break free, Carl threw a punch with all his might, knocking him out cold!
Watching Elliot finally “hit the hay,” Carl let go.
He gasped for breath, soaked in sweat. Getting up, he picked up both pistols from nearby, pulled out his handcuffs, and secured the unconscious Elliot to a thick water pipe.
“Forgot to tell you, I was the Southside’s number one pitcher back in the day!”
“Sleep tight, you loud-mouthed little sissy!”
He grabbed the car keys from Elliot’s pocket, stood up shakily, walked out of the house, and got back into the patrol car.
“Officer Carl requesting contact…”
He started the car and kept calling out.
“Carl, it’s me, the detective.”
A few simple words came through the radio.
“That bastard Elliot is one of Paimon’s people.”
“I know. The mole I rooted out in the station has already confessed. I was just about to send someone for you.”
“They know Su’s movements. They deliberately let him in there.”
Carl drove while trying to steady his breathing.
“I’ve already requested backup from superiors. Head back to the station first. Once everyone’s assembled, we’ll go straight to the community to support Su!”
“Understood!”
After ending the call, the detective looked at the handcuffed officer in front of him.
It was the same one who had previously brought him the files on the Linda family.
“Your plan has failed, Anakin.”
Hearing this news, the officer remained silent and calm.
“Nothing you want to say? Like why you joined that evil cult?”
“Detective, when did you first start believing in these things that defy common sense?”
Anakin didn’t answer the detective’s question directly, but asked this instead.
“It must have been after that Eastern exorcist first banished a spirit right in front of you, right?”
“In the face of obvious facts, any belief or words seem incredibly weak.”
“Just like when I personally saw Johnny step into that room and age rapidly, while you all relied on yellow paper to safely go deeper.”
“Evil spirits, demons—they exist. We just never saw them before. In that moment, fear and unease rose in my heart.”
“Humans are so small and fragile before mysterious beings. We don’t even have a way to protect ourselves.”
“I started studying ancient witchcraft, astrology, and the occult, but I never gained any power through them.”
“Not until I joined the Paimon cult.”
Anakin paused, his tone calm.
“God shows miracles before people, so people kneel devoutly and offer their faith, hoping for divine protection.”
“I can’t gain the favor of supernatural beings like you and Carl, so I had to turn to the other side to protect myself.”
“You and I are both humans kneeling at the feet of the supernatural. We just kneel to different masters.”
“You chose that young man. I chose Paimon.”
“That’s all there is to it.”
“Even now, you’re still making excuses. No matter what you say, your actions have already proven everything.”
The detective shook his head.
For personal gain?
When he first connected with Su, besides gratitude for saving his life, that thought was indeed there.
Most relationships between people are built on mutual benefit.
But what truly maintains a long-term connection and keeps people together is sincerity.
In all their time together, Su Fan had never thrown his power around or acted superior.
Although they hadn’t known each other long, more than once the detective mistakenly felt Su was an old friend.
In his free time, he would visit the antique shop.
And Su, calmly, would brew him a cup of rich, fragrant tea.
“So-called self-protection means sacrificing others’ lives as offerings for your own benefit?”
“There’s a limit to shamelessness.”
For someone like Anakin, the detective had nothing more to say. He simply left the interrogation room.
“Notify the teams below. All officers prepare for action.”
——
Los Angeles Suburban Villa.
Early in the morning, Iris was gathering the laundry she’d hung out in the courtyard.
After exorcising demons with Su Fan, her state of mind was completely different.
Not just because the cross-dressing evil spirit Parker that had haunted her was dead.
But also because she realized there were exorcists more powerful than her in this world.
The world belonged to young people like Su Fan or the Winchester brothers.
As an old-timer, she could just handle some simple spirits in her spare time.
Iris was about to head back inside to rest when the basket in her hands suddenly fell to the ground.
Her eyes lost focus, fear spread across her face, and she collapsed, as if she’d seen something terrifying.
It was a long while before Iris came to. She pulled out her phone and dialed the Winchester brothers’ number.
“Iris?”
“Yes, it’s me. Are you preparing to go support Su now?”
Inside the antique shop, the Winchester brothers, having packed their hunting gear, exchanged glances.
They really couldn’t sit still anymore and were planning to enter the community to find Su Fan.
“Did you see something else through your precognitive ability?”
“Yes. What I want to tell you is, don’t leave the antique shop just yet. You still need to wait for someone.”
“Wait for who?”
“I can’t see clearly. That person seems to have strong psychic abilities, but she should be Su’s friend.”
“…Thank you for the advice…”
After hanging up, Sam looked at his brother Dean.
“What should we do now?”
“We’ll wait, just like she said.”
Dean put down the equipment box, feeling a bit bored.
“Looks like there’s no role for us this time.”
