Chapter 308 The Forgotten Dog
Luke didn’t feel guilty about lying. While he didn’t know exactly when Wales’s reinforcements would arrive, it would be too embarra.s.sing for the FBI’s 17th Division if they couldn’t get here within an hour after Luke made the call for help.
Twenty minutes had already pa.s.sed, and if Captain Wales was capable enough, reinforcements would hopefully arrive in twenty minutes.
After all, Boom Town was only eighty kilometers away from Phoenix, the capital of Arizona, and it was only half an hour by helicopter.
Thinking that, Luke called Wales.
The call was picked up quickly. “Luke, how’s it going?” Wales’s voice was as calm as ever, but his question was to the point.
Luke quickly said, “About four hundred residents have evacuated to the newly-built shopping center in the town, and they’re doing their best to hold off the spiders, but several hundred other residents are still scattered throughout the town. Also, there’s a mine underneath the shopping center which leads to a nest of spiders. The spiders have found us. I’ve closed down the tunnel, but I doubt that will stop them for long.”
Wales said quickly, “Don’t panic. We’ve deployed two helicopters and sixteen agents. Also, we’ve informed the sheriffs of the towns in the vicinity. They’ll probably be arriving soon.”
Luke was dumbfounded. “What?”
Wales noticed that his tone wasn’t right. “Is something wrong?”
Luke said, “More than two hundred giant spiders have gathered around the shopping center, and still more are hunting people around town, but you’ve asked police officers from other towns to back us up? Do you want them to become food for the spiders?” Wales said, “Sh*t! Why are there so many spiders?”
Luke said, “I have no idea, but your agents better not be stupid enough to land directly in town. They won’t survive ten minutes if they do. I injured a huge tarantula more than seven meters long earlier. There’s also another big guy in the mine that hasn’t come out yet.”
Wales was lost for words. “…You should’ve told me that sooner.”
Luke said, “…Fine. My bad. But I have good news.”
Wales asked, “What’s that?”
“Wade, the town mayor, had dealings with a company called Vitello, and a lot of barrels are secretly stacked up inside the cave. We don’t know what’s inside the barrels, but the big guy has already taken over. Does that ring any sort of bell?” asked Luke.
Wales immediately got it. “Okay, no matter what you do, don’t destroy the mine. Just wait for my men. Hang in there.”
Luke chuckled. “I believe in you, Captain Wales. Also, remember to tell the sheriffs of the other towns to stay away.”
Luke curled his lip after he hung up.
This bait would definitely hook S.H.I.E.L.D..
The unknown substance handled by that Vitello company could turn a tarantula the size of a palm into a monster the size of an elephant. This was definitely something that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be interested in.
At that point, a lot of people had moved planks and ropes to the bas.e.m.e.nt.
After checking the materials, Luke directed everybody in blockading the storeroom.
They didn’t need to completely seal it off; they just had to make it difficult for the spiders to get through.
Luke wasn’t betting on the blockade to last for long; they just needed to delay the spiders.
If he really had no other choice, he could still set a fire. He had seen many flammable objects in the stores.
After that was done, Luke left two men to watch the cave opening from the entrance of the storeroom with a walkie-talkie.
Even if the spiders came, the two men would hear them digging first, and since the room was blocked with ropes and wooden planks, the two men would be fine.
When that was done, Luke returned to the second floor.
Selina waved her hand quickly when she saw him.
Luke knew why she wasn’t using the walkie-talkie.
The town residents were on the verge of a meltdown, but hadn’t collapsed yet.
If she yelled for Luke to help, however, chances were that their morale would plummet.
Without any hesitation, Luke stepped forward and pushed aside two residents who were in front of a window. He then started firing the M4A1, which had cooled down completely.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
A few giant spiders that had scuttled over to a corner of the wall were blown up.
After eliminating the biggest threats, Luke a.s.sumed the standard posture for shooting and adjusted his breathing.
Sensing that he was in his best state, Luke unleashed fierce fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! It was as if a giant bite had been taken out of the middle of the aggressive army of spiders as they collapsed in the center.
Luke didn’t stop at all. After using up one clip, he immediately reloaded the gun with the clip in his left hand.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! All the spiders within a range of twenty meters were killed.
“Selina,” Luke said just as the last bullet was used up, and he tossed his M4A1 to Selina.
Selina threw her M4A1 to him at the same time, the two of them exchanging guns smoothly.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The residents nearby all stopped shooting, since Luke killed the targets that they had been aiming at.
Luke was far more relaxed this time when he reloaded his gun again.
He looked around. “Hey, the spiders aren’t all dead yet. You can shoot further than thirty meters, right?”
Everybody came back to themselves and opened fire again.
After close to a hundred shots, Luke had eliminated all the spiders within a range of thirty meters, and more spiders were starting to take their place.
Selina reloaded the gun and looked at Luke with sparkling eyes.
This fellow was the coolest when he was shooting!
Luke backed away and had the residents nearby take his position.
He suddenly felt his backpack move, and couldn’t help slapping his forehead.
He opened his backpack and cut open the small coc.o.o.n with his knife, and a black-and-white animal inside started to cry aggrievedly. Luke petted the dog with a smile. “Haha, Bruce, you almost became a real h.e.l.lhound! Don’t run off again.”
The little creature was none other than Gladys’s bulldog.
It must’ve been captured along with Gladys, and by the same unskilled spider, since a small gap had been left around the dog’s mouth and nose, which had enabled it to survive.
Luke went downstairs and tied a rope around the dog’s neck before pa.s.sing it to Gladys, who hadn’t fully recovered from the shock. “This should make you feel better.”
Now that it was free and meeting its owner again, Bruce jumped on Gladys in excitement.
Gladys’s voice shook. “Oh, Bruce, you’re fine? That’s great.”
Luke smiled at the reunion between master and pet.
It was the only happy scene that he had seen so far on this disastrous night.
Suddenly, a voice rang out in his earpiece. “Detective Luke, quick, come quick! Spiders! A lot of spiders! Ahhhh, hurry up and run!”