Chapter 576: Playing with minds - Part 3

"I put my plan into action, Deputy. The same plan which you foiled when you arrested David Peters." Jared grinned when he saw the change in Valerie's expressions. Not only was she stunned by his revelation, but she was also terrified to even think about the consequences of his actions.

Valerie was just about to probe for more details when a thought popped up in her mind. 'Is he telling the truth? What if he is deceiving me to use this opportunity to get out of here?' She wondered and stared at the man who held an evil glint in his eye. It was as though he knew what exactly was running in her mind. Her face said it all.

"You can choose not to believe me, Deputy. But you will soon learn what the truth is and you will eventually believe me." Jared said with such confidence that Valerie was now certain that he was not lying.

Anger got the best of her and she lunged forward and pulled him up by his collar. "What the hell did you do?" She gritted her teeth, wishing to kill the man who was smirking wickedly at her. However, he completely ignored her behavior with him.

"I did everything that would save me, and now it up to you to save the nation, Deputy." He was oddly calm, and now both Preston and Ryder too were furious beyond belief. "I was prepared for this day, Deputy, while you were not."

Every word from his mouth only made Valerie lose control, and unable to stop herself anymore, she punched him in the face. "You bastard." She shouted and kicked his stomach and Jared took all her punches and kicks with a smile. Not only did he not hit back, but his face was also oddly calm and composed.

"Umm, Deputy," He spat out blood after receiving another punch from the livid woman. "I would not mind being your punching bag. But you have other matters to attend to, and you need to attend to them quickly to save the nation. Otherwise," Jared opened his fists to exaggerate what lay ahead for them. "Boom. You will only hear cries and more cries everywhere."

"Bastard." Even Preston could not help but curse out loud. "Don't you know what will happen to you after this? You will go to the execution chair directly and we will make sure of it."

A low chuckle erupted in the room as Jared wiped his lips. "Do you think I am worried about it? I have come prepared." Jared tilted his head as he stared at the three people in front of him. He looked nothing less than the psycho he was, and the dim lighting in the interrogation room and the blood from his lips only made him more creepy.

"As soon as Maggie escaped from my clutches, I had already anticipated this day and I had prepared for it. I knew you would soon come to me. So, I had to create a way out for myself and I did." So..." Jared took a chair he was sitting on before and licked his lips, tasting his own blood on his tongue. "Deputy, now is the time for you to decide."

"What do you want?" Valerie clenched her fists in anger, controlling her urge to kill the man in front of her.

"All I want is my freedom in return for information you so desperately seek. I am sure by now you must be dying to know what my plan is and what my target locations are." Jared crossed his legs, showing his dominance in the predicament they were in.

Valerie did not miss the subtle hint he had given her and her fury only rose all the more. He had planned large scale destruction and was targeting people in different places to get his purpose solved. He had played her well, and Valerie for once did not know what to do. While one part of her was reluctant to believe him, the other part did not want to take any risk. What if Jared was actually saying the truth and he had planned mass destruction in secret?

"It is up to you, Deputy. Take your time to decide. Oops." Jared clicked his tongue as soon as he realized what he had spoken. "Time is the one thing you do not have right now. Tick tock, decide fast." He did not speak anymore and watched the myriad of expressions that passed through Valerie's face with amusement.

Valerie could not stay in the cell anymore and she walked out in anger with her friends following her. They too were too pissed to stay in the psycho's presence. His presence only serve to irk them all the more, and they were sure they would chop him into pieces if they stayed in the cell any longer.

They did not stop until they were in the surveillance room from where they could keep a watch on Jared. 

"What do we do now, Val?" Ryder was the first one to break the silence. In just a few minutes, the situation had gone completely out of their control. The man, who they had assumed to have finally surrendered, had bounced back stronger than before. He now held an advantage over them, one that could end the lives of many innocent people.

"I need to speak to Maggie. She must know something about this. Something, anything." Valerie mumbled and dialed the call without another moment. She was running short of time and had to get to the core of the matter before it became too late.

"Deputy," Maggie picked up the call much to Valerie's relief.

"Maggie, do you know anything about Jared's plans?" In her frustration, Valerie completely forgot that Jared had planned this disaster after Maggie betrayed him.

"What plans, Val? I do not understand."

"Jared is going to release the virus today, Maggie. Do you know anything about it?" Valerie rushed with her words but Maggie understood her without any problem.

"What? How is it possible? I have been monitoring him and I haven't seen him contacting the bio researcher again, at least not after I left his side." Maggie was too shocked by the turn of events.

"Could you please check again, Maggie? Jared has planned massive destruction and I have less than two hours to stop it. Please."

Maggie did not miss the desperation and helplessness in her Deputy's voice and for the first time, she understood the pressure her superior had to bear daily.

"I am on it. I will call you back shortly."

Valerie closed her eyes as she let out a breath. Though the two men had not heard what Maggie had told Valerie, they could more or less guess what might have happened. So, they did not question her about it.

"Val, I recommend we interrogate Jared's assistant. Perhaps, he might tell us something." Ryder suggested and as soon as Valerie heard him, she opened her eyes.

"You are right. Why didn't I think about him? He has been with Jared for quite some time now. He might know some of his secrets. Let's go." Valerie started walking even before the two men could speak a word. "We need to find out what is happening. I cannot allow Jared to kill innocent people anymore."