Lawrence guessed that a sensor must have been installed under the carpet covering the stairs. That would explain why there had been no alarm earlier— they hadn't stepped on the carpet.
And now that they were running downstairs, their only goal was to escape from the scene as soon as possible. As a result, they triggered the alarm.
The villa was brightly lit at this point, since the lights had all turned on.
Lawrence's men had already jumped out through the window, the sense of urgency propelling them to move faster than usual.
Maria, however, discovered to her dismay that she had stepped on something.
Lawrence was about to make his own exit when he realized that she had not been following him. He craned his neck and whispered, "Hurry up!"
The alarm in his voice prompted Maria to do as he ordered. She was about to lift her foot when he caught sight of what was under it. His expression changed. "No! No, no, don't move!"
He trotted back and squatted beside her. "Don't move your foot. You've stepped on the switch of a shock trap. This thing has a wide range of cover. The trap's current is so strong, it's enough to knock out an adult elephant in the blink of an eye. If you release the trigger, we're sure to meet a fate worse than the elephant's." "What's going to happen?" Maria's heart was caught in her throat.
"We'll be electrocuted," he said.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "What a coincidence then. My outfit today is specially made of insulating materials. Come on, let's go."
"No, wait!" Lawrence was caught between crying and laughing. "You might be wearing suitable clothes, Maria, but I most definitely am not. If you choose to move from that spot, you will have no choice but to carry me on your shoulders all the way out."
And if he chose to leave first, then Maria would be left here, unable to escape.
One of his men poked his head through the window. "Sir, I saw a shock trap. Come out quickly. Don't touch the switch!"
The man's warning was futile. Maria had already stepped on the trigger.
Noises came from upstairs, and both Maria and Lawrence noticed that. Then she pushed him away. "You go first. I'll cover you and follow later."
His protest was instant. "No way! How can I—"
"Okay, enough with this! I told you, my clothes are made of insulating fabric. Can you say the same for yourself? Besides, you and I are different. I'm an infamous murderer. You, on the other hand, are nothing short of a national hero. You still have a lot of responsibilities, and many people look up to you. Now hurry and leave this place!"
He opened his mouth to argue, and Maria punched him impatiently. "Stop being a pussy! Why are you hesitating?"
Lawrence stood his ground. "I refuse to let a woman cover our escape!" "Are you serious right now? Do you even know what year we're currently in? Gender equality is on the rise, my friend, even within the battlefield. Do you understand what I'm saying here, Mr. Lu?"
He had nothing to say to that. And they were truly running out of time. Lawrence relented. "We'll be waiting for you outside," he assured her before moving to the window.
"Yes, yes, now go!"
He swung out of the window and scaled the side wall as fast as he could go. When he was at a manageable distance from the ground, he jumped.
He crouched low in the darkness, intending to wait for Maria from this spot. But then one of his subordinate's voice came through his earpiece. "Sir, something is wrong! You have to get here right away!"
Lawrence glanced back at the window he had exited a few seconds ago. He would have to leave from his station for the time being.
A man appeared at the second floor landing. He had a gun in his hand, and he pointed it to the intruder standing in the hallway. "Who are you?"
The first thing that Maria saw was the weapon. She then turned her head slightly to check the time. Lawrence should be well out of range by now. Thinking fast, she released her foot and rolled on the floor to hide from view as the man proceeded down the hall. When he was walking down the stairs, swinging his gun from side to side, Maria dashed to the window and climbed down the wall.
No sooner had she done this than several cars screeched to a halt at the villa gates. Several men rushed out of the vehicles and stormed into the yard.
They saw her clinging to the wall, and one of them produced a gun and aimed at her.
Fortunately for her, none of these men were skilled enough, and she easily dodged the bullets they fired as she slid down the wall.
She went running the moment her feet touched the ground; pursuers were already at her heels. She made for the road as fast as she could.
Then a car suddenly thundered down the road, its headlights blinding Maria. Although the driver stepped on the brake pedal, she still ended up crashing into the vehicle.
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