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Chapter 634: Cause and effect

Ryder did not give up hope and continued to look for Valerie and Preston while at the same time, helping the other injured comrades and even the enemies on the way. He gritted his teeth when he and Matt tried to lift one of the slabs and Ryder froze immediately when he saw the condition the man underneath that slab was. His entire face had been smashed and he was utterly unrecognizable. They could not even make out if he was an officer or a gang member.         

Matt too stood frozen when he saw the blood and gore and he felt miserable. But this was not the time to break down. Carefully, he and Ryder moved the body away from the fragments and laid the man on flat land while they stared at his lifeless body. This was the first fatality after the explosion.     

Ryder was filled with immense grief. Controlling his emotions, he glanced at the man one last time before he returned to rescue the people from the place. The port was far away from the city limits and he had not seen any hospitals or clinics on his way. It would take a long time for help and backup to arrive.     

So, he had to quickly help the injured and make sure that none of them were severely wounded. If they were, then timely help could save their life. He could not afford to lose more people, especially from his team.     

Ryder and Matt continued to clear the debris and rescue the people. Fortunately for them, the next few of them they rescued were alive and not that seriously wounded. They could hold on until the medical help arrived. But instead of feeling relieved, Ryder was only despondent and frightened.      

Valerie and Preston were still nowhere in sight and with every passing moment, the fear of them being dead or being gravely injured became intense. A strong wave of dizziness hit him and Ryder almost lost his balance. If not for Matt who supported him, he was sure to have collapsed to the ground.     

"Officer Ryder, you look exhausted. Take some rest." Matt was worried for the man. Even though he was comparatively less injured than everyone else, it did not mean that he should over-exhaust himself.      

"No, no, no, I cannot. There are many people who need to be rescued. I cannot take a rest now." Ryder tried to assure him but Matt was not convinced. Clearly, Ryder looked absolutely tired. His eyes were drooping and they were slowly turning red. It was as though the man had not slept for days and had managed to keep himself awake somehow. Now, his body was crumbling slowly and soon, he would collapse for sure.     

"Officer Ryder, I understand your concerns. But it is not the time to lose your rationality to your emotions. Please try to understand. Take a rest for some time." Matt did not allow the man to protest anymore and dragged him away from the scene of destruction. All attempts from Ryder to fight Matt were rendered futile for his hold on Ryder was too strong and he could not escape from his clutches.     

Eventually, he gave up when exhaustion kicked in and allowed Matt to lead him to a safe place. He leaned against the wall as he sucked in deep breaths while he tried to bear with the pain his body was in. He had no idea which part of his body was wounded. His entire body was aching and he felt lightheaded.      

Slowly, his head was turning heavy. But Ryder did not lose focus, more like he did not wish to lose focus. He had to make sure Valerie and Preston were alright.      

Not knowing what to do and how to deal with the pain and anguish his body was in, he pulled out his phone. Other than a small crack on the screen, his phone was operating and he sighed in relief. Without any delay, he dialed the only person he could think of at that moment.      

Ryder had no idea why he wanted to speak to Maggie. It was as though speaking to her would alleviate his pain. He did not have to wait for long, for the woman he had loved secretly for a long time, picked the call right away.     

"Maggie," He breathed in relief and Maggie who was surprised to see him call her was startled to hear the unusualness in his tone. He did not seem to be fine and she sat up on her bed immediately.     

"Ryder, what happened? Why do you sound so low? Is something the matter?" From his voice alone, she could sense something to be wrong and her forehead creased in worry. Her heart was thumping madly while her hands turned clammy slowly. She did not know why but all of a sudden, she started to have an ominous feeling.     

"Maggie, we fell for Jared's trap, again." Ryder had no intentions of hiding the truth from her.      

"What do you mean, Ryder? What happened? Please tell me what happened. Please." She cried in alarm. Her thoughts started to run wild and she was just short of running out of the bed to look for Ryder herself.     

"Jared already knew we were coming for him. He escaped before we could get to him. Huh....huh...huh..." Ryder panted as he shook his head to clear his mind. His head was turning heavy slowly. But he did wish to lose his consciousness at such a critical time.     

"And?" Maggie realized that there was more to this and she got out of her bed immediately. Without even caring about her slippers, she ran out of the room in panic.     

"He had installed bombs in the port and....." Ryder did not even have to continue for she understood what the man was trying to convey.      

"No." She shouted and stopped suddenly. She was now petrified. Bomb? Explosion? Ryder?     

"Yes, the bomb exploded and we do not know how many from my team are alive."     

"Ryder, please tell me you are fine. Please." Maggie cried in anguish. For the first time in years, she broke down completely. The woman who had not shown an ounce of weakness when she was in Jared's territory was now mortified and in misery. The man she loved was in danger and she was far away from him. How could she not be in despair?     

"I am fine, Maggie. But I cannot say the same about Deputy and Preston."     

Maggie's heart thumped madly in fear. In her worry for Ryder, she had completely forgotten about her Deputy. It was only when Ryder spoke about her that she recalled them. Was she not with Ryder in mission? Then she...she.. Her eyes widened when a horrible feeling started to settle in her heart.     

"Ryder, how is Deputy? How is she? Please tell me she is fine. Let her be fine. please." Maggie begged as she clutched her phone tight. Ryder was silent for a while and during this time, Maggie was going through hell. Every moment was like years to her and she was losing herself to fear slowly.         

"I do not know, Maggie. I do not know how Deputy and Preston are." Ryder spoke after a long time and Maggie's heart skipped a beat on hearing him.     

"What do you mean?"     

"We have not found them yet, Maggie. Deputy and Preston are yet to be found."