Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 178: SAVED

Chapter 178: SAVED

"I guess both mother and child can fetch me a huge amount of money, then," the man sneered, his lips curling into a cruel smirk.

"How could you..." the woman choked out, her voice trembling with pain and disbelief. Blood continued to trickle down her forehead, staining her face in crimson streaks. She pressed a shaking hand against the wound in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, while her other arm clutched baby Hope tightly to her chest. The infant’s wails echoed through the small, filthy apartment, her tiny body trembling from fear.

"Oh, yes, I can and I will kill you," the man growled, taking a menacing step forward. "Your body parts will fetch me some real money. You should have listened when I told you to treat me with some damn respect, bitch!" His voice was filled with unhinged rage as he raised his hand again, ready to strike both the mother and child without a second thought.

But just then...

Knock. Knock. Knock.

A sharp rapping on the door stopped him mid-swing.

His bloodshot eyes darted toward the door, irritation flashing across his face. "Who the fuck is that?" he barked, his voice rough with frustration. He turned back to the woman, his glare piercing. "Did you order something?"

"N-No," she stammered, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. "Please stop this. Let’s talk it out."

"Just shut the fuck up!! The man yelled silencing her immediately before turning his gaze towards the door. "Who’s there?" he demanded, his patience wearing thin.

A firm, feminine voice answered from the other side. "We’re from the police department. We have a search warrant to inspect your residence."

The words sent a wave of fear crashing through the man. His muscles tensed, his jaw clenched. He turned to the woman, who had gone stiff with terror, still cradling little Hope, whose cries had yet to subside.

"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath, his hands balling into fists. "Did those nosy neighbors report us again because of that damn baby’s crying?"

He shot the woman a deadly glare. "You see what you’ve done, bitch?!" He grabbed her roughly by the arm, yanking her to her feet. "Now, get in the room and I swear to God, if you make a single sound, I’ll skin you alive!" He pointed a trembling, rage-filled finger at her face. "And shut that damn baby up!"

Without another word, he shoved her into the room and slammed the door shut, locking it from the outside.

He took a deep breath, his mind racing. He needed to clean up fast. Cursing under his breath, he hurriedly wiped the woman’s blood from the floor, grabbed the empty bottles of alcohol and cigarette butts, and tossed them aside.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The banging on the door was louder this time.

"We know you’re in there," a deep male voice called out. "If you don’t open this door right now, we’re breaking it down."

For a moment, there was silence. The man gritted his teeth, his pulse hammering.

"I’m coming, you motherfuckers!" he growled under his breath before forcing his expression into one of practiced friendliness. He strode over and pulled the door open, instantly hit by the bright hallway lights.

The first thing the officers were greeted with was an overwhelming, putrid stench wafting from the apartment.

A tall, broad-shouldered officer wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Damn!" He coughed, covering his mouth with the back of his hand before pulling out a face mask and passing another to the female officer beside him. "How the hell does anyone live like this?"

The man standing in the doorway forced a warm smile, acting as if he hadn’t heard the insult. "Good evening, officers!" he greeted with feigned enthusiasm. "Back again so soon? Didn’t you search my place just last week?"

The male officer narrowed his eyes. "We warned you last time to clean up this place especially since there’s a baby living here." He scanned the apartment, his expression hardening with disapproval. "And yet, it still looks like a goddamn landfill."

"I was just in the middle of cleaning, actually," the man lied smoothly, gesturing toward a mop and bucket in the corner. "My wife and I work late hours, so we barely have time to keep up with house chores."

The female officer ignored his excuse and stepped forward. "We heard the baby crying a moment ago," she said, her sharp gaze flicking around the room. "Where is she? And why did she suddenly stop crying the moment we knocked?"

The man let out a forced chuckle. "Oh, Hope? She’s in the other room with her mother. She’s breastfeeding right now probably why you don’t hear her cries anymore. She cries a lot, you know."

Neither officer looked convinced.

"And you’re raising a child in this kind of environment?" the female officer snapped, crossing her arms. "I don’t care how late you work but basic hygiene is not optional. This filth is a serious health hazard for a baby. If she gets sick because of this neglect, that’s on you."

The man shifted uncomfortably, his smile faltering slightly. "I understand, officer. We’ll do better, I promise."

"Enough excuses," the male officer interrupted, his tone now steely. "Call the baby’s mother. We need to see both of them now."

The man’s jaw tightened. "Like I said, she’s breastfeeding. If she stops now, the baby’s just going to start wailing again. Do you really want to deal with that?" He let out another forced chuckle, but the officers remained unmoved.

"Let her cry," the male officer said coldly. "We’ve received multiple reports about child abuse in this apartment. This is probably the hundredth time. If we find any signs of neglect or abuse, we will be taking the baby away and both you and your wife will be arrested."

The man swallowed hard, his pulse thudding in his ears. He could feel the situation slipping out of his control.

And for the first time that night fear crept into his eyes.

Just then, a loud bang echoed from the locked room where the woman and baby Hope were hiding.

"Please, open the door, officers!" the woman cried out desperately. "He wants to kill me and my child!"

The urgency in her voice sent a chill down the officers’ spines. Without hesitation, the male officer stepped forward, his hand already reaching for the doorknob.

"I knew it," the female officer muttered under her breath, her expression darkening. She immediately grabbed her handcuffs and, without warning, snapped them onto the man’s wrists.

"What the fuck?!" the man spat, his body jerking in resistance. "Let me go!"

Ignoring his protests, the male officer quickly unlocked the door. As soon as it swung open, the woman stumbled out, still clutching Hope tightly to her chest. Her face was pale, her forehead still streaked with fresh blood. Her breathing was ragged, her entire body trembling from exhaustion and terror.

"He’s a monster," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The female officer wasted no time. She gently pried Hope from the woman’s arms and inspected the baby’s tiny body. The moment she saw the injuries, her expression twisted in horror.

Hope’s delicate skin was covered in bruises, her arms and legs marred with angry red marks. Small burns dotted her limbs, and deep, darkened welts from pinches stood out starkly against her fragile form.

"How cruel..." the officer murmured, her voice thick with emotion as she cradled the baby protectively.

Tears welled in the woman’s eyes as she collapsed to her knees. "He wanted to kill us both of us!" she sobbed. "He was going to sell us to the people he does business with... but thank God you arrived just in time."

The man scoffed, his lips curling into a sneer. "Don’t you dare lie, bitch!" he barked, his voice dripping with venom. "We’re both going down together! Don’t act innocent now we both hated that child! If I’m going down, so are you, so don’t play your little pity card!"

The woman flinched as if struck. "Please!" she turned her tear-streaked face to the officers, her desperation palpable. "Save my baby from him. I don’t care if the government takes her away. As long as she’s safe and well cared for, I’ll accept it. I know I haven’t been a good mother, I can’t even afford to take care of her but I won’t let her die at the hands of that monster!"

She clutched at the female officer’s uniform, her nails digging into the fabric.

The female officer exhaled heavily, shaking her head. "You’re both coming with us to the station," she declared, her tone leaving no room for argument. "We’ll conduct a full investigation, and until we have solid proof, we won’t take one person’s word over the other. The baby will be placed under protective care while we sort this out."

The woman’s face fell. "No... no, please..."

A wicked grin spread across the man’s face as he threw his head back with a laugh. "Ha! Serves you right, bitch!" he jeered. "Did you really think you could throw me under the bus and walk free? Never! If I’m going down, you’re coming with me!"

"You’re a monster!" The woman barked with tears rolling down her cheeks. "I never knew I got married to a monster. "

"We’re both monsters bitch!!! You playing the pity card on the police officers isn’t going to work. We’re both going down!!!" The man said followed by an outburst of laughter.

The female officer ignored his outburst as she secured the handcuffs around the woman’s wrists. The woman didn’t fight back, she simply let out a broken sob, her body limp with resignation as she and her husband were being led out of their apartment with little Hope held gently by the female police officer.