CHAPTER 287: CHAPTER 287 AFTERMATH OF THE FAILED ABDUCTION

Avery and Kasandra sat around in the police station conference room for nearly eight hours as evidence and testimony was collected.

The two of them had gone on a bit of a rampage with weapons that they had sneaked into the concert venue.

Still, the more the Alliance Police dug into the situation, the more evidence that they uncovered that proved everything the two of them had said.

Certainly, they had broken a couple of laws by not disarming themselves at the security checkpoint they had passed through, but the infractions were minor enough to not cause a fuss over. Especially in light of what the two of them had accomplished.

Without their intervention, there was a good chance that Nianni Taador would have been abducted and whisked away to who knows where.

Cerise Gunvald, who had also gotten involved, did not catch on to the disturbance until a few minutes later, and she had only found Katarina and her gang by initially following the trail of dead security personnel.

Had things gone as the kidnappers had initially intended, they would have absconded with the famous singer before anyone else had a chance to stop them.

Of course, Avery and Kasandra had not purposefully thrown themselves into danger.

Dr. Raiti’s sudden appearance had forced them to break away from the group of competitors being led to the reception room where they were supposed to meet Nianni and take a few promotional photos.

The empty room that was nearby that they had chosen just so happened to be near the escape route the abductors had chosen. It had been mere happenstance that got them entangled in the incident.

After considering all of the factors pertaining to what had occurred, the Alliance Police ultimately decided to not charge Avery or Kasandra or even go so far as to fine them.

They may have broken a few minor laws, but there was no denying that they were the heroes of the day. Having prevented a violent kidnapping.

There was also the fact that Nianni Taador had been advocating for the two of them from the start.

Since they were the ones that had ultimately rescued her, she felt heavily indebted to them.

Factoring in the amount of public backlash that the Alliance Police could receive if they did seek any penalties against Avery and Kasandra, there were very few in the upper brass that had advocated for punishing them.

The last thing they wanted was Nianni speaking out against them to her billions of fans that the heroes that had saved her were being treated unjustly. That would cause a major mess that no one wanted to deal with.

Once they were free to go, Avery and Kasandra exited the police station.

However, instead of needing to find a way back to their ship, several members of the competition staff were waiting to ferry them back to the hangar where the Dauntless was waiting.

Needless to say, the unexpected attack and attempted abduction had thrown the flow of the competition into turmoil.

The loss of the promotional meeting between Nianni and the competition was the least of anyone’s concerns at this point.

With Katarina having been one of the main perpetrators, it was obvious that she would no longer be a participant.

Regrettably, with the apprehension of Kaliya, it had also come to light that the corporation that had entered Katarina as their representative was also involved.

The Alliance Police were already investigating how far up the chain this plot to kidnap Nianni Taador went, and the waves that were being caused certainly could not be covered up.

Even if they had been in last place, losing one of the competing corporations had caused the entire competition to be derailed.

No doubt the events would have to be delayed, and there was even discussion of everything so far being scrapped and starting over again at another time.

When Avery and Kasandra made it back to their ship, they received directions over transmission and headed to a new hangar where the rest of the competitors had been asked to stay while the plans for the competition were being discussed.

Naturally, the events that had been planned for the next day had been cancelled, and they were free to do as they pleased aboard their vessel until a decision was made.

"Well, this has certainly turned into a sh*tshow.’ Kasandra said as she leaned back in her copilot chair.

She was a bit cranky about having been cooped up in a conference room for several hours and then learning that the competition that the two of them had put a lot of effort into might just end up cancelled.

"It certainly has, but let’s look on the bright side. We did manage to keep Nianni from being abducted, and we already received a message from her management team that they are going to send us a reward and that Nianni wants to thank us in person."

Certainly, they had gotten into a lot of trouble from the recent incident, but it had not been without any merits.

The promise of a monetary reward for their work was good to be sure. Though what Avery was most interested in was meeting with Nianni.

There were still several unanswered questions he had for her that he had originally planned on broaching during the backstage meeting.

Except now, instead of having to try and ask what he wanted while the other competitors and their teams were around, he had secured a more private meeting with the singer that seemed to possess some sort of unusual ability.

Obviously, Kasandra was also ecstatic to meet with Nianni. Although, the circumstances behind the meeting were less than idle. Nianni was likely to have at least some trauma in relation to what had occurred.

She was not a mercenary like the two of them that worked alongside violence and death every day.

What she had gone through was horrific and no doubt scarring for her. She had been forced to watch countless people die.

"On another note, if the competition does get canceled, things might work out in our favor." Avery mused.

"What do you mean by that? All the work we’ve put in so far will be for naught if that happens."

"True, but it’s likely that another competition will be proposed again later. The contract we signed with Storren Corp. only applies to this one. So, if they want us to participate again, they’ll need to work out another deal." Avery replied, a slightly devious smile on his face.

Seeing as how he still needed another three hundred million Krenin to pay off the full price of his carrier ship, he would be more than happy to have more leverage to negotiate with.

If he could knock a few tens of millions of Krenin off the overall price by having to sign a new contract to practice in another competition if the current one was canceled, he certainly would not have any complaints.

Of course, he did not plan on taking things too far. With how entangled his group was with the corporation, it was paramount that he maintained a friendly enough relationship.

They were building two new vessels for his team, and it was likely that he would continue to use their services well into the future.

"Yeah, but if this one does get canceled, I probably won’t be able to have a monopoly on your time again." Kasandra grumbled under her breath.

Except, her quiet mutterings had reached Avery’s ears. Though, that was in large part because Kasandra was not trying to hide what she had said.

The only reason that she was able to spend so much time with Avery alone was because Jasmine and the others were working on a different job.

If the competition was cancelled and rescheduled for later, they would turn their attention towards their other mission, and next Kasandra would not have much of an excuse to keep Avery all to herself.

Obviously, she got along well with Jasmine, but this would likely be the last time she could be with Avery like this for any extended period of time.

"Oh, I didn’t think that you’d be so worried about something like that. Especially since you’ll be getting your new ship soon." Avery said teasingly.

"Yes, I’m excited for my new ship, but it also means I’ll be spending less time with you. But I definitely still want it. I enjoy being your copilot, but I do miss being behind the controls myself."

There was hint of conflict on Kasandra face, but Avery knew that they would still be spending plenty of time together even once she had her own vessel again.

"Once I have the carrier, we’ll be using it as a base. Most of the time we’ll have our ships docked in its hangar. And your room will be right next to mine." Avery said.

Kasandra’s eyes went wide as she realized what Avery was getting at. It would not be for too long that they would be separated even once she started piloting her own craft.