"I realized we were busted and to keep our cover, I had to take out number eleven before I hightailed it back here. Plus, the hospital's swarming with cops now. They're onto us, and going back in there won't be a walk in the park."The man in black, listening from above, radiated an icy menace. His eyes, visible beneath his mask, were filled with a dark fury as he snapped back, "An expert? What are you talking about? Do you think I'm an idiot? The boss's targets were nobodies: a leftover from the Cole family in Drunham City, the Stone family's rejects, and some little six-year-old kid. None of them can put up a fight. And you're saying there was an expert?""Are you trying to tell me that the Cole family's loser is some kind of expert? Or maybe it's the Stone family's weakling? Or are you saying that little girl is the expert?"The man dressed in black was not pleased, his eyes fixed on the two before him, a deadly glare in his gaze."Sir! A real killer king-level showed up at the
The following morning, Liam was up early, bringing breakfast back for Celena and her daughter Jovie. As they were eating, his phone broke the morning silence—it was Howard.Howard's voice came through with a formal tone, "Mr. Cole, we've found something. There was a fire at an abandoned villa on the outskirts of Drunham City last night. Two bodies were inside, and there was evidence of arson—lots of gasoline. It might be connected to the assassination attempt from last night.""I got it. I'm on my way," Liam replied curtly, ending the call.Celena, who was just accepting a piece of plain white bread from Liam, looked at him, her expression a mix of confusion and concern. "What is it? Is something wrong?""It's nothing serious, just some friends need me to handle a few things," Liam said, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.She nodded, not probing further. Liam quickly wrapped up the breakfast, gave a few parting words, and then was out the door, driving toward the villa that Ho
Arms crossed, the officer watched Liam's phone charade with a skeptical eye, a mocking laugh escaping her lips. "Oh, please, who are you kidding? You've got Mr. Mosier's number? I've seen plenty of your kind. Go on, keep up the act. I'll wait. I'm curious to see if Mr. Mosier will bother coming out for you."The female officer's voice was icy as she looked Liam over with a mix of scorn and revulsion. Liam's black casual clothes reminded him of the paparazzi that hounded celebrities for those small-time media outlets. "You journalists have no respect for the rules anymore," she sneered. "You'll do anything for a scoop, right?" Have you forgotten where you are? This is a crime scene. If you mess up the evidence, do you have any idea how much you could screw up our case?""Listen up," she warned, "since you're ignoring my advice, I'm giving you five minutes to think about your actions. Either stop this nonsense or, after five minutes, if Mr. Mosier hasn't shown up, I'm arresting you for
Nevaeh was still standing there, dazed, as the noise in her head drowned out the world. She watched Liam walk away and quickly tugged at Howard's sleeve before she could follow. "Mr. Mosier, who was that guy?" she whispered. "You're the big boss of Drunham City, the Chief Commissioner. Why were you all deferential to him?"Howard stopped dead in his tracks, turned, and looked at Nevaeh, who was practically brimming with curiosity. He sighed and said, "Nevaeh, drop the act. I know what you're thinking. There are some questions you just don't ask. That guy? He's way out of our league.""Look, your dad sent you to me so you could learn a thing or two about keeping that temper in check. You have to start thinking on your feet and looking at the big picture. Don't just react. It won't do you any favors, got it?"Nevaeh's face said it all—she was not thrilled. "Yeah, yeah, I get it," she grumbled. "Loud and clear, Mr. Mosier."Howard could tell she was not listening. He shook his head, a
They always harped on about how she should cool her temper and be nicer to those with clout, maybe even suck up to them a bit.At first, Nevaeh would talk back, but after a while, she just turned them out. It never stopped her from ticking off the big shots again.Standing still, Nevaeh gazed toward the villa. After a brief pause, she fished her phone out of her pocket, dialed a number, and said, "Hey, you at the precinct? Can you do me a solid and look someone up? Yeah, a guy named Liam. Right, I need the full scoop on him, and I need it today!"...Meanwhile, at the charred remains of the villa.The fire started at night, and since the villa was in a sparsely populated suburb, it went unnoticed until morning when a sanitation worker stumbled upon it and called it in.Firefighters extinguished the flames and were sifting through the debris for any victims. That's when they found two bodies, burnt beyond recognition.Liam stood by the remains, his gaze fixed on the scorched figu
"Stand at attention!""Salute!""Commander, we report for duty!"Liam gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Thank you for your efforts. Let's get started.""Understood!"The agents from the intelligence bureau promptly set their briefcases on the ground, opened them up, and donned their gloves with practiced ease, ready to begin their inspection.Howard watched the proceedings with a light smirk, then turned to one of the agents, saying, "Mr. Cole, even though our departments are different, I'm sure we're equally skilled. My team has already combed through this place thoroughly, and we didn't find anything of value. You might be wasting your time here."Liam faced Howard, his voice steady and untroubled. "Mr. Mosier, I don't doubt your team's skills but don't sell the intelligence bureau short. Sometimes, we find what others overlook."Howard's smile did not waver, but a ripple of irritation passed through him. He had faith in his team's thoroughness—they scoured the scene and came up
It was obvious—their target was him and his daughter Celena!Liam stared at the photos, his mind racing. Who could be behind that?The Walkers? Hughes? Some foreign power? Or could it be the Four Ancient Families?As he mulled over the possibilities, his phone broke the silence, buzzing with Celena's caller ID—a knot formed in his stomach.His fears were confirmed when he answered. It was not Celena on the line, but a man with a chillingly deep voice. "Liam! I've got your wife and kid. If you want them to stay alive, get to the hospital. And you come alone! Remember that! If you even think about calling the cops, I can't promise you'll see them alive again!"In a heartbeat, Liam was on high alert, a shiver racing through him. His voice was icy as he demanded, "Who is this? I'm heading to the hospital right now, and you better not lay a finger on my wife and kids." The caller did not respond, just hung up, leaving Liam listening to the deadline, a tidal wave of fury rising within h
Without another word, Calum spun on his heel, jumped into another Jeep parked nearby, and floored it. The Jeep screamed as it sped off toward the hospital.Liam, his mind on Celena and Jovie in the hospital, was beside himself with worry. He drove twenty minutes from the villa to the hospital in a mere eight minutes, blowing through every red light. He screeched to a halt at the hospital's entrance with a resounding bang!Liam flung the Jeep's door open with a forceful kick, an intense aura of danger radiating from him. His eyes glinted with a chilling resolve to kill, as if he were a warrior straight out of hell, his presence overwhelming.At that moment, the hospital's entrance was swarming with people—doctors, nurses, patients, and their anxious families—all showing panic as they ran out of the building, clutching their heads in fear.The lobby was a chaotic scene, with policemen lying wounded and motionless, victims of a recent shooting. Injured faces and bloodstains painted a