HIDE ✔︎

Chapter 24

Two ambulances were parked outside the house along with ICF mobiles and none of them turned on the sirens in case the neighbours were alerted. This was after Ella's request which Devin was happy to oblige to.

Paramedics carried Jack, Peter and Tyson out on stretchers as their injuries were too serious for them to walk with.

Mia walked up to Devin, "Hey, you have the number of our Map boy? Give it to me."

Devin looked at her questioningly as he took out his phone from his pocket, "Yes, Why do you want it?"

A dangerous glint flashed past Mia's eyes "No reason." Devin saw her leave and felt that their Map Boy's fate is destined to not end well.

Ella and Eddie stood outside the door gazing at the ICF team working on tending the undercover force.

"They know some stuff." Eddie said, his face going cold.

"Let them be...they'll keep it to themselves." Ella turned around and went inside the house and Eddie followed. Devin looked at their backs and a mysterious smile emerged on his face. He was about to turn around but stopped as he remembered something.

"GOODBYE ELLA!!! Give me a call if you reconsider the date!" He shouted while waving his hand in the air.

Eddie stopped and looked back between Devin and Ella while he raised a eyebrow meaningfully. Ella stood on the stairs and said heartlessly, "Close the door." And without even turning back to take a look, she proceeded to walk up the stairs.

Eddie shrugged and did as she said.

————-

Afternoon. In the ICF headquarters, Fulley sat on his desk with his face red with welled up anger.

"You mean to say that you all entered the wrong house for the mission and almost got yourself killed by a bunch of-" he found it hard to continue. "Bunch of children?!"

Devin and Lucas stood in front the desk while Fulley shouted at them. Devin had one hand in his pocket as he leaned on one foot in a carefree manner and the sheepish smile in his face made Fulley even more mad. Beside him, Lucas seemed slightly ashamed.

"Chief, they weren't ordinary children, they were fully armed and had obviously received professional training." Lucas tried to explain but was immediately interrupted by Fulley.

"That doesn't matter! People aren't going to see who was armed and who was not. Are you trying to tell them that the most elite undercover team of ICF was almost beaten to death by some kids?!"

"Well that's exactly what happened." Devin said and chuckled.

Fulley took a deep breath. "You've come to me with such a big problem. How do you plan to solve it?" He looked at Devin who was the leader and the major responsibility of their failure landed on his shoulder.

He shrugged and lightly responded, "We will do nothing. Me and Lucas will get the information from Klein Roberts tonight. Our mission, although delayed, will be completed successfully."

Fulley nodded but he was surprised, "You don't plan to deal with those children?"

Devin shook his head, "It was already our mistake that we got the wrong house."

Fulley sighed, he didn't want to attack a bunch of kids either if the seven of them don't want to.

"Anyways, if you wanted to, I would have warned you to think it through." He said and took out a file from his drawer and threw it in front of Devin, "Those kids have a pretty strong backing."

Devin and Lucas went through the file and were taken by surprise.

Fulley lit up his cigarette as he began, "Their father, Daniel Hugh Macabre is the chairman of the D.M group that manages a number of research facilities under him. They have a big chunk in the share of other types of industries as well. This man Daniel isn't someone easy to deal with and you are just an undercover team. You know which side ICF would take." Fulley gave them a serious look. "It would be better if both sides don't pursue the matter."

Fulley wasn't at the top most level of administration but he knew most of what was going around up there. The only reason why ICF hadn't taken any steps to punish them was exactly because of him.

"They won't." Devin smiled as a sharp glint passed by his eyes, "We've got some stuff on them as well. You can say it's a mutual deal to remain silent."

Devin and Lucas had been inside the surgical theatre inside the basement and were sure that something illegal has definitely taken place inside that room. Moreover, some of the documents inside the room and research papers were read by Lucas and Devin. Although they couldn't understand what the research was about, they had seen something they weren't supposed to.

The exact deal was that Devin and his team won't reveal anything about the underground lab and the Macabres won't reveal what happened last night. It was an unspoken mutual deal.

"Let's hope you're right." Fulley grunted and looked out of the sky scraper, at the sunny view of the city.

—————

Thousands of miles away, at D.M group headquarters. A nicely dressed man sat in the big office chair in the middle of the room. The lights were dimmed and the only source of brightness were the covers on the glass walls that had been pushed up, revealing half of the glass walls and the view overlooks the expanse of buildings and the bright blue sea in the distance.

The red glass paper weight on his desk refracted the light and gave his handsome face a reddish tint which matched with his striking red hair.

This was the Chairman of D.M Groups, Daniel Macabre. A man with black shades stood at one side with a file opened up in his hands.

"Is that all that happened?"

The man in black nodded, "Yes chairman. The ICF hasn't take any stance on this matter and must be waiting for us to make a move."

He smirked, "Did a message come from Ella?"

"Not yet." The man in black responded with a straight face.

"I see..." he narrowed his eyes. "Something must be stopping her from taking action against them."

The man in black frowned and responded, "Miss Ella is a person who keeps a low profile and maybe she's doing something behind your back?"

Daniel shook his head, "That's not it. She's a very vengeful person but can't deal with the ICF alone. I still am adamant on my earlier statement." He looked out of the high rise building and smiled. "The time is right, book a plane ticket for me back home." He stoped as if thought of something, "Book one for Heather as well. She needs someone to pull her out of the research lab on that island."

The man in black was startled, "But hadn't you planned to go back two months later."

Daniel gave him a look, "What's the problem in going earlier? I'll be able to spend time with my children before getting busy again. Now go book the flight." He waved his hand and the man in black went out of the room.

He picked up his phone and made a call. It was picked up on the other side as a female voice spoke up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ella, it's your father."

On the other side, Ella stiffened and her grip on the phone tightened. "Oh, So it's Father."

Daniel smiled on the phone, "Your mother and I will be coming back tomorrow so can I bother you to air out our room?"

"Sure."

Daniel asked some random stuff about the rest of them then hung up the phone. The smile on his face vanished.

"What is it?"

The man in black gulped, the aura Daniel Macabre was emitting was extremely cold.

"The ICF has spoken. They want to go against us."

Daniel smiled but his eyes were extremely cold. "Decided to bite when they got the chance? Let them try." He got up and wore windbreaker hung behind his chair and went out of the office.