Sean cussed in sheer frustration and pulsing irritation as he skipped alternate steps. 'He never should've put his trust in him.'
He made a dash for the service room where the person whom he stole the serving uniform from was held with his hands tied behind his back and rag shoved in his mouth, merely sparing the squirming semi naked man a glance before his eyes switched to the location where he'd kept what he came there for.
His gun.
It was well hidden from the prying eyes of curious minds. As well the almost naked man.
"Put your gun down or I'll slit her throat." He heard through his earpiece.
He should've realized it sooner when the man looked at him with doubt lingering behind his eyes. Sean thought it was there because Justin thought he'd fail to convince his sister or, hell, even that he'd felt anxious to meet his sister. But NO Justin knew exactly what he wanted to do from the start! Save his sister.
This was exactly why he always thought twice before letting a family member be part of any of their mission.
Their intention were applause worthy and pure but narrow minded and didn't see the bigger picture.
More specifically what annoyed him thr most was, THEY BOTH COULD GET FUCKING KILLED.
"Bang"
He heard the familiar sound of a gun shot twice, one through the earpiece and the other at a close distance- 5 meter away from where he stood.
His racing steps came to a holt and his veins pulsed with trepidation.
"Justin." He hissed out, desperation etched into his tone. "Fuck." He cursed out as he climbed two steps at a time to the room where he'd delivered him.
After what seemed like forever, he finally reached the room. He slowed down his steps and controlled his battered breathing as he inched closer to the room.
He checked for the bullets in his gun, absent-minded. There was a constant ringing in the back of his head, a constant echo of the gun shot and unmistakable sound of human flesh hitting the ground and a female's wail. He wasn't sure of the exact condition of Justin, but prayed he was atleast breathing.
Loaded.
The place was filled with Jason's men, and he only had 6 bullets on him. It wasn't nearly enough. He knew to safe guard the girl and her brother he had to be quiet in his handling. One sound would evoke the battle cry of hundreds.
Through his earpiece he could hear the bodyguard checking for a pulse.
Only then the grim reality of the very real possibility of Justin being dead hit him.
Without second thoughts he jumped to action. He snuck into the room before closing it behind him gently.
The hysterical girl or the crouched man were yet to sense his presence.
He slowly locked the door behind him and bit down when there was an audible click.
Why wasn't anything working in his favor!
*gasp*
His blood ran cold and tightened his eyelids shut as a loud sob and an unmistakably gasp passed through his ears.
"We have an unidentified dea-" and whatever else the man planned to say was cut off when he saw the women cover her mouth with widened eyes. "We have an intruder." He audibly cursed before getting on his feet and informed the other person, clutching his gun in his hand.
"I'm an FBI and it would be mighty wise of you to drop your weapon and surrender."
"Right." The bodybuilder dragged sarcastically.
Letting out a long sigh, Sean muttered something under his breath. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He said before putting his gun to use and shooting the other man dead.
One thing about being an FBI is to determine who IS your threat and who isn't, and putting your weapon to use wisely. And in this situation, the muscle head was a threat. And fortunately, no more.
Kiara looked like she was on the verge of passing out as blood oozed from the dead man's forehead- the exact spot where her brother was shot under his very hand.
She didn't look like she was rejoiced but she didn't look like she was sad either at her captor's death.
Her face was pale the only color visible being her red eyes, she was devoid of any emotion. Numb was another to describe how she truly felt.
Her brother she'd met after so long was dead.
But she found herself unable to grieve.
Like a chocolate being ripped out of her hand, she knew she should be sad- instead, she found herself unable to feel a thing.
Whereas on the other hand Sean quickly scanned through the room and stopped when he located a window.
'Yea, that will do for now.'
He not only fired a gun but his sudden appearance was notified too. Walking out through the door would be plain suicide.
If he needed any more confirmation, the bang against the door- that recocheted in the quiet room with a shocked immobile woman that had tears streaming down her face- did the deed.
They needed to get out.
Quick.
He threw a troubled look at the young girl covered in nothing but a towel and blew hot air through his nostrils. This was why guards waited 5 minutes before swapping. To give her time to change.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think we have time to get you dressed." He heartily apologized, nodding towards the side the bulky man fell against- blocking the only cupboard in the room where she most likely kept her clothes- as he stalked towards the window.
They were on the first floor but that didn't mean the height between the ground and the window was small.
Well, perhaps it could be considered small if he were alone- though he'd acquire a few cuts, it'd fade away in a week or two.
But he wasn't alone. Nor did the women seem equipped with monkey skills.
His eyes drifted off to the bed sheet, a bulb lit up in his head as an idea popped up.
There weren't anyone under the window, also his car wasn't far from there. If he could get down before the others realize there are other ways to get down, he and, most importantly, the girl would be safe.
He quickly pulled the servers attire he wore over his head and tossed it to the girl who wept silently by her brother's side.
"Wear it. It will be more comfortable than the towel." He said as he engaged in pulling the sheets off before marching towards the window with a preoccupied look.
"What?" She strangled out with a puffy nose, clutching the white dress tightly against her chest.
"Just do it." He ordered in a rough tone as he secured a knot over the grill and wrapped the other side over his hip.
The grills passed each other through the middle and were perpendicular to the other, not too close but enough to let a fit person pass through without any- or major- mishap.
"I'll climb through the window first and you'll follow suit, then we'll get down together using me as support." Due to lack of time, he succinctly explained his idea. Throwing the first word that came to his mouth and hoped she'd fill the gaps in, in his stead.
The girl looked apprehensive and unwilling but the loud banging from the other side, forced a nod out of her as primal survival urge flashed through her eyes.
The constant banging told her enough about her immediate future, the slightest hope she had was in the man who killed the man who killed her brother.
It wasn't an easy decision to make.... but certainly not the hardest.
If she were to be honest, she didn't see any difference in the people who abducted her and the one who was ordering her. Both kill. Both are bad.
But something inside her stirred when she looked at the supposed FBI, telling her to put her trust in him- that he'd keep her safe.
~~~~~
"You will be stay at my place just until you're safe to go back home." Sean spoke after he put a good distance between him and the run down building which still held 20 or so women captive.
Kiara who's eyes were trained on the green and black cap infront of her blanched when she heard his words.
Sean throwing her a look the corner of his face, heard her inhale short and uneven breaths at a fast pace as she fingers instinctively wrapped themselves under the car seat.
Shit.
"I'm am FBI agent, you can confirm it by checking my badge in the dashboard. Your brother and I were working together to rescue you....." Sean dragged the sentence as he felt the air around her start to ease and her muscle slowly relax before looking at the ruined cap- which had black lines all over it and traces of white foggy marks- on the dashboard.
'This is my sister's favorite thing back home. Her favorite actor signed it.'
He distinctly recalled Justin say reminiscent with a longing expression.
Sean's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he was confronted with Justin's real motive.
It had been his plan from the start. Justin didn't trust cops. And he proved it with his self sacrifice mission.
A bitter feeling loomed deep within, repressed feeling slowly bloomed back to the surface.
He could see himself in Justin. The constant fear and uncertainty whether his sister would come back home or not, whether she was safe.
And he could see hint of his sister in the young women.
"I promise you, as long as I live no one will harm a hair on your head." He proclaimed with determination, his eyes sparkling with promise.
Her lips tugged back, like she was going to scoff at him like she didn't believe in him. "Is that what you told my brother?" Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him, accusing.
Letting out a long and heavy breath, Sean concentrate his focus on the road.
"He never should've been shot."
He started and his companion didn't bother to hide her mocking scoff him time.
"He saved you. He chose you over his life."
Skipping the boring details that he knew no one would've liked to hear if they were in her position, he told her the truth.
It was true. If Justin hasn't been caught, he wouldn't be driving Kiara to safety. She, hopefully, would've been trying to get the other girls to testify.
The corner of Kiara's eyes softened as she was reminded of her brother. Her lips wobbled as she recalled his last words to her.
"What does it mean?"
"Kiara, I need you help." Licking his dry lips, he got the rest of the words out. "I need you to testify."
"No." She whispered firmly, her eyes looked turtored as she forced herself to chuckle with a slight shake of the head. "My parents-"
"No harm will come to them."
"You couldn't even protect my brother who cams with you, my parents are in whole another country! Please, let me go home."
Sean's grip against the steering wheel tightened and his knuckles turned white. Hearing her beg wasn't part of the plan. Justin dying wasn't part of the plan.
His heart turned painfully in his chest hearing her voice tremor and he could visibly see her last bit of strength crumbling in front of him.
"Fine. I will drop you off at the airport once it's safe."
~~~~~
The back of his car made a sound,after coming to a halt, after what seemed like ages, and getting locked via remote.
With a scrunched face, Sean motioned the now scared woman to stay back with him hand. His hand moving closer to his weapon he took slow and calculated steps towards the car's hood.
Opening the hood via the car remote he raised his hand to point the gun directly at the culprit with a hardened look before dropping it to his side, dumbfounded.
"Lia!"
"Sean." Came a sheepish sound from the culprit's mouth, slowing rising from her reclined position.
"She's my.... friend's niece." Rubbing his plan over his face, he quickly explained the situation before Kiara got the wrong idea.
~~~~
"Is Lia with you?" Came Riley's panicked and rushed voice from the other side as soon as he answered the call. Throwing a look towards said person he excused himself and went to the tiny balcony outside of the kitchen where he stood with Lia and the women.
"Yes, she snuck into my hood when I wasn't paying attention. Is everything OK?"
Sean's frown deepened when he heard an audible sigh of relief from Riley.
"She's has no idea how lucky she is. A man came looking for her earlier today." Riley succinctly told him what she'd found through one of her acquaintance from the police force.
Casey has always been cautious about her safety and installed cameras and electrical door locks on her door. Casey lived in the heart of the city with a lot of neighbors in her building and one of them informed the cops of a strange man breaking in.
And her friend apparently recognized Casey from one of portraits as an FBI agent, after Casey became more or less a mini celebrity amongst them.
Who knew a press conference that wasn't even in their plan would end up working in their favor.
She quickly logged into the cctv Casey gave her access to before going undercover since 'she could do some work other than cry about her failed relationship'.
And she did indeed find a man. Not just any, but the one with the long scar that trailed down his face.
The one she'd sworn she'd never forget.
"Her father?" Sean wondered with the edge of his lips twitching in undisguised disgust.
For context, Lia's father is an alcoholic who occasionally harass Casey for money to buy booze or threatens to go to her school to introduce himself as her father to everyone.
"I can't believe I'm saying this but someone ever worse, my kidnapper!" Riley exclaimed in a horrified tone. She knew he was part of the whole trafficking thing but actually seeing his physique through her laptop send a shudder down her spine.
"Shit." He cursed as he felt a mixture of emotions passing through him- relief, apprehension. But then his eyes widened as his heart started to race. "Casey got caught." His voice shook despite how hard he tried to tried to sound strong and collected.
Riley didn't say anything. She didn't have too, there was just no other explanation. Casey would never let her niece be associated with likes of Jason or the scarfaced man.
"How's Kiara coping BTW? What does she intend to do?" Riley asked Sean, after a few moments of silence- letting the situation sink in. They had a real close call with the devil himself.
Not to mention there was a casualty that day. And a person who will forever remember him as not an alive person whom she shared happy memories with and who loved go annoy her, but one who died for her.
Her brother was dead. He'd never come back.
The one who saved her was dead.
That couldn't give rise to any pleasant feeling for a long, long time.
"She doesn't want to testify." Fisting his hair at the side of his head, he replied with a disappointed sigh.
"About being kidnapped and coerced or her brother's death?"
"Both."
Aware or unaware, he placed a lot of burden on her shoulder under the belief everything would go according to plan.
But in reality, they didn't have any real ground to stand on anymore.
Casey was in danger and they couldn't do anything about it. Kiara's brother died and he couldn't prevent it. His death weighed in on his consciousness.
"Don't beat yourself up, it's not your fault."
"It's just-" He cut himself off with a sigh, rubbing his face as he stared down at the distant floor from his balcony on the 6th floor.
He didn't have the words to describe how he felt nor did he have the energy to form a coherent sentence relating to his death.
A vibration of his phone in the inside of his palm brought his feet back to the ground. With a heavy sigh he clutched his phone with a heavy heart, reluctantly telling Riley he'd contact her back after the call.
Ethan?
"Captain, Mr. Lenard wants to establish an agreement with the FBI." He promptly informed.
The man who was linked to Alejandro's attempt murder. Needless to say, it was obvious who was pulling the actual strings but that didn't mean he was free of guilt.
He assisted in killing someone, irrespective of who instigated the kill!
"An agreement? What sort of an agreement?"
"I can't be certain how much he can be trusted, but his exact words were 'Jason for me'."
"Those are some strong words. Explain his demeanor when he said them."
"Pertinaciois. He was deadset and with an air of austere and resoluteness. He indirectly confessed to being the one who sent the assassin while under Jason's conniving spell, and then offered an olive branch to let him go scot free if he helps us catch Jason."
Sean tipped his chip as he weighed the pros and cons of the proposition.
Is Jason trying to lure them to a trap? He wondered with a tight and unexplainable expression.
~~~~
"He called you?" Riley cried into the phone, after her mother briefed her about Jason's call.
Shocked, was an understatement. It was unanticipated and totally unwarranted.
Chewing her nails, she tried to come up with various reasons behind the strange call.
To her knowledge, Jason knows Casey is an espionage agent but why call her parents? Or under his belief, Issac's parents?
"Huh hum, he said Issac leaked your information and.... some unsavory stuff." Her mother grimaced as she recounted what he'd told about their second son.
"My..... information?" Riley manged to choke out the shaky words as her face froze in fear and realization.
Her parents weren't in on the whole mission so they weren't mixing Lillian for herself.
Her mouth salivated, heart heart beating rapidly and anxiously inside her chest.
Riley.....
Knowing and using her name only meant one thing.
Jason knew her.
But..... how?
The FBI agents eyes widened as she pictured the only person who was capable of knowing and leaking that classified information.
Casey!
OK. She told herself, placing her hand against her pacing heart to calm herself down. Casey was informing her she was alive. It was a good thing. She was alive. She was trying to communicate something else, but Riley wasn't aware what exactly.
"Also, what is it I hear about Issac dating an FBI?"
Riley could mentally picture her mother raising her eyebrow whilst tilting her head to to side with a probing look.
All anxiousness she'd felt earlier disappeared in an instant, replacing with sheepishness.
"Well, it's kinda complicated."
"We have time." Withouy skipping a beat, her mother's words followed after hers.
"Sorry, mommy. I really don't. Just follow whatever collaboration it is, I will explain everything later. I reaaaallly need to go."
Riley swiftly hung up before calling Sean in a hurry.
They needed to speed up whatever they planned to do.
"I just got a call from my parents, Casey is alive." Came Riley's hurried tone with an undercurrent relief etched in them.
"She called them.....?"
"Not really. Jason called my elder brother proposing a collaboration. He tried to convince my parents Issac was leaked information about me." Riley briefed him what she'd just learnt. "Casey did it." She then added. "She's alive. But I don't think she knows Jason looking for Lia."
"Ethan just called, Mr. Lenard wants to help us in imprisoning Jason."
Riley's throat felt parched as she was dealt with a new information.
From the starting till now, almost nothing has been going the way they had planned.
Why would an accomplice help them? That should've been the first question that she should've asked or even thought of.
But it wasn't like they could do much at a desperate time like this.
Jason knows Riley.
If he got too curios he could easily find out where she lived. Who she was. Who Lillian was.
"Inform the chief about this, I'll file for an emergency arrest warrant and urgent raid through his company."
~~~~
*3 days later*
"I emailed you the address Riley is living in and planted one of my man in the other man's house and," Paul let the sentence hang loosely as his lips tugged to a corroded smirk, pride in achieving all the three task with limited time and even one day to spare.
"And?" He demanded, with a slight tinge of annoyance at being kept waiting as he logged in on his personal email he had shared with Paul that not many had access to.
"Aren't you curious about the other person you sent me to dig dirt on? Nancy Woodman?"
Pushing out the air out of his mouth with an audible sound he muttered a 'yes' under his breath.
His brows tightened as he looked at the familiar address that was given to him by the man staking out of Lillian's house.
The address infront of him was clearly more detailed than the one that was given to him earlier, in respect of apartment number and floor.
Lillian and Riley- the hidden daughter of the business mogul- resided in the same building.
How coincidental was that!
But fortunately or unfortunately, Jason didn't believe in coincidence.
Lillian knows Riley. That was an easy conclusion to make.
"What did you just say?" His thoughts came to a abrupt stop when he paid half a mind to what was being spoken by the other man.
"Woodman used to own a huge house which was clearly out of her budget and then one day, suddenly out of nowhere, a young women stormed in a and the next thing the neighbors knew was she sold her house. Interesting ain't it? The old lady and her daughter are willing to spill some beans about Lillian if you plan on being generous. Any thoughts?"
Spill some beans? Jason's eyes narrowed in on the computer screen as he thought it through. Something was clearly off.
'Lillian and Riley...'
And it was related to them. Again.
Two mysterious daughters of two legendary business men.
While one was below in terms of status to Jason, he had to acknowledge his smartness.
He wasn't supposed to know their existence, yet somehow he was made aware of them.
He quoted a hefty amount that would fulfill the desire of a poor scramp like her but he was proved wrong when said scramp snatched the phone out of Paul's hand.
"Don't be a cheapskate, you won't be disappointed doing business with us. What we are coming to say will blow your mind, it's HUGE."
Scoffing, "How much do you expect in return?"
"2 million dollars, after tax." She quickly added.
"You're not only greedy but also delusional if you even THINK I'll pay you even half that figure." He sneered out the 'think', emphasizing it in much a way like he was telling her EXACTLY where to shove it.
"Think carefully, we have spicy information regarding Lillian. And Riley."
He wanted to tell her off again. Desperately wanted to tell her go bugger off and scam a fool.
But the address that smiled back at him and drunken slurry words of the drunkard made him reconsider.
'He told me about Lillian and Riley.'
Tell what? That they were an item? Issac was a wimp but he didn't think he would entertain a women who would cheat on him, with his sister overall. And something told him it wasn't as simple as cheating. There was something else. Something deeper, connecting the three of them.
"Fine. Now hand the phone over to Paul. How did you find Riley King's address?"
"It was particularly easy. I just had to trail Issac King's carbon footsteps and trace to every place he had been. Riley is quite the famous person in her apartment, it made it easier to find her address."
"I'm coming back at once, I want you there before I get home."
Both of the them shared one building. They were friends?
'Lillian and Riley...'
No they weren't. Something happened between them. Something he didn't doubt he will find out soon.
~~~~~
When he got back home, he found the door to his study wide open- everyone who knew him knew entering his study without his permission was a huge pet peeve of his.
But he didn't waste his time on being angry and instead marched into the room with hurried steps.
Once entering the medium lit room that gave off a regal aura with this brown couch in the middle, he noticed his couch was contaminated by two vermins.
Pretending his annoyance away as the older of the vulture let out screech- which could be considered laugh to some.
"What information do you have for me?" He asked, his aura sending a array of icy dagger through the air, stabbing anyone that dared to stand strong infront of him.
The younger vulture clicked her tongue in disdain once she turned around and assessed him from head to toe and back back with an appreciative look.
"Money first, tip next." She stated as she tsked in fake disappointment like he didn't even know something as simple as that.
Jason's jaw clenched itself before he forced himself to unclench it, reasoning with himself blood was harder to get rid off and his assistant didn't seem remotely interested in standing up for him again.
Maybe he should target the older one. She looks like she knew what was up her daughter's sleeve.
"You see, I do not particularly enjoy a verbal battle much less right now when I'm feeling less than generous." He said in a silent but deadly tone with his back to the crowd as he pulled out the black revolver he had stacked away in one of his locker for later use.
Checking the bullets he pushed the cylindrical rotater back in. "I'll give you two options. And only two. 1, you can tell me whatever you planned to tell and you'll have the money wired to your account by the end of the week. Or 2- personally my favorite- I shoot one and the alive one will tell me what is going to cost me 2 million dollars. I don't like to debate, and you're annoying. Keep your mouth shut unless you can put it to some better use, that doesn't require your mindless screech."
Stephenie- who wanted to say something- closed her mouth shut before her lip tugged back to a smug smile.
He wanted her.
She licked her lower lip in desire as her list filled gaze scanned him more thoroughly this time. He was totally her type.
Rich.
Filthy rich.
Ultra filthy rich.
And he checked all three boxes. And for into all her requirements, physically.
And he checked another one too, which she didn't even think was possible. He was richer than Riley and Lillian!
"Well.... " she started, licking her bottom lip hungrily as her eyes moved back to his impatient ones.
"Well?" He gritted out, urging her to go on instead of licking her lip like a mindless monkey.
"What will I get out of it?" She asked coyly, biting the corner of her lower lip.
"The 2 million we agreed upon."
"What if I want something more?"
"What?" He cried out at the hilarity at what she was implying with her chest pushed out. But unfortunately for her, he wasn't in the mood to entertain any flirtatious behavior, particularly from a mediocre looking one. "Since that wasn't one of the option I gave." He spotted and pointed the gun at the older women- Nancy, who turned into a blubbering mess as soon as he did that.
"Please don't. I know.. Lillian.. and about Riley... please ignore her, she's still young and doesn't know how to talk to others." She helplessly scrambled out with her hands raised by her head.
The almost similar phrase he had been hearing in his mind echoed back at him making him rethink his action again.
Letting out a breath, he spoke in a calm tone, masking his urge to cut her head of her neck, neat and clean. "Speak." He commanded.
"You've got it mixed up, Lillian isn't the FBI agent. It's her sister, Riley."
He managed to understand her words admist her banshee daughters screams.
Sister?
He looked calm, frighteningly calm, with the gun still pointed at her but not with a tinge of rage like he was stuck, processing.
"Riley.... is her sister?" If his stunned face didn't display his shock, his voice compensated for it.
"Twin sister."
'Lillian was under the belief she had a twin.'
She knew.
Mackenzie knew.
She fucking knew.
She's dead. So fucking dead.
That was the only thing on his mind as he banged the study door shut behind him and ran to the room he had her in.
This is going to be the last day she breathes.
He was gonna kill her. He determined as knots formed in the pit of his stomach like pitchfork poking him from inside, taunting him, adding gasoline to the fire.
Next was her niece. Then her pregnant whore of a sister.
He was going to kill them all. One by one.
All of them.
With anger buzzing through his veins he called the man he stationed to monitor Issac.
"Kill him. On second thoughts, call Lillian through his phone and get her to come over. I want them both dead by the end of the day."