Day Sixty-Five…
~~*****~~
Nathan stopped asking Aiden. The two just continued drinking. Nathan was just killing his time, trying to figure out what he should do next. As of this moment, Stephen, Cherry, and Ethan were transporting Jane to the hospital owned by Stephen's family.
"Nate, how long are you going to stay here?" Aiden asked him. He wondered if Nathan was planning to get drunk today.
When he heard Aiden's question, Nathan finished his remaining whiskey and stood up.
"Hey? Where are you going?" Aiden asked him in confusion.
"I have to deal with my subordinate who just betrayed me. I shouldn't be wasting my time here," Nathan said meaningfully. He almost forgot about Joker's issue.
Fortunately, Chantha wasn't badly hurt. She was still confined in the medical facility. Violet was taking care of her while Axel was tracking Joker down. Nathan had been distracted by Jane's health.
Since he had nothing to do and wanted to forget Jane's condition, it was the best time for him to make a move. So many people have been betraying him lately. Were they not afraid of him anymore? He had been trying to behave for the past few years. Did they want to see the devil in him once again?
"Okay. So we are leaving now?" Aiden also stood up.
"You can stay if you want to stay," Nathan plainly said.
"Nate, wait! Can I join you? I would like to see how you deal with them as a mafia leader." Aiden's eyes sparkled with excitement. He was curious about how Nathan managed his organization. Was it similar to the movies he had watched before?
"This world is not for you, Aiden. There are things I don't want you to see. Especially my devil side," Nathan responded meaningfully.
"Oh C'mon, Nate! I'm your best friend. I won't judge you. Just let me watch on the sideline. Who knows you might need my help in the future. I'm so willing to help you. You can start teaching how the underground world operates."
Aiden wanted to explore the world of the mafia and syndicates. He wanted to understand Black Rose and the world she lived in. This was one way he could get to know Cherry better.
"Okay, Come with me. But don't blame me. I've warned you."
Aiden bobbed his head frantically. He was excited to see what Nathan would do. It seemed like Nathan was going to catch his subordinate who betrayed them. He cheerfully followed Nathan as they left the bar, heading to the parking lot.
"How is Chantha?" Aiden heard about what happened to Chantha.
"She's fine. I ordered her to stay in the medical facility, otherwise, she would leave and find Joker." Nathan started the engine and drove away from the bar.
"Where are we going?" Aiden asked him again.
"In my headquarters." Nathan picked up his signature mask. Every time he would go to the headquarters, Nathan would wear his mask to keep his real identity hidden. Only a few members of the Syphiruz Mafia knew that he was Nathan Sparks, the CEO of SYP Twilight Corp.
Nathan drove so fast that he reached their destination in just fifteen minutes. Axel was on the field, searching every corner of Towerville City. He already dispatched some members to the airport and seaport. He assumed that Joker would try to leave the country either by air or by sea.
Nathan headed to the IT room where the surveillance system and computers were located. Aiden was amazed to see the technology inside the room. There were lots of monitors, computers, and screens. There were also staff working inside. They stopped for a moment just to greet Nathan, their Supreme Leader.
"Have you found him?" Nathan asked his staff who were reviewing all the CCTV cameras in Towerville City.
"Negative, Supreme Leader. He might be wearing a disguise. Our face recognition can't find him," One man spoke up, answering Nathan's query.
"He also switched off his mobile phones. He is using cash so we can't track his debit and credit cards. I think he is well-prepared. He knew that we are after him," he added.
Aiden glanced at Nathan worriedly. "What are you going to do now? Will you let a traitor escape?"
"Of course not," Nathan said with conviction. He grabbed a chair and worked on one of the computers inside. He started to run a program, and many encryptions appeared on the screen. Aiden couldn't decipher the meaning of those codes. He just watched Nathan as he continued typing on the keyboard.
It did not take long before a red dot appeared on the screen along with the city map. It was the exact location of Joker.
"OMG. Is that him? He is moving toward the east port." Aiden reacted upon seeing the tracking map on Nathan's computer screen.
"Yes. That's him." Nathan replied, picking up his phone. He sent this location to Axel.
"How did you do that? How were you able to find him? He is not even using his phone nor his cards." Aiden asked Nathan exhilarated.
Even the other staff looked at Nathan, anticipating his reply. They had been checking the CCTV cameras since yesterday. They didn't even sleep. Despite their efforts, they still failed to find Joker's location.
Nathan's lips curled up in a satisfied smirk. "I planted a chip inside his body. I activated it to track his location. All my branch leaders have this chip, but they are not aware of this."
Aiden was taken aback for a moment, including the staff who were listening to their Supreme Leader.
"Eh? Why did you do that? Are you always suspicious of them? Did you plant this tracking device inside their bodies so that you will know their location just in case they betray you?" Aiden asked Nathan expectantly.
Nathan arched his eyebrow when he heard Aiden's remarks. He sounded like Nathan didn't trust his comrades and subordinates.
"I planted those chips inside their bodies for emergency purposes. Most of my male branch leaders are doing fieldwork all over the world. They often do dangerous operations and missions. If an emergency happens and we lose contact with them, I have ways to track their locations so that we can rescue them." Nathan explained to Aiden.
"Oh! Now I get it. Can you plant one inside my body so that if I will be in danger, you can find me easily!" Aiden suggested while putting on a silly smile.
Every Staff: "..."
Nathan didn't know whether to laugh or scold Aiden for his request.
"Oh, Nate, can you invent another specialized chip? Add some features like paralyzing the person for certain hours so that he won't be able to move. Or make it a bomb so if someone tries to betray you, you can just detonate the bomb, and BAM! The traitor will be gone forever!" Aiden suggested in his cheerful voice.
"I will call this Anti-Traitor Chips! You can plant this to all your members and staff here!"
Every Staff: "..."
When Aiden said his last remarks, several eyes looked daggers at him. The staff wished to cut Aiden's tongue the moment he suggested that to their Supreme Leader. Their murderous gazes seemed to tell Aiden: "Do you want to have the chip in your body instead? Why don't you try it first?"
Realizing that he shouldn't have said it, Aiden just smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head while looking at the staff apologetically. "Ahem. Don't take it seriously. I'm just kidding!"
Aiden immediately hid behind Nathan. He could no longer stand being the target of hate by the people inside that room. Nathan could only shake his head helplessly. He thought Aiden's blabbering mouth would always put him in trouble.
"So what's your next steps now, Nate?" Aiden changed the topic right away.
"I'm going to wait. Axel will do the rest." Nathan was confident that Axel would be able to catch Joker.
"Eh? Axel is your assistant while Joker is your branch leader. Do you think Axel can defeat Joker? Can he fight?" Aiden was used to seeing Axel serving Nathan in his office. He hadn't seen him fighting someone or using any gun. From Aiden's point of view, Axel was no match for a branch leader like Joker.
Nathan gave him a meaningful smile and shrugged his shoulders. "Just wait and see. Wanna bet?"
Aiden blinked his eyes several times. Nathan appeared to be confident with Axel's ability. "Uhm… Well, I don't want to make a bet because I wish that Axel can handle Joker. I hope he will be safe."
"Don't underestimate Axel. In SYP Twilight Corp, he is my assistant. But in Syphiruz Mafia, Axel is my right-hand man. This only means he is second in command. And he is worthy of that position."
Aiden crumpled his face when he heard that. He suddenly felt jealous of Axel. "Do you rely on Axel, more than Stephen and I?"
Nathan just smiled faintly and said, "You and Stephen are my best buddies. My brothers…"
Aiden swooned when he heard that. He had a broad smile on his face while eyeing Nathan foolishly. "Oh Gosh! I love you, Bro! You're the best. So please, don't argue and fight with Stephen again. Okay? Don't fight over a woman."
Nathan frowned at Aiden's last remarks. "We didn't fight over a woman."
Aiden burst out laughing and started to tease Nathan. "Haha! You have forgotten already? You and Stephen always fight when it comes to Jane! Stephen is clearly in love with Jane, so Nate… can you please treat her well a little bit? She's the woman whom your best friend's like!"
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel