Erik's footsteps echoed through the corridors of the Red Palace. As he walked, he couldn't shake off the unease that had settled in his gut since he learned about Karl's and Natasha's deaths; there was something weird about the matter.
The post-training journey to his room seemed longer than usual as his mind raced with thoughts of the possible assassins who could have been responsible for Nathaniel's demise.
He considered the Crystal Cross Gang, the Mambas, some random thug on the street, or someone specifically targeting them. The list of potential suspects was long, to be honest, but what was more mysterious was the reason why this happened, and Erik's mind spun with theories and suspicions.
Finally, Erik reached his room, a modest yet comfortable space that served as his sanctuary within the Red Palace. He entered and closed the door behind him, taking a deep breath as he let his guard down, at least momentarily. He approached the large window that overlooked the city, and his eyes were drawn to the sprawling skyline of New Alexandria, with its shimmering lights and towering skyscrapers. As he gazed out at the city, Erik couldn't help but feel a sense of discomfort and anxiety; despite the heavy weight on his shoulders having been recently lifted with Hais's and Achim's deaths, what was happening now gave him many things to think about.
With a sigh, Erik went to his room, sat at his desk, and powered up his smartphone, connecting to the internet to search for news about Nathaniel's two friends' deaths. His fingers flew across the virtual keyboard, scouring the latest reports and articles, trying to piece together the puzzle of what had happened.
Apparently, what Sarah and the other students told him was a lot. Natasha had indeed been found on top of a rooftop, while Karl had been found in an alley, but apparently, even in that case, the young man tried to escape by climbing some buildings, as there were many traces over some of them. Karl probably took advantage of his brain crystal power and climbed the buildings easily. However, if the assassins killed him, that meant that they were skilled enough to reach Karl despite him having a natural advantage.
In Natasha's case, some poison had been found around in small pools, which meant that she tried to fight back. She had many wounds, meaning that she put up a strenuous defense that was, though, futile.
Erik's mind raced with possibilities as he delved deeper into his search. Was it a personal vendetta? He sifted through the information, analyzing every detail and cross-referencing it with his own knowledge of the city's power dynamics.
The more he dug, the more he realized that the situation was harder than he had initially thought. Clues and leads seemed to point in different directions, and nothing was certain. However, four things stood out in his mind. The first was that the two victims were both Nathaniel's friends. Secondly, they had a disagreement with him; third and fourth, they were members of the Red Palace and top students at Thornton High School.
Erik kept scanning the internet, searching for information about their deaths. His heart was heavy with a sense of foreboding, and his mind was filled with questions. Why were they killed? Were they targeted because of their association with the Red Palace? Was it a random act of violence?
<I don't get it…> Erik thought. This situation was confusing.
The awakener quickly scanned through the articles. He didn't really like Karl and Natasha and wasn't sorry for their deaths, but he had seen them around the Red Palace and at school.
<System, can you enter the police's servers and download all the data you have about their deaths?> Erik asked.
[OF COURSE. CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET. SEARCHING FOR THE DATA. DATA FOUND. DOWNLOADING RESOURCES.]
After a few moments, Erik gained access to the police servers. He quickly located the files related to Karl and Natasha's deaths, thanks to the system's help, and downloaded the reports, statements, and photos of the crime scenes to his smartphone in an untraceable way. His heart raced as he opened the files, eager to uncover any additional information that might shed light on the mystery.
The reports were detailed, documenting the circumstances of Karl and Natasha's deaths. They were found in different alleys, both with fatal injuries consistent with a brutal assault. The crime scenes were gruesome, with bloodstains and signs of struggle evident in the photos.
He delved further into the reports, scanning through the statements from the investigators. Some details were redacted, likely due to the sensitive nature of the case. However, Erik pieced together that the police were puzzled by the lack of evidence or clear motives behind the killings. Though, it was clear to them that this was a gang-related crime.
Erik leaned back in his chair. A thought crossed his mind. <What if…>
<System, exactly as you did with the police server, can you do it with security systems? I mean, working remotely.>
[I'M ABLE, BUT THE LINK DEPENDS ON THEIR CONNECTION TO INTERNET SERVICES.]
<Good, then find me Nathaniel McConnel's house and find where his father is. If he is not home, connect to Achim's house and find his father.>
[UNDERSTOOD. CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET. SEARCHING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT NATHANIEL MCCONNEL. RED PALACE'S DATABASE HACKED. INFORMATION RETRIEVED. CONNECTING TO NATHANIEL MCCONNEL'S HOUSE SECURITY SYSTEM. 10 PEOPLE PRESENT IN THE HOUSE. MATTHEW MCCONNEL FOUND. SENDING AUDIO-VIDEO SIGNAL TO THE BRAIN.]
The awakener hoped that what he thought wasn't true and that it was all in his imagination. However, he couldn't ignore this thought. Everything was too coincidental. The crime scenes, the targets, and their connections—their relationships with Nathaniel were the most unsettling aspects. What if they died because of what he had done?
Erik quickly got an image of a man he assumed was Nathaniel's father. Matthew was a burly man, standing 185 centimeters tall and weighing over 100 kilograms. His imposing frame was built with bulging muscles that strained against his clothing.
He had a shaved head, revealing a rugged face with a chiseled jawline and a prominent brow ridge. His thick, dark eyebrows, which continuously furrowed in intensity, framed his piercing brown eyes.
His skin was tanned and marred with a few scars, evidence of past battles and confrontations. Matthew's large hands were calloused from years of physical exertion, and his broad shoulders were often squared with an air of authority. His overall appearance exuded a menacing aura, as if he were always on the brink of unleashing his inner rage.
At that moment, a man cautiously entered his study.
***
Simone entered Matthew's study, and the lush carpet muffled his footsteps. Matthew was seated at his massive oak desk, his hands gripping the edges tightly. His face was flushed with anger, and his eyes wild and restless. Simone, a loyal underling of Matthew's, knew better than to approach him without caution.
"I'm here, boss," Simone said, keeping his tone respectful but also wary of Matthew's volatile state.
Matthew's gaze snapped up to meet Simone's, his eyes burning with intensity.
"Is there any news about the task I gave you?" he asked.
"Yes, sir, we killed two targets already. Karl Moran and Natasha Pope. We found out they were Nathaniel's friends in the past, but they went their separate ways after some furious fights."
Matthew looked Simone in the eyes. He knew Karl and Natasha, but he didn't know if they were the ones who killed his son; for sure, they had the reasons.
"Good, and for the others?"
"Well, things are a little bit more complicated now since we killed the previous two targets. Now we are using an alternative way to deal with the rest of them," Simone replied.
"I want this done as soon as possible. If they go to military school, things will get a lot more complicated. I don't think you are aware of this, but usually, the students are forced to stay at the military base for the whole year without leaving. Of course, wealthy people have ways to avoid that, but the commoners don't."
"Don't worry, sir; we already took things into our hands," Simone replied.
"How so?" the man asked with curiosity.
"We are currently kidnapping parents and family members of the students in question," he replied cautiously.
Matthew raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised by Simone's idea. "That's a wonderful idea. How are you going to proceed then?"
"We will tell them to go to a specific place without alerting anyone. If they do, their family will die."
"Did problems arise until now?" Matthew asked.
"Yes, some of the students are the children of rich or important people. As much as we tried, we couldn't kidnap Amber Joyce's family members, nor Gwen Lindsay's or Floyd Valdez's. However, we kidnapped some family members from the Montgomery and the Zamora clans. I must ask you, though: are you sure you want to proceed? These people must not be trifled with," Simone asked.
"Yes," Matthew said. We are as powerful as they are, and we have nothing to fear. He said this, slamming his fist on the desk.
Simone nodded, understanding the depth of Matthew's rage. "Understood, sir."
Matthew's eyes blazed with a maniacal glint. "It's necessary to make them suffer, to show them that they're not immune to pain and suffering. They need to learn that their actions have consequences and that trifling with me is like trifling with death."
Simone swallowed, trying to keep his composure in the face of Matthew's explosive fury. "Very well, sir. Things will end shortly; you will have news from me soon."
Matthew nodded, his expression still twisted in anger. "Good. Make sure it's done discreetly. I want those students to feel the fear and anguish I felt when I was in their shoes."
Simone bowed his head, acknowledging Matthew's orders. "Yes, sir."
With that, Simone turned to leave the room, leaving Matthew alone with his dark thoughts. As the door closed behind Simone, Matthew's maniacal grin spread across his face, a chilling sight that sent shivers down Simone's spine. The man knew he had to carry out Matthew's orders, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. His boss's rage had taken on a disturbingly unhinged quality, and he wondered just how far the man was willing to go to exact his revenge on those he perceived as his enemies.
At the same time, Erik observed the scene horrified.
-----------------------------
<New quest: Stop Matthew>
-Rewards for completion: 5000 experience points for rescuing the hostages; 2000 DNA points if the mission gets completed.
-Failure Penalty: Unknown.
-Description: Matthew is planning to kill the students. Foil his plan by rescuing the hostages.
-----------------------------
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on fre ew𝒆bnovel.com