Casper Matthews, who was getting the frequent updates on Harper's location, had a cunning smirk on his face, imagining Anya Owen's struggling days under the higher officers.
However, despite watching the speedboat racing out of the domestic waters, Harper was weirdly nervous. He assumed it was because he was yet to get on his yacht.
"How long does it take?" Harper asked the man who was being the captain of the speedboat.
The man merely looked at Harper who was desperate to leave the country. He lazily responded as he shifted his attention back on the waters, "Less than twenty minutes." The boat was at its top speed.
Harper's face graced with a triumphant smile. As they neared his yacht he was becoming more and more confident. However, his heart was beating crazily.
Was he excited to leave from there?
Harper didn't care. He sat on the chair and crossed his legs. He hated how Casper's men didn't respect him. They were treating him as if he was a beggar picked from the roadside.
Harper's fingers curled to a fist. He doesn't have to be affected by these men. He noticed a boat that looked like a small dot due to the distance. He grinned evilly for finally getting out of the hellish days.
Was that smile fated to last long?
The man who was riding the speedboat furrowed when he noticed three dots moving towards their boat on the digital screen.
They were already out of the fishing area. There were no ships at that time, so he wasn't sure who they could be. He went out of the engine control cubicle while grabbing the binoculars that were at the corner.
His actions caught the eyes of the other four men while Harper's Secretary was nervous as hell with his head lowered.
The man zoomed at the boat which was following them and his eyes widened looking at the navy patrol boat rushing towards them. His heart picked the speed in shock. He glanced at Harper, the navy couldn't be looking for Harper, right? He felt a cold run down his spine just by thinking of the consequences.
Well, it was normal for the navy patrol boats to take rounds at the water border so that enemies don't attack the country through the waters.
So he tried to stay calm without getting worked up. He turned to the other side of the speedboat. He again checked through binoculars.
This boat looked like a private one and the speed wasn't as good as a patrol boat. Anyway, men were standing and using binoculars like him.
'Why are they watching us?' His brows knitted tightly while his mind ran wild. Something was fishy. His hands shook at the realization.
He ran up to the front of the speed-boat and zoomed at the boat that seemed to be waiting for him. His eyes zeroed when he identified the military speedboat. This couldn't be a coincidence. He noticed a few men in uniform.
His throat ran dry, he panicked without knowing how to deal with the situation. He and his team definitely looked down on the cops so far.
Forcing himself to focus, he started calculating the possibility of his suspicions. Their speed boat was just a few miles away from entering the international water. Every one of them believed they made it out of the country easily. But their plan had fallen on the face.
As if confirming his suspicions, the radio communicating device started beeping in the control engine room. [M36 here, over.]
[M36 here, over.]
Harper, who had noticed the odd movements of the man, looked at the engine room where the voice of men was repeating. His confidence plunged sharply before even listening to the call.
The captain of the speedboat didn't want to answer it. He knew they were caught. He could have planned to escape if those were normal boats but a patrol boat was enough to hunt them down, much less a military speedboat.
The connection requisition from the patrol boat changed to orders, "SS7, Stop the boat."
Dreaded, Harper's secretary who was silently sitting, shot on his feet. Harper, who was enjoying the freedom like a bird, saw his future in front of him in a flash.
He hurried to stand and stumbled. He grabbed the captain and pushed him towards the control engine room, "I will give you as much money as you want. Drive, drive…. Get out of here." He demanded as he started clicking random buttons on the control panel to increase the speed.
Casper's men stopped Harper before he pressed the wrong button, "What is going on?"
"Military patrol boat and speedboat." The military boats will be equipped.
Harper paled visibly. Everyone's face revealed the anxiousness and their hitched breath. Their widened eyes looked here and there, trying to think of a way out.
Who would want to sacrifice their life?
Casper's men loved their life but more than that, their loyalty to their master was high. The SS7 speedboat belongs to Casper. So Casper's men had two choices.
One, surrender with Harper and take all the blame on themselves for trying to help Harper escape. Two, try to escape and sacrifice their lives in an attack. If their escape succeeds, no one will be in trouble.
They aimed to keep Casper unstained.
However, it was impossible to escape so they knew they had no choice. Their heartbeats increased every second, their fingers clutched whatever was in their hand.
Harper's Secretary noticed the speed of the boat. His body shook, completely aware of the consequences. He ran inside and pulled the lever down as he yelled at them, "Are you crazy? They will explode this boat." The fear and panic were evident in his voice. The tears rolled on his cheeks while he used all his strength to lower the speed.
'Explode!?' Harper was torn apart. He felt dizzy and stumbled at the abrupt speed change. Either he will be caught or he will be dead. He preferred neither of them.
The captain of SS7 pushed Harper's secretary away, "F**k off." Then he pushed the lever to speed up.
One of Casper's men came up with a better plan, "We should surrender." He blurted out hurriedly, afraid, any further distance, military boats will attack them. He didn't want to die.
"W-we will confess as we did it for money. We will speak nothing more, nothing less." They wouldn't be imprisoned for a lifetime or punished with the death penalty for these actions. A few months to years of imprisonment was better than forfeiting their life.
The captain of SS7 looked at the other two men who nodded. They completely ignored Harper and the groaning secretary at the side.
"Alright." He immediately shut the engine off, bringing the SS7 to an abrupt halt.
Nervous, the men tried to pretend cool. A man mumbled looking at the patrol boat, "How did they get to know?"
They were so smooth, how did the cops or military get to know?
——————-
Meanwhile, in the shopping mall,
Alvin and Zane entered the elevator. He was about to click on the top floor where the gaming zone was located but the little man's hand reached and pressed three.
Alvin: "..."
Alvin gave a thought and doubtfully asked Zane who didn't look confused or nervous. "Why are we here?" His indifferent tone had a hint of curiosity.
Zane looked up at the tall man. He didn't reveal his motive. He flashed a sweet smile and said, "To buy a gift."
'Why is Little Brat smiling at me?' Alvin found him strange.
Anyhow, he changed his view, the little man wasn't a little boy but a young adult.
Which kid thinks of buying gifts?
When the elevator door opened on the third floor, loud music and rapping reached their ears with the crowd's screams. The duo stepped out looking at the crowd for a shop inaugurating the event.
Zane fluently read the banners and understood what was happening. His eyes moved when he sensed a hand. Alvin was offering his hand to hold.
Zane contemplated it for a few seconds. Although he wasn't afraid of getting lost, he held Alvin's two fingers which filled his fist. It was better than being carried to the arms.
The ladies started to look at the swoon-worthy man walking slowly with an adorable little boy. Both were stylish and eye-catchy, making them hard to ignore.
Zane was wearing a blue shirt, layered with a knitted sweater. Paired with cargo and shoes, he was carrying a small backpack and walking confidently.
The indifference was the most attractive about the man. His tall frame next to the small frame appeared gentle and attentive. The presence of the man was like a magnet earning head turns of all age ladies.
The reporters at the event weren't any different. They watched the two and captured some pictures wondering who they must be.
While onlookers exclaimed at their sight, father and son ignored everyone.
Alvin let the brat lead. Both entered a shop famous for men's apparel and accessories. Alvin didn't comment, thinking he must be buying something for Dennis. He let go of his hand, to let him look around and choose whatever he wanted to buy. The sales ladies swarmed around Alvin who was clad in branded items from top to toe.
"Sir, welcome to xxx. I am Jeni, at your service. Sir, The new winter collection arrived just today…" While one led, the other two women continued to fawn over him. "The new blazer design will definitely look fabulous on you, Sir."
"You should try it on." ....
Zane went inside and looked right and left. He didn't get the sight of what he was looking for. A saleslady who was arranging clothes noticed him and approached him. "Hello sir, may I help you look for something?" There was politeness and adoration in the tone rather than a professional tone.
Zane nodded, facing the woman, "Thank you, I am looking for a scarf for an adult."
The lady smiled in amusement and pointed towards the accessories section, "Then, this way please."
Zane went with the lady while Alvin found the resting area. In the five years, it was always Ean Watson who brought him clothes so he felt his head throb hearing the women. He glared at the woman who tried to shove a suit into his hands.
They involuntarily gasped meeting his cold eyes. The relaxed air around him felt suffocating to take a breath and the words on their tongue froze.
Holding coffee, catalog, and new designer clothes, the ladies were trying to muster their courage to approach him. An item sold could add value to their job.
Shortly, Zane ran over holding a charcoal-colored, knitted scarf. He climbed on the couch and wrapped the scarf around Alvin's neck.
Alvin: "…"
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)ebnov(𝒆)l