Chapter 39: Chapter 40
A cold voice sounded in the air behind them. "Is that so?"
The men froze, their heads whipping around. Leon stepped out from the shadows, his figure illuminated by the faint glow of the nearby streetlight.
"You!" one of them hissed, his eyes widening.
"Yeah, it’s him!" the other stammered, recognition dawning on his face. "You’re that guy from the that day!"
Leon didn’t say a word. He simply stood there.
The taller man, his nerves fraying, barked out a laugh. "That day, you got lucky ’cause you had the gun. But now..." He reached behind his back, his fingers wrapping around the handle of his own weapon. "Let’s see who’s gonna run away today."
The man pulled the gun out, leveling it at Leon with a smug grin. "Not so tough now, huh?"
Leon remained unfazed. His expression didn’t change, his stance relaxed as though the weapon meant nothing.
"You think that’s going to help you?" Leon finally said.
The second man glanced between his partner and Leon, growing increasingly uneasy. "Hey, maybe we shouldn’t—"
"Shut up!" the taller one snapped, his grip on the gun tightening. "I’ve got this."
Leon tilted his head slightly, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Are you sure about that?"
In a blur of motion, Leon stepped forward, his hand snapping out like a viper. Before the taller man could react, Leon had grabbed his wrist, twisting it sharply. The man let out a pained yell, the gun clattering to the ground.
The shorter man stumbled back, panic taking over. He reached into his jacket, but Leon didn’t give him the chance. A swift kick to the stomach sent him doubling over, gasping for air.
Leon shoved the taller man against the wall, his forearm pressing hard against his throat. "Why are you following her?" he demanded, his voice cold and authoritative.
The man struggled, his face turning red as he clawed at Leon’s arm. "I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!"
"Wrong answer." Leon’s grip tightened, his tone dropping even lower. "You’ve been tailing her for days. Why?"
Before the man could respond, the distant rumble of a car engine echoed through the alleyway. Leon’s ears perked up as the sound drew closer. A car came into view, its headlights casting long shadows across the alley.
Leon turned toward the vehicle, his hand still pinning the taller thug to the wall. The car came to a stop, and its doors opened with a quiet click. Three men stepped out, their figures outlined by the harsh glow of the headlights.
The captured thugs immediately lit up with desperate hope. "Help us!" the shorter one croaked, clutching his stomach as he stumbled toward the newcomers. "This psycho’s gonna kill us! You’ve got to stop him!"
The taller man, still pinned by Leon, shouted hoarsely, "He’s crazy! He’s got a gun or something—just get us out of here!"
The three newcomers exchanged glances as they walked toward Leon.
The shortest of the three, a stocky man with a quiet intensity, folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at Leon. "You’re making friends again, huh?"
The tallest of the trio, shook his head. "Didn’t we talk about going easy on people, Leon? They look terrified."
The third man, lean and wiry with a scar running down his cheek, cracked his knuckles and stepped forward. "Terrified for a reason, I’m guessing."
The realization hit the two thugs like a freight train. Their panicked expressions froze, and their eyes darted between Leon and the three men who were clearly not there to help them.
"You... you know him?" the shorter thug stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Oh, we know him," the scarred man said with a sharp grin, leaning down to pick up the discarded gun. "And if I were you, I’d start answering his questions before things get worse."
Leon’s grip on the taller thug loosened slightly as he glanced over his shoulder at his comrades. "Took you long enough."
The burly man chuckled. "Traffic. You know how it is."
Leon turned his attention back to the thug he had pinned. "Now, where were we?" His tone was calm. "Why are you following her?"
The shorter thug, still frozen in fear, stammered, "We—we were hired to watch her! That’s all! We don’t know anything else!"
Leon’s voice dropped, sharp as a blade. "By who?"
"I—I don’t know!" the man yelped, his words tumbling over each other. "Some guy sends us messages! We never meet him in person!"
The scarred soldier stepped closer, tossing the gun into the air and catching it effortlessly. "Sounds like you’ve got a lot of loose ends, pal. How about you stop wasting our time and give us something useful?"
The taller thug, sensing the danger he was in, blurted, "It’s true! We just follow orders! He pays through a burner account and texts us where to go!"
Leon studied the man’s face for a moment before letting go. The thug collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
"Search them," Leon ordered, stepping back.
The burly soldier nodded, patting down both men and pulling out a phone and a small wad of cash. He handed the phone to Leon.
Leon flipped through the messages, finding one that caught his eye: "Keep your distance. Report her movements. Do not engage unless instructed."
Leon pocketed the phone and turned to the men on the ground. "Consider this your warning. If I catch either of you near her again, you won’t walk away."
The two thugs nodded frantically, scrambling to their feet and bolting down the alley without a backward glance.
Leon straightened and turned to his comrades, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "So, how are you three?" he asked.
The shortest of the trio, stocky with a shaved head and a crooked grin, shrugged. "Still breathing, which counts for something, I guess," he said. This was Ethan, a demolitions expert and a close-quarters combat specialist. He’d been Leon’s go-to guy for breaching locked doors—or taking out obstacles in a more... explosive fashion. "Though, I gotta admit, civilian life doesn’t suit you, Leon. You look like you’re itching to jump back into the fight."
The tallest of the three, with a muscular build and a neatly trimmed beard, chuckled. "That’s Leon for you. Always finding trouble, even when he’s out." This was Connor, their former squad leader and a tactical mastermind. Calm and measured, Connor had always been the one to keep the team grounded when things got chaotic. "You’ve got that look again—the one you get when you’ve got unfinished business."
The last man, lean and wiry with a scar running down his cheek, was leaning casually against the wall, twirling a combat knife in his hand. "Unfinished business is putting it lightly," he said, his voice low. This was Riley, the team’s sniper and recon expert. A master of stealth and observation, Riley was often the one who spotted trouble before it started. He nodded toward the alley where the thugs had disappeared. "Who are those clowns? They didn’t look like much, but I’m guessing there’s more to this than two idiots in an alley."
Leon glanced at Riley, then back to the others. "They’ve been tailing someone i know. Emily. Someone’s paying them to keep tabs on her. I need to find out who—and why."
Connor folded his arms, his expression turning serious. "Sounds like someone’s trying to send a message. Could be connected to something bigger."
"Or it’s just some idiot with too much money and a grudge," Ethan said.
Riley’s eyes narrowed. "Either way, we’ll figure it out. You didn’t call us here for a reunion, did you?"
Leon shook his head. "No. I had a feeling I might need backup. Looks like I was right."
Ethan grinned, patting the duffel bag he’d brought with him. "Well, we came prepared. Figured you’d get yourself into something messy."
Connor stepped forward, placing a hand on Leon’s shoulder. "We’ve got your back, just like old times. Whatever this is, we’ll help you sort it out."
Leon gave a brief nod of gratitude. "Thanks. Let’s get moving. I’ll fill you in on the way."
The four of them turned and walked toward the car.
