Chapter 98: Chapter 98: The Clamor of the Pack
Inside the modest kitchen of the family home, the atmosphere was thick with anxiety.
Amy leaned over the wooden dining table, her fingers twisting a kitchen towel into tight knots as she stared intently at her mother’s smartphone "Did he answer?
What did he say?
Is he picking up?" asked Amy, her voice rising with every quick question "Mom, call him again.
Try it one more time.
Did it ring?
Tell me if it rang."
Helen let out a weary sigh, lowering the device from her ear and rubbing her temples "No, Amy.
He didn’t answer" said Helen "I’ve been calling him for days now, and I still haven’t been able to contact him."
"But why isn’t he answering?
What if something happened to him?" insisted Amy, her pacing growing faster as she hovered over her mother "What if they killed him?
What if someone kidnapped him on his way back?
What if he got robbed and they left him in a ditch somewhere?
Mom, you have to do something.
Call the police, call the neighbors, call anyone!
Why aren’t you calling again?
Try his other number.
Maybe his phone died.
Did you check if he was online?"
"Amy, please, stop repeating yourself.
You’re making me dizzy" murmured Helen, her own eyes filled with a quiet, mounting dread as she stared at the blank screen.
"But Mom, it’s Alex!
We don’t know where he is!
What if he’s hurt?
What if he’s dead?
What if—"
"Is my grandson truly lost?"
The heavy, gravelly voice cut straight through Amy’s frantic rambling.
An older woman stepped into the kitchen, her presence instantly demanding attention.
It was Rachel, Helen’s mother.
Despite her advanced age, she looked identical to Helen, possessing the same sharp facial features and elegant posture.
However, her figure was entirely distinct; she possessed a chest so massive it made her daughter look flat by comparison—a full-figured woman from a previous era who still held herself with immense pride.
"Yes, Mother" said Helen, her shoulders slumping as she looked up "He had a massive fight with my..."
"Do not dare say that pig’s name under this roof" interrupted Rachel, her eyes flashing with instant, cold fury as she slammed her cane against the tile floor "I gave that miserable man a functional business.
I handed him enough money to keep you comfortable and happy for a lifetime, and he went ahead and lost every single cent gambling it away.
He is a simple, pathetic idiot.
I have no idea what you ever saw in him."
"It doesn’t matter what I saw in him, Mother" muttered Helen, her voice cracking as she stared at the kitchen counter "The point is that Alex left because of it, and now we have no way to find him.
Nobody has seen him at his usual spots.
His friends know nothing.
It’s like he vanished off the face of the earth."
"We have to go look for him!" cried Amy, grabbing her mother’s arm tightly "We can’t just sit here doing nothing!
Let’s check the hospitals, let’s check the streets, let’s check everywhere!
Mom, listen to me, we have to go right now!"
"Calm down, Amy" ordered Rachel, her massive chest heaving as she took a deep breath "Running around like headless chickens won’t bring the boy back.
We need to think clearly."
As the two women began to argue over the next course of action, Helen’s mind raced.
She knew exactly where Alex might be, or at least where she could find a lead.
She remembered the hidden world he had slipped into.
She needed to get to that place, but she couldn’t let her mother or her daughter know what she was doing "I... I need to go to the supermarket to clear my head and get some groceries" said Helen, stepping away from the table.
"I’ll go with you!" stated Amy instantly.
"No, stay with your grandmother" ordered Helen, her voice firm "I need some time alone, Amy.
Just stay here."
Before her daughter could protest further, Helen grabbed her purse, slipped out the front door, and ran to her car.
She drove through the city streets with a racing heart, her hands trembling on the steering wheel until she pulled up to the large, unassuming luxury hotel—the civilian front for the TMC headquarters.
She walked through the grand lobby, her heels clicking rapidly against the polished marble floor.
She bypassed the standard check-in counters and headed straight toward the restricted, discreet reception desk hidden near the back lounge, where the private clients handled their bookings.
A professionally dressed receptionist looked up, offering a polite smile "Welcome back, Madame.
How can we assist you today?"
"I am looking for Agent 911" said Helen, her voice a tense whisper as she leaned over the desk.
The receptionist tapped quickly on her terminal, her eyes scanning the encrypted database "Agent 911 has just completed an assignment and his status is currently listed as free.
Would you like to send him a formal engagement invitation?"
"Yes, please" said Helen instantly "Use the same registration number from my friend’s account, just like the last time."
"Understood" said the receptionist, entering the data "The invitation has been transmitted to his device.
Please be aware, Madame, that due to our policy, agents retain full right of refusal.
He might reject the request or simply choose not to answer if he is resting."
"I understand.
Just send it" pleaded Helen.
The receptionist nodded, finalizing the prompt on her screen "The invitation is live.
Please take a seat in the waiting area."
Helen walked over to a plush leather armchair, her chest tightening as the seconds ticked by.
Every minute felt like an eternity.
She stared at the grand clock on the wall, her mind replaying the brutal, dominant way Alex had used her body in that room.
What if he ignored her?
What if he was too angry about the family drama to ever see her again?
She squeezed her eyes shut, praying for a response.
