John's Domination

Chapter 6

John opened Sam's box and placed the last set of documents in an organized pile. He then closed the box and shifted his gaze to the passing scenery outside the window. In the rearview mirror, he observed Sara methodically loading bullets into the shotguns, while Alice maintained a rhythmic tap on the steering wheel.

The information he absorbed from Sam's documents weighed heavily on his mind. It painted a grim picture of an organization known as the Dark Arts, that successfully infiltrated significant sectors of the government and was now seeking to exert control over major underground groups. John couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for the Drakens, knowing that they were not easily swayed by external forces. However, the emerging power struggle was far from ordinary, as the Dark Arts had been operating in secrecy, steadily growing in influence. Their recent alliance with Spectre was a troubling development, and John suspected that his own work might be at the center of their rapid expansion.

John, lost in his thoughts, didn't notice the troubled look Alice shot his way. He had been engrossed in studying the documents, unaware of the passing time. Alice, on the other hand, had been driving for what felt like hours, passing by six different Drakens' hideouts. The ominous silence that hung around these locations kept her foot firmly on the pedal. She wanted to alert her companions, but John's focus on the documents and Sara's peaceful slumber had kept her silent.

Now, they were approaching a place well-known to the public: the official residence of the Draken family. Alice knew it was a potential location for Richard, but she also had a nagging feeling that it might be under attack. She didn't voice her concerns aloud, trusting that John and Sara were already prepared for whatever awaited them.

Alice turned off the car's headlights as they pulled into the driveway of an elegant bungalow. The house had a wide front yard, adorned with carefully tended flowers. The path leading to the entrance was flanked by neatly manicured lawns. The neighboring houses were just a few yards away, creating a peaceful suburban atmosphere.

The three of them approached the house, their bodies concealed beneath long black cloaks. These cloaks would hide their weapons and identities, providing a layer of anonymity.

Alice's deft hand traced a concealed outline on the door, and a hidden key popped out with a soft click. 

"Neat," Sara whispered as Alice retrieved the key and returned the wood to its original position.

Alice handed the key to John. "I'll enter through the back door," she said quietly before circling around the building. Sara followed suit, each taking their respective positions to cover all angles.

With the key in hand, John gently inserted it into the lock. The door yielded with a soft click, and he cautiously stepped inside, his gun at the ready. However, he was too focused on the room ahead and didn't check behind the door.

"You're too wide open, never make yourself a target by obstructing the light," a voice advised from behind. John spun around, but Richard was quicker, disarming him effortlessly.

"You still have more to learn," Richard commented as he closed the door behind him.

John stared at the man, his father, now standing before him in his nightwear. The contrast between Richard's imposing presence and his casual attire left John in awe.

Richard raised an eyebrow at John's stare. "Do you have something to say?"

John hesitated, took a moment to look around before facing Richard. "What about my mother?"

The unexpected inquiry caught Richard off guard. He stared at John for a moment, his expression softening with a tinge of sadness. "Lisa is the greatest gift I've ever received in this life, and she's..."

He trailed off, looking past John into the darkness outside. "Alice! That's enough, there's no danger here. It's been taken care of."

With a flick of a wall switch, the house was bathed in bright light. Richard motioned for John to follow him. As they walked through the hallway, John couldn't help but notice the framed photographs lining the walls. Each frame held a picture of a woman with Richard, all with deep brown eyes, brown hair, and warm smiles. In one frame, they appeared to be a married couple. The final photograph showed a baby in the woman's arms, and John recognized himself in the infant's face, complete with the birthmark he now had on his arm.

"You were happy," John remarked, staring at the images. "Is she my mother, the woman in the picture?"

Richard nodded in affirmation. They entered the living room, and John was immediately taken aback. Two men dressed in black hung upside down from the ceiling, fastened to concealed hooks within the roof. Two black Ak-47 rifles lay on a table surrounded by tiger fur-coated sofas. The hanging men were still alive, struggling and attempting to shout, but their voices were muffled by cloth gags.

John realized that Richard had intentionally left the door accessible, knowing these intruders were outside. He stared at Richard, who regarded the hanging men with an air of indifference.

Alice walked out of the kitchen with Sara, their hands entwined. She glanced at the hanging men and then at Richard, who responded with a casual shrug.

"We'll talk about your mother later," Richard whispered into John's ear. "Let's gather; we all need to talk."

John, Alice, and Sara removed their cloaks and laid them down. Richard convinced them to encircle the area beneath the hanging men.

"I need a bath and some change of clothes," Sara voiced, refusing to sit.

"Sara, you can go to the left wing. You'll see Alice's room—the one with a pink teddy crucified on it. There, you can take a shower and change into one of her outfits, as long as it's fine with the owner," Richard said, glancing at Alice, who nodded. Sara left the room without looking back.

"Tell me what you know," Richard said as he reclined on his sofa, his gaze fixed on the men above them. They struggled but couldn't speak due to their gags. "Before I ask them to shed more light."

"I don't just have the information; I've figured out what their secret weapon is," John said with a concerned expression. "They have a device that enables them to see and record the secret transactions of targeted individuals. That's also the reason they're in alliance with Spectre, because they're the ones in possession of the device."

Alice's eyes widened, and Richard's brows furrowed in deep contemplation.

Alice covered her mouth, shocked. "Do you mean your…" she trailed off.

"With that, they'll be able to get the corrupted ones within the government and tilt power in their favor," John continued.

"Did you get all that from Sam's documents?" Richard inquired.

"No, only the fact that there was an unknown device in Spectre's possession," John replied, holding both Alice and Richard's gaze. "I know because I'm the one who created that device, and that's why I was almost killed," John said, his voice filled with anger.

"Damn," Alice muttered, sharing in John's anger. "Those bastards!"

The men hanging above them had stopped wriggling, hanging motionless, hoping the people below would forget their existence. They watched as Richard's face twisted with rage; they shivered.

"I never knew your software was that sophisticated, or I would not have waited for your recovery. I would have gone to their doorstep with gifts," Richard said, cracking his knuckles.

Sara walked back into the room and took a seat beside Alice, who hugged her tightly. Sara had changed into a wine-colored shirt and blue jeans.

"I had refused their alliance, that's why we're in this situation," Richard said to John. "I hadn't even known your whereabouts at that point. If I knew all this, I would have forced the alliance down their throats with a bullet."

"I understood that much from Sam's note, but if I can get my flash drive, I'll be able to shut them down. This crazy coup," John replied.

"I saw four of our hideouts emptied and desolated," Alice said, shaking her head. "I fear we might have taken some severe damage across all our hideouts. Sam knew them all, and he was a double agent."

Sara trembled. "What do you mean? My Dad, a double agent?" She looked at Richard with fear.

Alice pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry you're hearing it this way." Sara began to sob. John watched Richard, his expression unreadable.

Sara looked at Richard. "What's going to happen to him?" Her voice trembled. "Please don't -"

Richard waved her off impatiently. "That's fine," he said. "Yes, Sam was a double agent, but our double agent. I had changed all the locations he had given out, but I kept them operative until the day of your visits. But we had to keep you both in the dark to make it realistic," he explained to John and Alice.

"You mean you sent us to our potential death?" John asked, frustrated. He stood up. Alice, on the other hand, just nodded with understanding.

"No, I took advantage of their threat to Sara and sent the best team I had to save her. I believed in both of you," Richard replied. "Now, sit down!"

John slumped into the chair, feeling a mix of emotions from both the compliment and Richard's retort.

"Every attack on those places, I countered. But it's interesting how many men these people can mobilize. Now that I know those two gangs have joined forces, we'll need to find a major weak point to hit tonight."

"Tonight?" Sara asked in shock.

Richard ignored her statement, looked at the hanging men, and smiled. He stood up and pulled them. The rope snapped, and they fell on his shoulder like sacks of potatoes.

"I'll be going to the backyard with these guys. Alice, keep an open ear. I'll come back with a few locations, and with a few calls, we'll go say hello. Draken style," Richard said, his anger evident in his voice.

"Wouldn't you attract the attention of the police?" Sara asked nervously, imagining a convoy of black armored cars speeding down the Los Angeles freeway.

Richard looked at her, and she flinched. He smiled to ease her tension and then spoke once she had relaxed. "They'll have their hands full."

John watched as the men struggled and wriggled fiercely, but they couldn't break the tight rope bondage or force Richard off his balance.

"What's Draken style?" John asked.

Richard, Alice, and Sara exchanged glances and then burst into laughter.

"You'll see," Richard called back as he made his way to the back of the house  with the men. "You'll see an amazing sight!"

Alice chuckled at Richard's statement and stood up, ready to move forward. Sara joined her, and they went toward the kitchen, their laughter and conversation restoring a sense of normalcy despite the events of the past twelve hours.

John remained seated in the room, looking at the handgun Richard had disarmed from him earlier. He flexed the fingers of the hand that had held it. However, he wondered if he would be able to hit Xavier next time, given Richard's lightning-fast disarmament.

"Hey," Alice's voice called from the kitchen, interrupting his thoughts. "John, are you not starving?"

John smiled. He noticed two black gloves on the floor. He picked the gloves, dropped the handguns on the table, and took one of the AK-47s that lay there. With that, he walked toward the kitchen.