LECTER JAMES: Rise of the Braveheart

Chapter six

"I have checked your company's profile. I'll invest five hundred million dollars in the app project that you have launched," Lecter said to Anna over the phone.

The unprecedented meeting with Venita that morning had almost ruined Lecter's mood, however, he knew the shrewd brat did not deserve so much attention from him.

"Five hundred million dollars?" She exclaimed. "That is more than enough to save my father's company from collapsing. Thank you very much, Mr James. How could I ever repay you?" Anna said to him. Lecter could hear her voice breaking from excitement. He smiled.

"Then, let me take you out for dinner," Lecter replied.

"Of course, Mr James. I'd love that. Plus, to show my appreciation, I will take care of the arrangements. I have to show you how grateful I am," Anna said to him before she hung up. Lecter was intrigued. But just as he placed his phone on the table, Alaric rushed into the office.

"We have a serious problem boss," Alaric said to him, agitated. Lecter frowned.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"The Orient Museum has been robbed. An artifact worth one hundred million dollars has been stolen!" Alaric blurted out. "We need you right now boss," 

Lecter wasted no time before he dashed outside and got into his car. He zoomed off to the museum. His family had acquired the rights to own the museum from the government for they were the only ones who could collect such rare and expensive items that needed special care.

Lecter soon drove to the museum. The museum was on full lockdown following the robbery. Alaric made way for Lecter to go inside while he looked around.

"Have you alerted the police yet?" Lecter asked Alaric.

"Yes, boss. They're on their way," Alaric replied. Lecter searched for clues that might point him in the right direction. Then, he saw a wallet beneath a little table. Lecter picked up the wallet and took out an ID. He sulked when he saw the person on it.

"This is Kurt. He's Joe's friend and a troublemaker!" Lecter said to Alaric.

"Joe, your ex-wife's brother?" Alaric asked, but without giving a response, Lecter left the museum. He drove off to the address on the card which was surprisingly close. Alaric followed behind.

As soon as he got to the house, Lecter found Kurt trying to rush somewhere. Kurt's face was drawn into a sneer when he saw Lecter approach.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" He asked, but Lecter showed him his wallet and ID.

"You've stolen from me, Kurt!" Lecter replied. Kurt gasped and tried to run, but Lecter grabbed him and pushed him inside the house.

"Please! It was all Joe's idea. I warned him not to do it. Please!" Kurt begged. The artifact lay carelessly on the table and Alaric secured it. Then, he took Kurt outside and threw him into the car.

"What will you do about Joe, boss?" Alaric asked Lecter.

"He'll pay for his crimes," was Lecter's response before they drove off.

Meanwhile, Morris, Venita's father caused a tantrum in his house. His unmanaged anger had had the best of him and being out of prison for the first time in twenty years served as a trigger.

"Twenty years in prison, and what I come back to is this shit hole?" Morris fumed as he paced about in the Thorn's living room. He grabbed the remote and threw it at the television, shattering it in the process.

Bianca, his wife, and Joe both jumped back in fear as Morris continued to destroy things.

"How could the lot of you be so incompetent? You had twenty years to complete what I started and take Kent James' empire. But what did you do instead? You useless things lived in comfort while I burned in prison!" He snapped again. Bianca shuddered in fear, but she took a step towards him. She was his wife, after all.

"Honey, I can see that you are very stressed. Why don't you let me fix you a bath while you relax..." She touched his shoulder, but that was a mistake. Morris grabbed her hand roughly and she screamed out in pain.

"You caused all of this. It was your duty as my wife to enforce my legacy on our children. But you spoilt them and made them weak!" Morris yelled at her and pushed her away.

 "Mother!" Joe exclaimed while Bianca fell towards a table and before he could stop it, she hit her head and began to bleed profusely. Joe quickly dashed to her and grabbed her while he tied a piece of clothing on her head.

"We have to get her to a hospital," Joe said to Morris but he simply gazed at them with an unrepentant look on his face.

"She's your wife!" Joe cried out as his heart broke. However, Morris took a seat and smirked.

"If she is strong, she will survive," was all he responded with. Joe scoffed.

"You've been away for twenty years and now you suddenly want to become king?" He asked Morris who leaned towards him in anger. 

"I am king! Everything in this city is mine to do whatever I want. You've always been a dunce. Too much of your mother is in you. At least, your sister had brains. Such a waste of a son!" Morris fumed while Joe cowered. Morris wasn't wrong. Joe knew he was incompetent. That's why he always lets Venita take the lead in the family affairs.

She was so much like their father.

"Speaking of Venita, where is she?" Morris asked Joe as he held Bianca close in comfort. But she was still bleeding out.

"I'm here, father," Venita said as she stepped into the house. Her mascara had soiled her face from shedding tears and the weary look on her face told Joe that something was wrong. 

"What happened to you?" Morris asked while he hugged Venita. Venita, on the other hand, completely ignored her bleeding mother as she took in her father's surprise show of affection.

"Welcome back, Father. A lot has happened since you were away," she said to Morris. 

"Does this have anything to do with Lecter James?" Joe asked Venita and Morris frowned.

"Lecter James? That sucker survived the assassination attempt?" Morris thought out loud. Venita turned to him.

"Do you know who he is, father? Lecter James is the new heir to the Kent James empire. He has humiliated me twice! I can't take it anymore. We have to do something about him," Venita said to her father who laughed. Joe just watched the drama.

"Lecter, that brat, exposed me twenty years ago. He and Reginald Heath who betrayed me to become allies with Kent James. I thought I killed Lecter afterwards but somehow he survived. Tough kid," Morris was impressed. "I sent an assassin to kill Reginald. However, someone stopped me,"

"It was Lecter James, father. It's all over the news now," Venita replied. Morris's face darkened immediately as anger took over.

"That brat continues to challenge me! But now, I am back. Lecter and his father must die soon. Their empire belongs to us, Venita. We shall take it from their undeserving hands," Morris said to her with a smile. Venita felt her evil rise again as she smiled in return.

"What do you have in mind, father?" Venita asked.

"We shall rip Lecter and his father to pieces. I will assassinate them!" Morris replied to her.

"Mother is dying! Don't you care?" Joe yelled at them. That was when Venita rolled her eyes to her mother. "I'm taking her to the hospital," Joe said and soon dashed out of the house carrying the woman. As soon as he got outside, Joe took his phone out to make a call.

"I need a plane ticket to Brussels City. I'm leaving this fucking family for good! They want to fight someone bigger than they are. I won't be around for that," he said and hung up immediately.

As he drove off, Morris gazed at Joe's car from the window.