2024-10-05 04:17:15"Are you sure it's him boss" asked Ivan, his face held some doubt.
"Without a doubt" replied Lloyd. Lloyd couldn't believe that he had not recognized him, probably due to how beat up and decrepit he looked. He didn't know if he should consider this his lucky day, or one of the most unfortunate days of his life. One of the many goals he had when he came back to this city was reuniting with his old friend group, and Jacob was one of them. This was probably fate that had brought Jacob right to him, despite how unfortunate the situation was. He knew that the next logical step would be to find Jacob once again, link up with him, and then use him to gain as much information on the events that had transpired in Hilburg since his departure. But he knew that finding Jacob in a dangerous city like Hilburg wouldn't be easy at all. Despite having the man's ID with an address on the front, Lloyd knew that this didn't mean anything. Judging by the way Jacob looked in his ID photograph, he was much younger… much more full of life. This ID was taken before the specific event that occurred… the one that turned him into the criminal he was today, so the address on the ID was meaningless. Lloyd wanted to know what that was… what exactly had happened to his friend that made him this way? And if this was how Jacob and Lisa had ended up, Lloyd could only imagine how his other two friends ended up. He was going to find out soon enough... and he knew he wouldn't like what he found. With his next goal set in stone, Lloyd turned to Ivan and said, “Get the car ready Ivan, tomorrow we're going hunting”. **** Lloyd kissed Lisa in the forehead before he and Ivan set out to find Jacob. He had hoped that he and Lisa would officialise their marriage that morning, but duty called, so it'd have to wait until he made sure Jacob was safe. The first place the men drove was the train station, an obvious location since he was a taxi driver. But Jacob wasn't there, and as he learnt from the other taxi drivers, he didn't even come to work that day. This information justified, Lloyd's concern for Jacob's well-being. Perhaps it was how badly he had dealt with the criminals Jacob tried to have ambush him. Maybe after witnessing that, Jacob was now far too scared to leave him home, due to fear of encountering him (Lloyd) again. Perhaps it was due to fear of retaliation from his criminal buddies, who probably blamed him for the disaster that took place the previous day, so they took him out. Lloyd hoped he wasn't mistaken to not kill those muggers. "Let's head to inner cities, Ivan, a person in Jacob's position will most likely be there" suggested Lloyd. Taking his Boss's request, Ivan would drive deeper into the inner cities of Hilburg. Lloyd would hold out hope that Jacob was still alive, as it would truly be unfortunate if he failed in one of his core goals so early on. Lloyds next destination was the address on Jacob's ID, but as expected, Jacob wasn't here either. But Lloyd then remembers a detail that back then was insignificant, but now was was crucial. Jacob was an alcoholic. He had bottles of beer scattered across the front of the car, but more crucially, his eyes had started yellowing out due to liver damage. Using this information, Lloyd instructed Ivan to make explore the various bars and clubs around the city. Perhaps, Jacob had used his $500 Lloyd have him to on the drinking spree. A mere 10 minutes of driving, the limousine would stop at an intersection, waiting for the red light to turn green. Lloyd decided to take a brief look around the road, and what he saw, just a few metres away from him, was a man lying on his face close to a building. Lloyd couldn't tell if the man was alive or dead, but that wasn't even the worst part. Everyone was walking past him, and Lloyd couldn't believe that no one had bothered to help him. Lloyd was so disgusted by the sight of this man, that he got out of the car and began to head towards him. Ivan would head out as well, seeing that his boss was disgusted that the city of Hilburg had people who would allow something like this on the street. "If no one was going to take this man's body to a hospital… or a mortuary, then I'm going to" said Lloyd to Ivan. Lloyd eventually got to where the man lay on the floor, and knelt down to check his pulse. He saw that indeed, the man was still alive… but barely, His breath and pulse were very low. He wasn't far away from death at all. Lloyd then turned the man around so he could get a proper look at him, and perhaps administer some first aid. What he saw would cause his eyes to widen in shock, and he wasn't shocked often, even the Stoic Ivan was shocked. IT WAS JACOB. "what are the odds?" said Lloyd, partially to himself. "I have no idea boss" replied Ivan. This was the 2nd time he had unintentionally encountered Jacob in a bad situation. A massive heroin needle was sticking out of Jacob's arm. Probably the reason for this predicament… An overdose. Truly, Jacob was very far gone, and Lloyd could only hope it wasn't too late to bring him back. He (Lloyd) quickly, but carefully took out the heroin needle sticking into Jacob's arm, and tossed Lloyd over on his shoulder. "The neatest hospital Ivan, NOW!" Yelled Lloyd, as he tossed Jacob into the limousine. Ivan drove to the best-looking hospital he could find, and Jacob would be rushed to the emergency room. "We'll take care of him, Mr Harland" said the doctor, "but it might take some time, so please return tomorrow for a follow-up" Lloyd sighed as he returned to his limousine, he couldn't believe how crazy things had been since he got to Hilburg. He was good under such high-stress situations, but this entire city was angering him greatly. The buzzing on his phone would cause him to look at it. Finally, something had come up that would take his mind off Jacob's crazy situation. It was Lisa, calling him to come take civil affairs centre. "Take the limousine away Ivan, I'll take a taxi back to Lisa" Llyod said to Ivan. His limousine drew far too much attention, especially since it was his favourite one, and he had used it back at the capital as well. It was too recognizable. So Lloyd took a taxi back to Mirland where Lisa awaited him. "Are you sure you want to do this today?, Simon, it can wait... You seem quite busy" said Lisa, as she saw Lloyd's expression. Smiling, in an attempt to reassure her, "Absolutely not Lisa, I'm not too busy to make you my wife" he said. Lisa blushed hard at this remark, Lloyd already knew how the perfect words to say to her. "And to celebrate our new-found marriage, I'll have a surprise for you" added Lloyd with a smile. The couple would take another taxi to the civic affairs ministry, where they intended to make their marriage official. They informed the branch manager, a very dark woman with an afro, of their presence Lloyd had already had Ivan arrange the documents as soon as he was chosen to be Lisa's husband. So all the branch manager needed to do was sign the document. The dark woman had worked in the ministry of civil defence for years, that's how she became the head of this branch of the ministry. Looking at the couple in front of her, she could see by Lisa's obvious wig and pale skin that she had cancer. So she couldn't help but wonder why a man like Lloyd, handsome and tall would ever marry a cancer patient. Lloyd was good-looking but didn't look particularly wealthy, so she felt that perhaps it was a financial move. Lloyd and Lisa would wait at this waiting hall for over an hour, and the woman still hadn't signed their documents. So Lloyd decided to confront her. "Is something the matter?, my wife and I have been waiting for over an hour, yet you haven't signed the documents" asked Lloyd. Despite being a public servant she'd worked here too long to care for the needs of these couples. she worked at her own time, not theirs. "Sir, I'll let you know when the document is signed, I'm busy, go sit down" she said rudely. Lloyd could see that only thing she was busy doing, was eating some chips while watching a movie. "Ma'am, with all due respect, you're not doing anything here, just sign our documents so we can leave" And at that moment, the manager became visibly angry. "I work on my own fucking time, sir, and if you don't go back to your seat, I'll see to it you and your wife never get married!" she yelled, furious that Lloyd had demanded anything from her. "I'll sign it when I'm ready" she added, before going back to her movie. Lloyd said no more words… He simply looked at her desk, she had a name plate on it, “Karen Fingerman” it said. With that, a slight smile would appear on his face as he took out his phone and made a brief call. Barely 5 minutes after this, the manager would burst into the waiting hall where Lisa and Lloyd were staying, holding the signed documents in her hand. “PLEASE FORGIVE ME!” she said as she fell on her knees in front of Lloyd. "Your documents have been signed, I am so sorry to have wasted your time" she said, panting heavily. "I didn't know you knew Mr Kerry, please forgive me" Lloyd could only smile as he grabbed the documents from the frightened woman, and left with Lisa. They were now officially married. "Who is Mr Kerry?" Asked Lisa, confused by the whole situation... "Oh he's no one important" replied Lloyd, smiling mischievously. Mr Kerry Lance was the minister of Civil affairs, a position that Lloyd, as the dragon duke could take away at the snap of his finger. So a simple call to him as expected, gave the branch manager the “motivation” she needed to sign the documents. “So…now that we're officially married, where is the surprise you promised me?” asked Lisa, in a playful, yet excited voice. "Of course, how could I forget" replied Lloyd as he turned to his Lisa. In a flash, before Lisa could react, Lloyd would smack his new wife at the back of the neck, knocking her out immediately.
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Chapter 50 : Identity Compromised
Lisa sat in the back of the taxi, gripping her phone so tightly that her fingers ached.She had called Lloyd’s number five times alreadyeach time, it went straight to voicemail.A sinking feeling lodged itself in her stomach.Where was he?The streetlights of Hilburg flashed by in streaks of yellow and white, but Lisa barely noticed.Her mind was a storm of emotions.Anger at Edgar for his manipulation.Frustration at herself for not knowing what to do.And most of all, fear.Because Lloyd wasn’t answering.Her last conversation with him replayed in her head...the way he had encouraged her to go to dinner with Edgar, how he had seemed distracted, almost distant.Did he already know what Edgar was planning?And if he did… why had he let her walk into it alone?She swallowed, shaking her head.No.Lloyd wasn’t the type to abandon her.Something had to be wrong.The cab pulled into the Francis family estate, the grand mansion looming over her like a silent judge.She paid the driver an
Chapter 49 : Crisis
The Vanilla Palace restaurant was one of the finest in Hilburg, boasting an interior of polished marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and a quiet, refined atmosphere that reeked of wealth and power. It was the kind of place where the elite came to negotiate behind closed doors, to smile while stabbing each other in the back.Lisa sat across from Edgar Numa, her hands resting in her lap as she gazed absently at the elaborate centerpiece of red roses between them. She wasn’t truly present, her mind was elsewhere, back home, worrying about Lloyd.Where was he right now?Was he safe?Did he even know she was here?Edgar, however, was not one to be ignored.He tapped his fingers against the white linen tablecloth, watching Lisa with a growing smirk that didn’t quite reach his cold eyes.“You know, Lisa, I must say… it’s rather rude to accept a dinner invitation only to mentally wander off to another man” Edgar remarked, his voice laced with condescension.Lisa blinked, snapping out of her
Chapter 48 : Poor Man's Assault
The convoy of dark-colored vehicles rolled to a stop in the desolate parking lot on the outskirts of Hilburg. The streetlights overhead flickered weakly, barely illuminating the cracked pavement.The place was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that came before a storm.Logan Wesley stood near the center of it all, shifting his weight impatiently as he checked his watch.The seconds ticked by, and with each passing moment, unease settled deeper in his chest.Jacob was late.That wasn’t supposed to happen.This entire setup was built on precision... on Jacob following the script, bringing Simon Harland to the designated meeting point. But as Logan scanned the vehicles and the men that had arrived, he saw no sign of the man Morty was after.His stomach twisted with unease.Something was wrong.The door of a nearby SUV creaked open, and Jacob finally emerged. His pace was slow, deliberate, a smug grin resting on his face as he walked toward Logan.Logan wasted no time, storming up to m
Chapter 47 : Police Prep
Morty walked through the corridors of the Hilburg Police Department, his boots echoing against the tiled floor. The familiar scent of gun oil and cold steel filled his nose as he stepped into the department’s armory. Rows of shelves lined the walls, stocked with rifles, shotguns, body armor, and crates of ammunition.He ran his fingers over the cool metal of an assault rifle, his mind racing. This wasn’t just another operation... this was the culmination of weeks of frustration, dead ends, and mounting pressure from his father.Camren’s death had triggered a chain of events that had shaken the city’s underworld, and at the center of it all was a ghost... Simon Harland.A ghost that Morty was finally going to drag into the light.His fingers clenched into fists at the thought.The Draguns had been slippery, always one step ahead, but not this time, not with Logan feeding him information from the inside.Morty turned to one of the officers standing near the racks."How much do we hav
Chapter 46 : Gangsters Prep
The Grimshade Bar was one of the few places in Hilburg that seemed untouched by time.The dim lighting cast long shadows against the wooden walls, the scent of old whiskey and cigar smoke lingering in the air. It was quiet tonight, being in the darker parts of the city, it usually was, but tonight it seemed even more soAt a secluded booth near the back, Lloyd, Ivan, and Jacob sat across from each other.A bottle of whiskey sat at the center of the table, untouched.For once, none of them were in the mood to drink.Jacob leaned back against the booth, arms crossed, a small smirk playing at his lips.“I gotta say” Jacob began, “I didn’t think you’d trust me enough to bring me here, Lloyd”Lloyd, who had been idly spinning a glass between his fingers, gave Jacob a knowing look. “It’s not about trust... It’s about necessity”Jacob chuckled. “Still, It means something”Ivan, however, wasn’t as relaxedhis piercing blue eyes were sharp, locked onto the table as if he were staring through
Chapter 45 : Danger Encroaching
The evening air was crisp against Lisa's skin, as sbe stepped out of the towering Francis Steel office building, her heels clicking softly against the pavement. The long day had left her exhausted, the endless meetings, negotiations, and paperwork.She didn't even know what she was doing half the time.."I thought it was dad's job to take care of this?"She grumbled All she wanted was to go home, take a warm shower, and curl up in bed with Lloyd.But the moment she stepped onto the sidewalk, her plans were interrupted.“Lisa” a smooth, familiar voice called.She stopped in her tracks, exhaling sharply before turning to see Edgar Numa standing near a sleek black luxury car, a bouquet of red roses in his hands.Lisa’s expression immediately hardened. “What the hell are you doing here?”Edgar smirked, stepping forward, his perfectly tailored navy-blue suit barely wrinkling as he moved.“Is that any way to greet an old friend?” he asked smoothly, extending the flowers toward her.Lisa d
