Chapter 63 Before Dawn
On the street diagonally across from the main entrance of Velvet Sky Club, Alexander watched the customers leaving en masse, spurred by the gunshot, and quickly turned to Eric. "I'm going in. You stand guard at the door."
Eric frowned. "Let's go together."
"No need." Alexander replied, stripping off his coat and preparing to wear it inside out. "It's chaos inside right now. Even if we find him, taking action will be tricky. I'll scout for information and come right back."
Eric gave a reluctant nod. "I'll wait nearby. If things go south, you shoot first, and I'll cover you."
"Got it." After donning his coat inside out, Alexander glanced around warily before stepping onto the road.
At that moment, footsteps approached. Someone nearby was on the phone, saying, “Something happened at the store. I'm going back to check it out and will be home soon. Don't worry. Yeah… I'll take a day off tomorrow. It’s nothing; got a bonus today, and the boss was happy. I’ll take you out later.”
Alexander turned his head sharply toward the voice, his eyes locking onto the man on the phone. The man wore a thick down jacket and sported a short haircut, appearing unfamiliar at first glance. But Alexander’s keen eye recognized him from his pants, build, and body language. It was the same guy in the black jacket who had been conversing with the ponytailed man earlier.
Eric, leveraging his former cop instincts, also recognized the man. Alexander paused, then turned to him. "This makes things easier. No need to go inside anymore."
"I'm on it," Eric responded, quickly moving forward.
The man in the black jacket ended his call and prepared to cross the street back towards the club's main entrance. "Hey, buddy," Eric called out, catching up and patting the man on the shoulder.
The man turned, hostility flaring in his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"
Eric pressed his gun against the man's waist with a cold expression. "Choose your words carefully."
The man stilled, fear flashing in his eyes.
Ten minutes later, in a dank, foul-smelling alley, the man in the black jacket lay on the ground, covering his head and shouting, "Stop hitting me, please stop!"
Alexander, rolling up his sleeves, yelled, "Where's the person?"
"What person? You must have the wrong guy." the man whimpered.
Eric delivered a swift kick to the man’s head. "Where’s Alex?"
"I don’t know!" The man tried to shield himself, but his voice wavered.
Alexander grabbed the man's collar, snarling through gritted teeth, "In the alley by the car, didn't you take the money? You're still lying? Believe me, I'll shove a whole nest of rats down your throat."
The threat broke the man's resolve. "Was it you whose phone rang in the alley?"
"Now you get it." Alexander punched him in the head again. "Where's Alex?!"
"Bro, I'm just the messenger," the man pleaded.
Alexander, his patience exhausted, pushed the man away and raised his right leg, slamming it into the man's left knee with brutal force. A sickening crack echoed through the alley as the bone popped out of place.
Immediately, the alley filled with screams. The man clutched his knee, writhing in pain and shouting, "Stop, stop! I'll talk! The guy who kidnapped him is Joe, a thug from the no-man's land. He works for the Baker family in River State. I don’t know why they targeted Alex, but they might have taken him to North Lincoln."
"Speak clearly!" Eric barked, hands planted firmly on his hips.
"Yes, yes, Alex was taken to North Lincoln. I'm sure; I heard them say it." the young man stammered, no longer daring to argue. His voice trembled with fear as he banged his head on the ground, tears streaming down his face.
Meanwhile, in a dimly lit warehouse on Oak Street, Andrew sat gingerly on the edge of a chair, grinning awkwardly at Coco. "Coco, it's really a misunderstanding. We're here for business, not kidnapping. To be honest, I'm a cop, a legit guy. I wouldn’t do thug work."
Coco let her hair loose, her eyes narrowing. "Are you serious? You didn't seem like a cop in the private room."
"I admit I crossed a line back then, but I did not treat you like a professional..." Andrew’s words trailed off as Coco seized his chin and leaned in close.
"Don't feed me that crap to buy time."
"I'm not," he protested weakly.
"I'm not."
"Tell me the truth, are you here for Alex?" her eyes bored into his.
"We're really not," Andrew insisted, eyes wide. "We're here to make friends. My brother Eric's big brother was killed by the Patricks. Do you think we'd double-cross Alex? There's no profit in that!"
"It doesn't matter who killed Paul; it matters who can make Eric's life better," Coco sneered. "And the Patrick family can make his life very comfortable."
Andrew fell silent, realizing the weight of her words.
"I'll wait until dawn. If your friends don't come back, then you and your foul mouth will stay in River State forever," Coco declared, releasing his chin and turning away. She barked orders to her henchman, "The fact that they took Alex so smoothly suggests there’s an insider in the Club. Find them and deal with them."
"Got it, boss." The driver nodded, hurrying off.
Coco ascended the stairs, leaving Andrew with a sinking feeling. He shivered, recognizing the ruthlessness of a woman who had clawed her way to the top in a world dominated by men.
Back on the street, Alexander pulled the young man aside and asked in a low voice, "How far is North Lincoln from here?"
"Around 10 miles." The young man, limping, responded obsequiously.
Eric frowned. "What are they planning to do with Alex?"
"I don’t know," the young man shook his head. "I don’t pry into these things. Asking too many questions isn’t good for people like me."
"Alex is in danger," Alexander stated bluntly. "That guy with the braids took money in front of Alex, which shows they never intended to let him come back alive."
Eric's heart sank.
"10 miles is too far. We don't have a car, and by the time we get there on foot, it'll be too late." Alexander glanced at his watch. "We need to find a quicker way."
Eric scanned the street, then strode to the entrance of a nearby restaurant. "Is the owner here?"
"What's up?" The owner asked from behind the counter.
"Is the motorcycle out front for sale?" Eric asked.
"Are you crazy? No, it's not for sale," the owner snapped, sitting back down.
Alexander walked in, pulling out a roll of hefty cash. "How about now?"
The owner stared, then smirked. "Add another grand, and it's yours."
Alexander drew his gun, laying it on the counter. "No more cash. How about this?"
The owner paled, leaning back in his chair. "Alright, alright. Take it."
Minutes later, with the cold wind howling, Eric, Alexander, and the young man roared down the street on the small motorcycle, heading straight for North Lincoln.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
