Chapter 56 Ambush
Having resolved Mary's loan issues, James wanted to take a few days off to rest.
After all, he had been extremely busy over the past half-month.
He had saved Sophia twice, helped his mother-in-law reclaim her debts, saved Raymond Clark, cured Jacob and Taylor, and now had resolved Patrick's problems.
Although he held the Life Gem and was not physically tired, his spirit still craved relaxation.
However, before he could enjoy a couple of days of rest, Jacob called him, "Good afternoon, James."
Jacob's voice was cheerful. "Are you busy right now?"
James responded indifferently, "What's up?"
"Two things," Jacob cut straight to the point. "First, Anastasia, Stanley, and Hailey won't be troubling you anymore. Second, that bastard Douglas reveals a secret on his deathbed."
Jacob lowered his voice. "He said that the Bell siblings came to Rosewood City with Olivia Lee in their crosshairs, you and Jared Sullivan was just a sideshow."
James' body stiffened as he asked, "Are they after Olivia Lee?"
"That's right." Jacob nodded. "Someone hired the Bell family to come back to Rosewood City, and they were instructed to kill Olivia at all costs. They infiltrated Rosewood City the night you exposed Jared's infertility, and it was then that Nathan Bell received a distress message from Anastasia. So, seizing the moment, Nathan and Hailey rescued Anastasia and her son, believing they could exploit this situation to deal with you and Jared."
Jacob added flatteringly. "Unfortunately, they didn't anticipate your invincibility."
"The Bell family." James's eyes gleamed with a murderous intent. "So, there are two more of them in Rosewood City."
James had thought Nathan and Hailey had come specifically to rescue Anastasia and Stanley Sullivan, not realizing it was merely incidental.
"That's correct," Jacob continued. "Carl and Austin are also here, along with several capable subordinates. They are ruthless, with no bottom line, and they enjoy torturing their victims. The brothers on the street despise them. But you don't need to worry. They won't know that you killed Nathan. Jared will be blamed for the disappearance of Nathan and Hailey."
He reassured with a laugh."And right now, Jared is very well protected, with hundreds of guards and detectives watching over him."
James asked in a calm voice, "Can you locate Austin Bell and the others?"
"Locate them?" Jacob chuckled, then shivered, "James, are you planning to take them out?"
James did not respond.
The Bell siblings had come seeking revenge on him, and whether or not he was the killer, Austin, and the others would eventually come looking for him.
James intended to eliminate them once and for all.
Moreover, since they also planned to target Olivia, he was even more resolved. After all, Olivia was his first confidante.
"Austin and Carl might be despised by both the underworld and the law, but they do have a significant backing," Jacob warned. "Especially Carl. He's incredibly strong and powerful, with a terrifying brute force that could kill a cow with a single punch."
"Approaching them could be dangerous," Jacob warned. "It's not that I question your abilities, James, but these men are desperate and unpredictable. It's not worth the risk to confront them head-on. Just observe from the sidelines. If Carl and his crew decide to target Olivia, they're essentially digging their graves. Olivia might appear to be just a woman, and the WH Group might seem like a legitimate business, but she's actually a ruthless operator. She's been in Rosewood City for nearly a decade, rising from an unknown entity to a key player. How could she have achieved that without exceptional skills? I've encountered many people, but Olivia is one I can't figure out. She's incredibly cunning."
Jacob concluded. "The Bell siblings will undoubtedly face a tough challenge in their attempt to eliminate Olivia Lee."James was somewhat surprised by Olivia Lee's background but still expressed concern.
If Jacob had been aware of Olivia's strength, the Bell siblings must have been, too, and they wouldn't have taken the job unless they believed they had a chance of succeeding.
Who would knowingly walk into a death trap?
After hanging up, James hailed a cab and directed the driver to head straight for the WH Group.
At the same time, he called Olivia, and her familiar, teasing voice came through the phone.
Olivia asked, "James, what brings you to call me today?"
She teased him, "Missing me already."
Relieved to hear she was fine, James asked, "Where are you now?"
"I'm just passing the eastern peak of Cloud Top Mountain." Olivia chuckled. "I just visited the old town area, scouting locations for your new clinic. You lucky dog. I found a perfect spot. I'll pick you up tomorrow to take a look. If you like it, we can finalize the deal. Renovations could take up to two months, but then you'll be ready to open."
Her tone held a hint of excitement as if she were the one opening the clinic.
Her consideration touched James on such a hot day.
Then he remembered the urgent news.
James said, "Let's talk about the clinic another time. I called because I've received some intelligence. Someone is targeting you, hiring the Bell siblings to go after you. Be very careful."
He didn't want anything to happen to her.
"Come after me? The Bell siblings? The Bell family?" Olivia Lee appeared slightly taken aback. "Aren't they gunning for you and Jared Sullivan?"
James wasn't surprised to learn that Olivia Lee was aware he had dealt with Nathan Bell.
Olivia said, "It's merely a diversion. Their real goal is you."
Olivia Lee fell silent, then sighed. "It seems I was careless, but no worries, just a few minor characters."
James insisted. "You must be careful."
Olivia said, "Don't worry."
Olivia laughed. "I've already called my cousin Savannah Garcia over. She's the head of security for my group."
Before she could finish, James heard a loud explosion through the phone, followed by gunfire and the whizzing of sharp objects.
Several screams followed.
"Olivia, what's happening?" James's heart skipped a beat. "What's going on?"
Olivia Lee did not respond; it was just static, as if the signal was being jammed.
James tried calling several more times, but the phone wouldn't connect.
Sweating profusely, he handed the cab driver all the money he had on him.
James commanded, "Sir, head to Cloud Top Mountain, specifically the eastern peak, and make it swift."
A thousand dollars was indeed a substantial sum, but the moment 'Cloud Top Mountain' escaped James' lips, the driver abruptly hit the brakes.
The car screeched to a halt at the roadside.
The driver shook his head. "I'm not going!"
James was taken aback, then tossed another thousand dollars at him. "Please, hurry up."
"Sorry, even for ten thousand dollars, I won't go to Cloud Top Mountain."
The driver threw the money back at James, then opened the door and told him to get out.
James reluctantly climbed out of the cab.
Then, in a state of frantic desperation, he attempted to flag down several more taxis.
The drivers' eyes widened at the sight of a thousand dollars, but without exception, they all sped off the moment they learned the destination was Cloud Top Mountain.
After the same reaction from five cabs, James muttered a curse under his breath.
"James, James, are you waiting for a ride here?"
Just then, an old Mercedes pulled up beside James. The window rolled down to reveal Samuel's chubby, smiling face.
James was surprised and then flung open the door. "To Cloud Top Mountain."
"Cloud Top Mountain?"
A shiver ran through Samuel. Then he pressed down on the gas. "Alright."
With that, Samuel hit the accelerator, sending the vehicle speeding into the twilight, bound for Cloud Top Mountain.
The car moved quickly, and in about ten minutes, the Mercedes was at the eastern peak of Cloud Top Mountain.
However, Samuel took a back road, driving up a long-neglected winding mountain road, quickly reaching the middle of the mountain.
To get to the base of the eastern peak, they would have to circle down two loops.
"Stop!" At a turn, James suddenly yelled for Samuel to stop driving and jumped out of the car.
He stepped onto a protruding tree trunk, focusing his gaze down the cliff.
He had just heard a faint gunshot.
His instincts told him it was where Olivia was being attacked.
From here, the base of the mountain was still over a hundred feet away, and the view was not clear, obscured by tree leaves, but James could still make out car lights.
Just as James was attempting to get a clearer view, Samuel rushed up and exclaimed, "James, what's going on?"
Samuel's right foot had just stepped onto the tree trunk when it snapped with a crack.
James plummeted down.
James fell through the air, flailing and screaming.
His survival instincts kicked in, and he frantically grasped for something to hold onto. Halfway down, his right hand caught a piece of rock, but it couldn't bear his weight and snapped off with a crack.
Accompanied by a shower of dirt and stones, James continued to fall, screaming as he plummeted toward the cliff below.
At the mountainside, a group of men dressed in black surrounded a Lincoln car.
Hearing the noise, the men instinctively looked up.
The next second, James crashed into a middle-aged man like a cannonball, creating a thunderous noise.
The man fell to the ground in agony, his head bloody, bones broken, and his mouth filled with blood.
Dust and stones flew around, covering the six men in the dirt as they beat the dust off their faces and retreated.
The middle-aged man regained his senses and glared at James in anger. "You bastard!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
