Chapter 222 Warning
Frank was hanging in there, but now it was all up to his body to bounce back.
The human body’s a wild thing, man. It’s got this crazy ability to fix itself.
In theory, no matter how messed up you get, your body’s got your back.
But if you push it too far, it’s game over for the self-repair gig.
Larry had snagged some medical books that talked about using drugs to kick the body’s organs, cells, and blood into overdrive to speed up the healing process.
“Larry, is Frank gonna be okay? He’s gonna wake up, right?” Amelia asked, her eyes full of hope.
Larry nodded, “He’ll be fine. With me around, he’s not going anywhere. Chill out.”
Amelia felt a wave of relief wash over her with Larry’s reassurance.
After scribbling down a prescription, Larry hung out with Frank at the hospital for half the day.
When lunchtime rolled around, he bounced from the military hospital, telling the docs to keep a close eye on Frank and hit him up if anything went sideways.
Meanwhile, Free was chilling in his office, decked out in his battle gear. Across from him sat a dude in his thirties.
The guy was rocking a spotless suit, had a diamond-shaped face, and short hair. He was tapping his fingers on the table like he owned the place.
“Free, you’re pushing it,” the guy said, sounding all high and mighty.
Free looked at the uninvited guest with a calm face and said, “I have no clue what you’re talking about, Logan.”
The guy was Logan Hernandez, a big shot in Aurora Citadel. He wasn’t military but had mad political clout, almost on par with the Five Great Marshals.
Logan cut to the chase, “Larry’s out. He’s not Black Dragon anymore, not one of the Five Great Marshals. Yet you’re still backing him. Don’t you know a lot of folks want him gone?”
Free stared at Logan and said, “I had no idea. Does Logan want Larry dead? Even though he’s resigned, he’s done a ton for us, guarding the Southwild border for years. He’s the war god of Summer Nation. Even out of service, he’s still a big deal.”
Logan’s face turned dark, and he slammed his hand on the table, “Free, I’m warning you, stay out of Larry’s business. Don’t get yourself in deep, or no one can save you.”
“How dare you.”
Free, with his own fiery temper, snapped back. He stood up and shouted, “Logan, this is Sunset City. Here, I’m the boss.”
“Fine.”
Logan shot Free a cold glare, said nothing more, and walked out.
After Logan left, Free sat back down. Larry’s words from yesterday were still fresh in his mind. He didn’t expect trouble to come knocking so soon.
Logan, a bigwig in the Aurora Citadel government, was the Chief Administrator with a ton of power.
Logan came to warn him to stay out of Larry’s mess.
“Looks like Aurora Citadel’s really going off the rails.”
His face was pretty grim. Not long after Logan left, another visitor showed up.
“Free, you’re a hard guy to catch. I almost got stopped at the door.” A voice full of laughter echoed.
Seeing the visitor in a black coat, black baseball cap, and sunglasses, Free’s face got serious again.
“Alistair, what brings you here?” Free asked, looking at the guy in his office with a serious expression.
The visitor was none other than Alistair, the head honcho of the Five Great Marshals and the Grand Marshal of the Summer Nation, commanding all the armed forces.
Even though he was the top dog in the military, Free still had to follow Alistair’s orders.
But Alistair couldn’t boss around the Black Dragon Army because of its special status. It wasn’t a domestic unit but a border guard force.
The Black Dragon Army only took orders from the Black Dragon.
After the last Black Dragon died in battle, the Black Dragon Army was leaderless until Larry stepped up.
Alistair walked over, plopped down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and looked at the somber Free with a grin, “What, Free doesn’t want me here?”
“Of course not.”
Free’s face softened a bit, and he asked with a smile, “Alistair, you’re a busy guy. What brings you to Sunset City?”
Alistair grinned, "Well, the Sunset City Medical Conference is coming up. The border's chill now, so I snagged a half-month vacay to hit up the event and catch up with some old pals."
Free knew Alistair wasn’t just here for the fun and games.
He kept quiet, just sitting there.
Alistair went on, "By the way, I heard Black Dragon’s not dead and popped up in Sunset City, now playing son-in-law to the Lewis Family. Last night, he even called you to help him out by moving some troops around?"
Free corrected him, "It was to bust up a criminal gang gathering."
"Free, you’re stepping out of line. As the commander of the five major military districts, that’s a job for the local cops. You need to chill and not act on impulse. If this gets looked into, you could be in deep trouble and lose your spot."
Free got it—Alistair was here to chew him out for helping Larry.
Facing Alistair’s grilling, Free said calmly, "Do the cops dare to mess with the Five-State Business Alliance? They’ve got their claws deep into the five provinces with too much corruption. I haven’t dug into it, which is already cutting them some slack."
"Free, times have changed. You need to get with the program."
Alistair dropped his parting shot, grabbed his hat, and bounced.
After he left, Free pulled out his phone and called Larry.
"Where you at?"
"Just left the military hospital. What’s up?"
"Hang tight. I’m coming to see you."
Free hung up, changed into some casual threads, and headed out. Larry waited at the hospital entrance.
About twenty minutes later, a regular business car rolled up. The window slid down, and Free waved, "Hop in."
Larry got in. Free handed him a cigarette.
Larry took it and asked, "What’s the deal?"
Free, looking serious, said, "Had some visitors today."
Larry perked up, "Who?"
"Chief Administrator Logan and Alistair."
Larry smirked. This was no surprise.
Free continued, "They both told me to stay out of your business."
"Got it." Larry nodded, "As expected. Don’t sweat my stuff anymore."
Free was confused, "What I don’t get is, they didn’t mess with you before you quit. Why start now?"
Larry glanced at Free, "I really don’t know how you made it to the Five Great Marshals. It’s so simple. Think it over. Once you get it, you’ll understand."
With that, Larry hopped out of the car. Free sat in the back, puffing on his cigarette, mulling over Larry’s words and what Logan and Alistair had said.
He was a soldier, all heart and no politics. He’d never played the game or worried about government stuff. He’d always been about hard work and dedication, giving his all for the nation.
But he wasn’t dumb. With some deep thinking, he could piece it together. He thought about the unique nature of the Black Dragon Army.
The Black Dragon Army was set up thirty years ago, independent and powerful. Each Black Dragon commander inherited this power.
He thought about the death of the previous Black Dragon commander.
Ten years back, the first Black Dragon commander died in battle, and the power dynamics in Summer Nation’s government shifted fast.
Thinking it over, Free got it. Larry was right; he had to pick the right side. And he knew exactly which side Larry meant.
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