“Where the hell do these guys keep crawling out from?”
There’s no end to them. Theo grabbed a gun from the hand of a fallen man beside him. Sticking close to the wall, he peered outside to see men hesitantly on guard.
“What should we do now, Michael?”
Herick asked, catching his breath while leaning against the wall. Michael stood frozen in the middle of the living room. His gaze was fixed on Maria’s portrait, but his vacant expression suggested his mind was elsewhere.
“Choi is okay, right?”
When Herick asked again anxiously, Theo also waited for his answer. But Michael just stared blankly at Maria’s eyes.
“It’ll be faster for me to find and bring him back than waiting for this guy to answer.”
Unable to tolerate the silence any longer, Theo moved along the wall toward the back door, but Michael grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
“What? Let go.”
“Stay put and don’t interfere. You can’t be sacrificed.”
“What nonsense.”
“You can’t take away that important role.”
What is he talking about? Theo barely listened to Michael’s incomprehensible warning and glanced at the back door. Men were lying in ambush beyond the pool and the fence behind it, like predators waiting for prey.
“Then what are you suggesting? Don’t care whether Hyungoh gets shot to pieces?”
“Wait.”
Michael suddenly tilted his head toward the ceiling and closed his eyes. As Theo was mouthing to Herick, wondering what was wrong with him, he noticed men stealthily approaching through the window.
“Look, they’re trying to attack again.”
“…”
“Hey, Ghost!”
When Theo tried to shake off Michael’s hand, he gripped even tighter and wouldn’t let go. His furrowed brow, as if trying to concentrate, was irritating. He’s making a fuss holding onto someone’s arm when he doesn’t even have a plan himself.
The sound of footsteps treading on wet ground grew closer. Herick quickly assumed a defensive stance.
I’m reaching my limit here. They were already getting tired from countless intruders. Herick listened carefully to their persistent footsteps while desperately hoping that Michael had a solution.
“…They’re here.”
When Michael opened his eyes, the chandelier hanging from the ceiling began to shake. Sensing the vibration, Herick and Theo followed his gaze upward.
“What’s that sound?”
“Wait, this is…!”
The subtle vibration that had been irritatingly faint gradually intensified. It was due to the clamorous sound of helicopters.
Branches and dust rushed through the windows due to the strong wind. Herick, who had squeezed his eyes shut then opened them again, noticed the dense shadow cast over the garden.
“FBI! Drop your weapons and get on the ground, now!”
Three helicopters displayed their majestic appearance, intimidating the men positioned outside. The men, who had been in disarray at the unexpected arrival, became even more confused when they saw dozens of police cars that followed.
“FBI?”
Theo asked in disbelief. Herick also spotted the small FBI mark engraved on the side of the helicopter and slightly stepped back.
The Gostin men, who had been attacking fiercely, were helplessly suppressed by personnel and weapons twice their number. Watching the scene in astonishment, Herick and Theo soon faced someone who was leisurely crossing the garden from one of the police cars.
“You…!”
“Long time no see, Theodore.”
Taylor took off his sunglasses and put on an artificial smile.
“Why are you here?”
“I came to help.”
Taylor, who entered the house through a broken window rather than using the undamaged door, vaguely answered while pointing behind himself.
“Are you crazy? Were you FBI?”
“No. I’m just the informant.”
“Informant?”
“Yeah. I heard that there was going to be a gang fight in this area, by chance.”
Finding his nonchalant attitude suspicious, Theo glared at him vigilantly.
“Mr. Scofield.”
A man dressed in a suit stepped in front of Taylor protectively. Theo frowned at his obvious wariness. Judging by the distinct vibe he gives off, he’s definitely FBI.
“It seems ‘he’ isn’t here after all.”
Taylor whispered to the man after looking around. The man nodded and glanced at Theo up and down.
“…FBI Special Agent David Boyer Clemence. I’ll need your cooperation with the investigation.”
The man showed his credentials and took an authoritative approach. As he gestured to call in other agents, Herick, who had been standing at a distance, approached.
“Who’s that?”
“The goody-two-shoes who used to follow Hunter around.”
“And beside him?”
“FBI investigator David something.”
“Hmm.”
David, apparently displeased with Theo’s dismissive tone, deliberately cleared his throat.
What a mess. Herick clicked his tongue. Why would they suddenly decide to launch a mafia clean-up operation now, after leaving them alone all this time?
Herick carefully observed Taylor, who was speaking quietly with David. A straight-laced guy who followed Hunter around. He doesn’t seem to be an internal informant for the organization.
So another figure connected to Hunter has appeared. That man is so unpredictable. Herick turned around to inform Michael of this.
“…Michael?”
The half-open back door was now firmly closed. Did he go alone to look for Choi? With an irritated sigh, Herick tried to approach the back door, but agents who had suddenly spread out around them aimed their guns, telling him to stop.
“It would be safer to move with us, don’t you think?”
Taylor approached with a faint smile. Herick and Theo exchanged looks with dissatisfied expressions. Though their mouths remained shut, much was communicated through their eyes alone.
