“You have to understand, I have nothing to do with it,” John said.

Panic began to set in.

He hadn’t eaten in weeks—only water. His captor made sure of that. No food until he gave him what he wanted. And what Kelvin wanted was the name of the man directly responsible for his mother’s death—the mastermind behind everything.

“The person assigned to find Mrs Phidous is already dead,” John continued quickly, as if reading Kelvin’s thoughts. “Our boss took care of him for failing the mission. He was supposed to bring Mrs Phidous back to the country with the boss’s missing brother, but something went wrong. I swear, I don’t know what.”

Kelvin was about to respond when the sharp slam of a car door echoed outside.

He moved instantly.

Picking up his binoculars, he peered through the window at the building opposite the one they occupied.

Two men.

They were heading toward the building where Kelvin had originally found John.

His instincts had warned him days ago. That was why he’d bought another property directly across from John’s. A better vantage point. A trap within a trap.

Looks like the precaution paid off.

He watched as the men knocked. When no one answered, they picked the lock and entered—guns drawn, movements precise.

When they disappeared inside, Kelvin lowered the binoculars and turned slowly to John.

“Who are those men at your fake house?”

John swallowed. “They’re from my clan. Our leader must’ve sent them to check on me.”

A pause.

“They must have sensed something. You have to let me go. I swear I didn’t play a part in Mrs Phidous’s death. You have to believe me.”

“Oh, I believe you,” Kelvin said calmly.

John blinked.

“But you’re still part of that clan. And I need everything I can dig up about them if I’m going to find her killer.”

“Were you even listening to me?” John snapped. “I just told you the one behind it is dead. So why not give up? Who is Mrs Phidous to you anyway?”

Kelvin’s expression hardened.

“That is none of your business. I ask the questions—not you.”

He stepped closer and pressed the gun against John’s temple.

“I’m not the one tied to a chair,” he said coldly. “You are. So stop asking questions before I blow your head off.”

John smirked weakly.

“You wouldn’t do that with my people close by.”

Kelvin’s lips curved slightly.

Without breaking eye contact, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a silencer, and screwed it onto the barrel.

“How about now?”

***

Across the street, the two men moved through the darkened house.

It was pitch black.

Silent.

Unused.

Nothing disturbed. No dust shifted. No signs of struggle.

Kelvin had made sure of that. He covered every track. Every angle. The operation bore the mark of a man who had done this before—abductions, clean exits, vanishing without a trace.

Meticulous. Controlled. Ruthless.

One of the men picked up a phone and made a call, unaware they were being watched.

“Boss, he’s not here,” the man said, pressing the phone to his ear.

From his laptop screen, Kelvin watched the man nod, listen, then end the call.

Moments later, both men exited the building and drove off into the night.

Kelvin closed the laptop.

Silence settled.

He looked back at John.

“They’re gone,” Kelvin said. “You were good at comporting yourself. If you’d screamed, that would’ve been the end for you.”

John let out a slow breath. “I’m not stupid. I knew that.”

Kelvin stood.

“I think you need to sleep.”

John laughed bitterly. “How the hell do you expect me to sleep when I’m starving?”

Kelvin studied him for a long moment.

Then he reached into his bag, pulled out a drink pouch, and inserted a straw. He dragged a chair forward and sat directly in front of John.

He lifted the straw to John’s cracked lips.

“Here,” Kelvin said quietly. “Drink.”

John stared blankly at Kelvin. He wondered, who is this man? With all his cold attitude, he seems to be a good guy.

_

A/N: Sorry, gentle reader, for this chapter being brief. I believed the ending was better served by keeping it that way. Please, if you're enjoying the story so far, remember to leave a comment or vote. Thank you.