"Someone Dr. William knows?" Albert blinked before smiling and snapping his fingers. "Ah, just like I thought!"

Brandon remained still. Since William had taken care of him for about a year, he knew the kind of person the doctor was. William never liked picking a fight; however, if someone ever mistreated a patient in front of him, he might want to start one. Whenever Norton forced Brandon to fight despite his injuries, William, along with Mika, would yell at the second-in-command of Millennion. Maybe the doctor had once done the same thing out there and offended the wrong person.

"But I wonder who," Albert added. "Another mafia organization?"

"I believe he once rejected a contract from them," Brandon said. "Right now, Dr. William is the most experienced doctor in Necrolyzation Project. All crime organizations will do anything to recruit him."

"Maybe. Let's ask him when he gets back."

Thirty minutes passed; to save fuel, Albert had shut down the car and left the windows open. Most Millennion drivers would try to smoke at such times, but Brandon would only flick the cigarette out the window. If he were in the mood to talk, he'd scold them for polluting the car as well. Albert, however, never smoked anyway, believing it would damage his lungs.

Ten minutes later, the tedium became overwhelming. Nobody talked. No music or news came out of the radio. The howling night breeze was all Brandon felt and heard during the wait. Maybe he'd be better off sleeping... No. One shouldn't fall asleep on a guard duty.

After another tedious minute, he looked at Albert. The driver was playing Snake on his mobile phone. Brandon chuckled; watching the snake's growing body and Albert's attempts to avoid crashing into it cured his boredom.

"Um, what?" Albert shifted his gaze to Brandon. "You wanna play, Sir?"

Brandon grinned when the snake's head collided with the body. A big "Game Over" then appeared on the screen.

"You distracted me!" Albert laughed. "Well, try beating my high score."

Suddenly, Brandon's ears registered some incoming footsteps. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted William and Nancy.

"Maybe next time?" Albert asked, returning his phone to his coat pocket before twisting the car key. The engine came to life with a roar.

William opened the door, allowing Nancy to enter the car first before following behind her. "What are you two talking about?"

"Playing a mobile game, Doc," Albert replied. "I was just thinking of letting Brandon play Snake and break my record. Then you came."

"Seems like I spoiled the fun." William laughed, sitting down and closing the door. As the car began to move, he told Brandon, "You've been a big help, Sir. Thanks to you, I was able to get help for my niece quickly. I still have to take her to the psychiatrist regularly, but she'll get better soon." Beside him, a lethargic Nancy only nodded slightly.

Brandon nodded. "I'm just doing my job."

"People say you're a friend they can count on. Guess they're right." William leaned against the seat and placed his hands behind his head. "You lost your leg when protecting your friend last year, didn't you?"

Brandon nodded. He didn't feel like sharing the details, though, because Albert would surely point out his so-called stupidity that time.

"His treasonous friend, to be exact. It was the craziest thing in this world," Albert spoke for him. "He was betrayed and killed by his best friend. Then he came back to life...to forgive him." Albert shrugged. "If I were Mr. Brandon, I'd just kill that bastard. Or better, I'd just report him to the higher-ups before he betrayed me."

Brandon sighed. There he goes.

"What?" William quirked an eyebrow, leaning forward. He poked his head through the space between Brandon's and Albert's seat. "You mean, Mr. Brandon already knew Harry would betray and kill him?"

"You don't know about that?"

William shook his head. "He never told me anything about it."

"He never told me either. I just heard it from some senior enforcers." Albert steered the wheel. "Well, he never really reacted to it. People guessed he had no proof, but considering how good he was with the boss, I thought he wouldn't need any."

Glaring at Albert, Brandon growled, "Harry was just a man consumed by ambition and greed. He can be a good man again if he's given the chance."

"Sir, this is a cruel world. There's no place for such an unconditional love. Your life would've been much better if-"

"You're wrong, Mr. Albert," William interrupted, his tone remained calm. "This world would be much better if there were more people like Mr. Brandon."

"I bet there were people who tried to be, but they just couldn't survive."

Although Brandon preferred William's opinion, he simply began, "Doc, Mr. Norton wants to see you at the trailer."

"Can't believe that I've almost forgotten about that! Well, Doc, we now know that the second-in-command of the case might be a green-skinned giant. Mr. Norton said you knew him."

"I knew this green-skinned giant?" William pulled away and shrugged. "Who's that anyway?"

"Maybe someone you once offended?"

"I don't think so." William scratched his head. "Well, admittedly, I did reject the contracts from two other crime organizations, but that was last year. I can't believe that they're still that desperate after a year."

"It's possible," Brandon told William. "Maybe after a year of searching, they still can't find someone as good as you."

"By the way, whose contracts have you rejected?" Albert asked.

"The Corsione's and the Lazaro's."

===

As Brandon entered the trailer with William and Nancy behind him, he saw Norton. The fat old man sat at the desk, shifting his gaze from his laptop to Brandon.

From the steel bench across the desk, Mika walked towards Nancy. Nobody except Brandon seemed to notice her forced smile. "Let's wait outside." She held the little girl's hand. "Mr. Norton has something private to discuss with Brandon and Dr. William." Nancy only looked at her, confused, so she added, "It won't take too long."

William patted Nancy's back. "Just wait for Uncle."

After receiving a reassuring smile from Brandon, the girl finally left the trailer with Mika.

Once the girls closed the door, Norton began sternly, "Dr. William, can you guess why I'm telling your niece to leave?"

Together with Brandon, William approached Norton. "I have no clue, Sir."

Norton moved the laptop's mouse, turning the 3D pipe animation into a blue screen with his name and an empty textbox. He typed something into the white field and pressed the Enter key on the keyboard. "You'll know why in a few seconds. Let me show you who is the second-in-command of these people."

The two images that replaced the fading blue screen brought about widened eyes. The first picture showed a green-skinned giant on the porch of a mountainside villa. He had a scar and a dent on the right side of his hairless head. When Brandon looked closer at the picture, he noticed a bulge on the necrolyzer's stomach and a coiled whip strapped to the right side of his belt. The second picture showed Bernard's empty grave on the town's cemetery.

"No!" William wailed, slowly falling to his knees. His arms prevented his face and body from hitting the metallic ground. "My poor brother..." His hands balled into fists. "What has he become?"

No Millennion man may hurt the higher-ups in the organization, but this time, Brandon might want to break that rule. He put down his hatchet on the table and eyed Norton's movements closely.

"See for yourself." Norton stood up and reached out his hand to seize William by the back of his collar. Brandon caught Norton's arm and pulled it back. "Let me go, Brandon." The old man stared at him. "He must've necrolyzed his own brother."

Brandon returned the glare. "Proof?"

"Someone must've fed Dr. Bernard some serum before he died. This means Dr. Bernard received some serum in the ICU." Norton turned to William. "There had to be a collaborator with the nurses. The ICU visitors are the main suspects, especially those who know about necrolyzation."

"Get the CCTV footage from the ICU first. And study the ownership of the villa."

"The villa is ours, and we're still waiting for someone to buy it," Norton groused. "But as if that'll happen! Nobody is interested in passing the notorious West District just to reach that place. That information doesn't help much, does it?"

"Doesn't mean that you have the right to deem someone guilty that fast."

Norton glared at William. "All right, Doc. You may leave now, but under the guards' surveillance. Tell the kids to stay outside until I come out." Brandon released his hand, allowing him to cross his arms over his chest. "However, when I call you tomorrow, you have to come to the chairman's office ASAP. We may have found something that may just prove your innocence."

William stood up, revealing his tear-stained cheeks. "Y-yes, Sir." He limped past Norton and towards the exit door. "Thank you."

Once the doctor left, Norton grumbled, "Forget about the past and friendship, Brandon. They won't do you any good here."

"As I've said, you don't have the right to deem someone guilty that fast. Besides, Dr. Bernard wouldn't kill his own family like that. Another organization must be involved, and maybe they killed the Rutherford family because Dr. Bernard was being rebellious."

"It doesn't matter," Norton argued back, casting a cold glare at Brandon, "because you're sure to do something stupid when it's proven that Dr. William is guilty. You always bring friendship into consideration."

The old man was likely referring to the incident with Harry. Honestly, Norton was the foolish one, because only through love and forgiveness did the treasonous Harry become Brandon's best friend again. Too bad that Harry died shortly after crying and apologizing to Brandon, depriving him of the chance to atone for his crimes.

"Let me tell you. You'll someday learn that you can't be that noble forever." After a long pause, he continued, "By the way, I don't think we can just rely on the CCTV footage. The culprit has some serum, so there seems to be something suspicious in our lab."

"It can also come from other crime organizations."

"Yes, but it's a horrible idea to spy on another organization's lab. Uninvited guests are no more than fish food in the underworld." Norton's glare faded. "Go check our research facility tomorrow, Brandon. That's the best for you."

"About the CCTV footage?"

"Biscoe and I will send some men to get it. Just go to the lab. Also, before searching, do visit Dr. Douglas or any of his teammates." When Brandon quirked an eyebrow, Norton explained, "You need something to replace your lost guns, don't you?"

Brandon nodded.

Pointing at the hatchet on the desk, Norton snickered. "That little hatchet won't help much against bigger necrolyzed monsters. Well, Biscoe has ordered Dr. Douglas' team to create something for you. The Bonehacker should be done at 10AM tomorrow."

"Bonehacker?"

"A big axe made from the bones of necrolyzed beings. I heard they'd reinforce it with alloy to prevent the bone from disintegrating, but whatever they'd do, this weapon lets you wreak havoc without having to worry about ammo."

===

Thoughts of William proven guilty and Nancy's future haunted him throughout the night. After that, the poor little girl woke up a few times and wailed, claiming that she had nightmares about being chased by hellhounds. Those gave him a bloodshot eye and a sleepy face.

Luckily, this morning began with good news, which energized him. When Zach removed his bandage, he could see that most of his wounds had healed without any scars. Only a few remained, but they were nothing more than bruises.

When he set off to the lab with Albert, though, he had to look away from Mika and Nancy. Mika waved her hand at him as his van moved away from the parking basement, while Nancy only cried in Mika's embrace. He wished he could stay at home and accompany the little girls, but he had a task to carry out.

After about an hour inside the van, Brandon saw a wide three-story building in the distance. A group of people ran out of the research facility, with some of them heading to their own car and preparing to leave the area.

"Stop here!" he commanded. Albert looked at him funny, but he only pointed at the chaotic situation ahead of them.

A large explosion of glass and rubble came from the side of the building. A silhouette of something as huge as a truck stood there, a pair of gleaming red orbs acting as its headlights.

The dust cleared completely, revealing a giant dog with a dead man between its teeth. Blood stained its black fur and the blades along its back, telling Brandon that it had just cut a swath through the workers within the building. Its claws, broad like the blade of an axe, looked as though they could fell a row of street lights in a single swipe.

After swallowing the corpse, the beast began its hunt for a new prey. Unless Brandon lent a hand, any scientists who couldn't run fast would end up as mincemeat. Or dog food, if the hound didn't care about its inactive digestive tract.

Brandon opened the car door and dashed out. He rushed towards the beast, his hand ready to draw his hatchet. He ran even faster when he saw the dog running after a chubby scientist. Unfortunately, the man in white coat tripped over a slab of concrete and fell. No matter how fast Brandon ran, he would never make it in time.

He stopped in his tracks and whistled at the dog.

The beast pulled away from the scientist and howled. Brandon whistled again, drawing the dog's attention to him. With the hound's eyes fixed at him, he waggled a finger.

The dog roared at the gesture and charged at Brandon with its mouth wide open. Hatchet drawn, he lunged at his incoming foe and dodged its mighty bite with a huge leap.

When Brandon positioned himself to land on the dog's snout, the blades on the beast's back tore themselves free from its flesh and hurtled towards him.

A swing. Another swing. Yet another swing. Crack! The third time he deflected the knife-like projectile, the hatchet's head left its handle. Damn. He could neither harm the beast nor defend himself now.

Two of the blades hit him. One remained embedded in his stomach, while another whizzed past his right arm and left a bleeding gash. To make things worse, the dog opened its mouth wide and jumped at him.

He went straight into the dog's gaping maw. In his mind's eye, Brandon saw Mika's face, distraught at the news that a giant hellhound had devoured him... No! As he slid down the slippery, pulsating red tube, he pulled the blade out of his stomach. Blood gushed forth from his wound like water out of a broken pipe.

It didn't take more than a minute for him to land on a stable ground - the beast's stomach. Severed body parts lay scattered there, still intact due to the lack of gastric juice. The dog itself would naturally die of infection when they decayed, but Brandon couldn't wait that long. Moreover, he knew the owners of these things. He'd make damn sure that the beast paid for its deed later.

He slashed at the wall of flesh again and again, drenching his own clothes with the splashes of blood. As the gash grew larger and deeper, the surroundings shook harder and harder.

When everything shook so hard that Brandon could barely stand, he plunged the blade as deep as he could and slashed down. Then he squeezed his body into the opening, bathing himself in sticky crimson fluid as he forced his way out.

In a matter of seconds, his body smashed into the concrete under the dog's wounded belly. After rolling away from the beast, he rose to his feet and began running into the research facility.

Inside, he found the mutilated corpses of Millennion scientists and Anti-Necrolyze agents along the ruined hallway. Their blood stained the floor and the wall alike. A lone tear trickled down Brandon's only eye, which he quickly brushed away with a finger. The hell beast would regret what it'd done once he found the Bonehacker.

A set of booming footsteps followed him. Brandon kept running, skipping over mangled bodies and fallen doors while looking at the hanging signs.

Something rattled. Then a deafening boom exploded from behind, followed by a massive shadow looming over him. His pursuer now knew to jump, telling him that staying defenseless would put him in a serious trouble. As he ran, he ripped off a large metallic door in his way. It might work as a shield, although it wouldn't last very long.

At long last, the huge sign "Weapon Engineering Area" appeared in his sight. After running past the doors under the signboard, he scanned the office doors for Douglas' name.

Three doors later, he finally found what he wanted. When he stopped to kick the door open, a colossal paw came down upon him. He blocked the blow with the metallic door, and the makeshift shield became a dented piece of metal. With a roar, he pushed the paw back and sent its owner tumbling.

Inside the office, he discarded the scrap metal in his hand and began searching for his new weapon. As he did, he heard the creaking of a door. It came from the bathroom.

Douglas' voice escaped from the small opening, "It's under my desk, Sir! That thing was too heavy to be moved!" He then slammed the door shut.

When Brandon reached the desk, a loud crash resounded across the room. But he paid more attention at his new weapon than his foe. A single bit axe rested before him; big as a grown-up man, a swing of this thing could easily slice a human in two. Having metallic spikes along the butt of its broad blade, this axe could also act like a mace and wreck someone's skull.

Picking it up, he glared at the incoming dog. The monstrosity returned his stare, blood and saliva dripping down its gaping mouth.

He leaped into the air and dodged the beast's big bite. The dog roared and launched its blades, which he smashed in a swing. When the hound opened its mouth wide to devour him again, Brandon jammed his axe into the dog's snout before flipping away from the snapping jaw.

Landing on the back of the hound's neck, he turned and raised his weapon. And he brought it down. Again. Again. And again. The beast collapsed, bleeding out from the gaping wound on its skull.

Brandon jumped off the dog's motionless body. When he landed on the floor, dizziness struck him. As everything around him spun and blurred, he limped towards the bathroom.

Leaning against the wall beside the bathroom entrance, he knocked on the door. Aside from wanting to thank Douglas for the weapon, he also had a few questions to ask.

The door opened slowly, and Douglas peeked through the opening. Suddenly, he flung the door open, stepped out of the bathroom, and looked at Brandon with widened eyes. "Sir! You look so pale!" His gaze traveled down Brandon's body. "Did you happen to get stabbed by something and then pull that thing out?"

Nodding, Brandon answered in a faint voice, "Thank you for the weapon."

"I'll help you." Douglas took a mobile phone out of his coat pocket and dialed a set of numbers. "Just hang in there. I must tell Boss that you need a transfusion."

Brandon nodded again. "Doc, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Where did this dog come from?"