Elsewhere, not far from the packhouse, another group stood in confusion.
"Who were those people on the roof?" one of the attackers growled. He was the leader of the group that had attacked from the front.
His voice was tense with fury.
"We were the ones assigned to rescue the boss, and now he’s been abducted by unknown men!"
His fists clenched, and the rest of the group stood in stunned silence, realizing they had been outplayed by someone faster, someone far more powerful—and completely unexpected.
Tensions remained thick in the air. The fury and confusion etched across the faces of Elijah Simons’s men said it all. They paced anxiously, whispering among themselves, anger burning in their eyes.
"Did anyone get any clue about them? Anything at all?" the leader barked, his voice seething with rage.
One of the men stepped forward hesitantly. "Boss, I think they escaped through the south. That part of the map leads to an airport. They might have had a flight waiting."
The leader’s eyes flared. "That’s true... Everyone move! We’re going after them now. We can’t let the boss stay in the hands of strangers!"
They all scrambled into their vehicles, engines roaring as they sped down the road. Within ten minutes, they arrived at the airport. The place was eerily quiet, but signs of activity confirmed someone had been there recently. As the leader scanned the area, something caught his eye.
He crouched to pick up a familiar object—Elijah Simons’s wristwatch. His jaw clenched.
"Damn it! These people are professionals. They knew there could be a communication device hidden in this watch. And look... they stripped him of his clothes too. No wonder we couldn’t trace him!"
"Boss!" another shouted, pointing to a black car parked nearby. "There’s a vehicle over there. We might find something!"
Three of the men cautiously approached the car. But before they could get too close, a loud explosion erupted. They dove for cover as the vehicle went up in flames, turning to ash in seconds.
noveldrama Breathing heavily, one of the men turned to their leader. "What do we do now?"
The leader clenched his fists. "Nothing for now. We wait. I don’t think they wanted him dead. They took him for a reason. Let’s head back to the safe house."
The group reluctantly piled back into their vehicles and drove off.
**At the Blue Moon Pack House** Chaos echoed through the walls of the packhouse. Bernard was a storm of fury, pacing the room, his eyes blazing.
"Someone betrayed us! This shouldn’t have happened!" he roared, slamming a hand on the table.
"Bernard, you must calm down," Beta Gilbert said gently, placing a hand on the Alpha’s shoulder. "Letting your emotions lead won’t help. Think clearly—as the Alpha that you are."
Bernard exhaled, gripping the back of a wooden chair before sinking into it. His breaths were heavy, but Gilbert’s words began to sink in.
"From what I observed," Beta Gilbert said, "two different teams attacked us tonight. But they shared one mission—rescuing Elijah Simons. The real question is: why?"
Bernard’s expression darkened. "Two teams. Same goal. Different motives. One may have truly come for Elijah... the other could use him against us. That’s my conclusion. We need to prepare for war."
One of the elders stepped forward, voice shaky. "Alpha... what should we do now?"
"We triple our defenses," Bernard commanded. "Every guard must be alert. Elijah Simons is more dangerous now than ever—like a lion that just escaped death. We must not underestimate him."
Maria stood at a distance, taking in every word. Her heart raced with a flood of emotions—rage, confusion, and disbelief.
How could Elijah Simons escape judgment? she thought bitterly. Do good people really die while the wicked walk free? As the meeting ended, everyone dispersed from the packhouse, hearts heavy and minds restless. The mystery of who had abducted Elijah Simons weighed heavily on them all.
*** Meanwhile, at an Unknown Location, Elijah Simons, still bound hand and foot and blindfolded, was brought before Mr. Frederick.
The blindfold was removed, and Elijah blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes to the dim lighting. He froze when he saw Frederick seated calmly in front of him.
"Welcome, Elijah Simons," Frederick said with a cold smile. "I hope the journey wasn’t too exhausting."
Elijah’s eyes narrowed. "Frederick. Why am I here? Why did your men pull me out of that trial? I don’t consider it a rescue until I know your real motive."
Frederick leaned forward. "Call it what you like, but I brought you here to offer a deal—one I believe will interest you."
Elijah raised an eyebrow. "I’m listening."
"I know your history. Your hands aren’t clean, and I don’t care. What draws me to you is your strength and your hatred. We share a common enemy—Gilbert and his bloodline. I want them to suffer, Elijah. And I believe you do too."
A slow smile formed on Elijah’s face. "Now you’re talking my language. I don’t care what they did to you. As long as we destroy their peace, I’m in."
Frederick smirked. "So... do we have a deal?"
"They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend," Elijah replied. "It’s a pleasure to call you my friend, Frederick. And thank you—for the rescue and the opportunity."
Frederick gestured, and a guard stepped forward to unbind Elijah. Once free, Elijah stretched his arms and rubbed his wrists. The two men exchanged a firm handshake.
Wine was poured, glasses clinked, and laughter filled the room as they shared plans and promises.
"This is going to be interesting," Elijah said, downing his drink. "I can’t wait to see their faces when we strike back."
He laughed darkly, the sound echoing through the room like a storm on the horizon...