Somewhere else the emotions were very different.
During the ride toward the police station there was silence between them, not even a single word.
Hector couldn’t shake that feeling off, he literally smiled the whole ride.
And they finally arrived at the police station.
People passing by stared in shock at the convoy, trying to figure out who was inside the limousines and SUVs.
Some even took out their phones to take pictures and videos, but the moment heavily armed men stepped out, followed by James in his mafia attire, the crowd quickly put their phones away and hurried off.
They knew this wasn’t a government escort, it was something far worse.
"Give me a gun." James said.
Hector didn’t hesitate. He pulled out a pistol and handed it to James, who didn’t bother to conceal it. Instead, he walked straight into the building, weapon in hand.
Hector was at his side, and behind them, the entire security detail followed, fingers hovering over their triggers.
The metal detectors beeped as they walked through, causing the nearby officers to freeze in confusion. Before they could react, assault rifles were aimed at them.
No one dared to stop them. No one dared to question them.
James headed straight for the elevator, but it required a keycard to operate.
He glanced at an officer, and without a word, the man quickly tapped his card to grant access.
"How kind of you…" James said with a smirk as he stepped into the elevator, selecting the top floor where the office was.
The ride up was strangely calm, James, Hector, and six bodyguards stood in silence while soft elevator music played in the background.
A strange contrast to the violence they were about to unleash.
The elevator doors slid open, and as they stepped out, every eye in the office turned to them. The whole floor suddenly fell into complete silence, but James didn’t care.
His focus was on the door at the end of the hallway, the one with the nameplate he was looking for.
Before he could take another step, a detective, braver than the rest, moved to block his path.
"Y-You are not permitted to enter with a weapon." His hand slid toward his gun. "I have to ask you to put it down and—"
James slowly tilted his head, giving the officer a look of surprise.
"Oh? I’m not permitted?" He glanced down at the gun in his hand as if just now noticing it. "Must’ve missed the sign on the way in."
The officer’s fingers twitched near his holster.
James sighed dramatically and shook his head. "Tell you what, how about I promise not to shoot anyone... unless absolutely necessary? That work for you?"
Hector coughed, barely holding back a laugh.
Then the officer noticed something far worse, a dozen heavily armed men were making their way up the stairs, weapons in hand.
James smirked. "Alright, let’s skip the part where you pretend to be brave and just get the fuck out of my way."
The officer didn’t need to hear it twice. He quickly stepped aside.
"Thank you." James said smoothly before continuing toward the door.
When they reached it, he knocked politely and waited politely.
After a few seconds an officer opened the door.
James stepped inside, and was met with an unexpected sight.
It wasn’t just the police chief sitting behind his desk.
The Justice Minister was there too, along with other men, and the female officer that let him in. The room went tense as everyone realized that James Bellini had walked in with a gun casually in his hands, and smiling.
James glanced across the room until his gaze landed on Linda, sitting at the table with her nose bandaged.
His smile grew wider, but it wasn’t exactly friendly.
"Oh, did you fall?" He asked, with a smile.
Linda, already shaking, hesitated before answering. "Yeah... from the stairs…"
James’s smile only widened as he leaned slightly toward her "And your nose broke?"
She nodded slowly, avoiding his gaze.
James gave a low chuckle. "I hope you’ll get well soon, but can I ask what the fuck you’re doing here? Because, by the looks of that nose, it’s barely been an hour since it broke."
"Who are you to question a minister?" The chief stood up from his seat. "Do you think you can intimidate us?"
James narrowed his eyes at the chief. "Why are you being rude? You know, people usually introduce themselves first."
"I know exactly who the fuck you are, Bellini. A piece of shit, that’s what you are. A pile of shit who thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants in my city."
The chief let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "You’re not in a position to give orders, Bellini." Then he looked at the woman. "And don’t forget that you almost died…do it arrest him!"
The officer got his gun out and pointed at James head and with the other hand she pulled out the handcuff.
"Put the gun down and put your hands behind your back!" She ordered.
James tilted his head slightly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, but his eyes were still on the chief.
"Almost killed me, are you proud of that? Are you proud that more than thirty officers died?" He laughed "One of my man told me that they actually tried to surrender." He shook his head. "And they got executed one by one…"
"Arrest him!" Chief shouted.
James eyes flickered back to the officer.
"You must be feeling real brave." He said, his voice almost amused. "Pointing a gun at me."
The officer swallowed hard, her finger twitching near the trigger.
"Come on." James leaned in just slightly, the barrel pressed against his forehead. "Or is that hand of yours shaking because you already know what happens next?"
"Nobody is afraid from you." The chief said.
James chuckled. "Oh, I don’t think so."
And suddenly he grabbed the officer’s gun pushing it more to his forehead.
"Go ahead. Shoot!" James shouted at her, his voice echoing in the room.
The offcier hesitated, her finger trembling as it hovered over the trigger.
"Do it, you fucking bitch!" James screamed, his eyes never leaving hers, daring her to act.
Her hand shook violently, her finger hovering on the trigger, caught between duty and fear. James didn’t flinch, his cold eyes locked onto hers as the pressure in the room seemed to tighten with every passing second.
"Come on!" James taunted, his voice dripping with menace. "You’ve got the power right there. Don’t be a coward."
He pressed the gun even harder against his forehead.
Hector stood frozen, no clue what to do, as the guards did the same.
"Don’t be a bitch and shoot me!" James shouted again.
"Put down the weapon!" The men stood up, none other than the ISB director himself, Stephen Larky.
"Don’t listen to him! You have the chance to end it all, to kill James Bellini, do it pull the trigger!" James shouted at her again.
Her breath was ragged, she couldn’t process what was happening, her mind locked in fear.
"I-I can’t." She lowered the gun, her hand trembling.
But James wasn’t done, he pointed his gun at the officer.
"I asked you to pull the trigger." Then he looked at the chief. "What is this if not fear?"
The chief took a step forward, but James pressed to gun to the officer head.
"One more step." James warned "and she dies before you even blink."
The chief froze, his eyes darting between James and his officer. "You’re a monster."
"No." He glanced at the woman, then back at him. "I’m just giving you a choice. You claim to value your officers, but are you willing to sacrifice yourself for one?"
The officer let out a choked sob. "P-please…" she whispered.
James pressed the barrel of his gun more to her head, while he looked at her eyes.
"Do you believe in your chief enough to die for him?"
Her breath came in sharp, ragged gasps, her whole body trembled.
"This isn’t about her. Whatever you want, take me. Just let her go." The chief’s heart pounded as he said it.
James chuckled, low and cruel. "That’s sweet, chief. But it doesn’t answer my question." He tilted his head, pressing the barrel harder against her forehead. "Do you believe in your chief enough to die for him?"
Tears welled in her eyes as she squeezed them shut.
She didn’t want to die. Not .
James sighed in disappointment. "That’s what I thought."
His finger tightened on the trigger.
"I’ll do it! Whatever it is you want, I’ll do it. Just don’t hurt her." The chief shouted.
James paused, his gaze flicking toward the chief.
"Open your mouth." James said to the her and she did.
He then put the gun barrel into her mouth.
"Are you ready to die sweetheart?"