Chapter 38: Time to Hit Back
The next morning came with fear, hope, and quiet determination. Sarah had made it clear, Alex couldn’t just sit and wait anymore. Elliot was out there, possibly in danger, and someone had to do something. She was right. As much as it scared him, Alex knew he had to face Raymond. He couldn’t keep running.
Without calling or sending any message, Alex headed straight to Raymond’s office. He couldn’t bring himself to talk over the phone. He got to the hallway leading to Raymond’s office, and just as he reached the door, he met the secretary. She looked a bit surprised to see him.
"Oh... Mr. Alex," she said, rising from her seat.
"Hi," Alex replied with a soft voice.
"If you’re here to see Mr. Raymond... I’m sorry, but he’s not in," she said, standing in front of the door. "Actually... he hasn’t been in the office for three days now."
Alex’s brows furrowed. Three days? That’s exactly how long they haven’t met. He nodded slowly, muttering a quiet "Thank you" before walking away, deep in thought.
Where could Raymond be? Alex knew he was hardly ever at his main residence. He thought for a moment, and then it hit him: the Gatehouse. That old, quiet place Raymond used to retreat to when he needed silence or to do anything off the radar. It wasn’t really far.
It didn’t take long for him to get there. When he arrived, the gate was slightly ajar. That alone told him someone was inside. He pushed the gate gently and stepped inside.
"Hello?" he called, but no one answered.
He walked inside, slowly and quietly. He didn’t find anybody or hear any voice. So he thought of the safe room, a hidden part of the gatehouse Raymond had once shown him... He decided to check there.
He approached the fridge-like door, stepped inside, descended the stairs, and there they were.
Raymond stood by the far wall, his hands behind his back, staring at something. Right beside him stood a tall, dark-skinned man Alex didn’t recognize at first glance. Broad shoulders. Strong arms. A calm but dangerous presence.
Raymond turned around slowly when he heard the door open.
"Well, well..." he said with a slight smile. "I wasn’t expecting to see you. At least not this soon."
"Yeah..." Alex said, stepping in. "Me neither. But I had no other option... I need your help."
Raymond nodded, walking a little closer. "I figured. But first, how are you? How’s your body?"
"I’m... managing," Alex replied. His voice was low and his body was still sore.
Raymond gave a soft nod, then gestured to the man beside him.
"Meet Zane," he said. "My assistant."
Zane extended a hand, firm and silent.
Alex shook it. "Your assistant?" he asked, surprised. "I’ve never seen him before. Not in the office."
Raymond gave a brief chuckle, that half-smile he was known for. "Not in my office, and certainly not in that line of job."
Alex glanced at Zane again, his eyes squinting slightly. The man had an aura. Quiet strength. The kind of man who didn’t need to talk much to make people listen.
"No way," Alex muttered, piecing the puzzle together in his head. "He’s like... underground? Against the Circle?"
Raymond nodded slowly. "Something like that."
"Wow..." Alex whispered. He turned to Zane, curious now. "So... what exactly do you do?"
Zane tilted his head, smiled faintly, then replied, "Jobs you won’t easily find the right man for."
Alex blinked. The words felt cold, and serious all at once.
Raymond and Zane then turned back to the wall. That’s when Alex noticed the pictures again. He’d seen some of them before, during his previous visits, but now there were more. New additions.
There was a picture of Philip in his sharp suit. Next to him was Rebecca, the woman who’d nearly ruined him.
Then David, the cruel man who tortured Alex after the kidnapping.
And then... his heart skipped.
Elliot.
Alex’s eyes locked on the picture again, and his heart skipped. His voice came out shakier than he intended.
"He’s not supposed to be there..." Alex muttered, stepping forward. "He’s not supposed to be a target."
Raymond, still watching him closely, raised a brow.
"Who? You mean your friend?" he asked with a calm but firm voice.
Alex turned slowly to face him, slightly startled.
"How did you know?"
Raymond didn’t answer right away. He just looked at him. "How I knew he’s the friend you told me about," Raymond said quietly. "And that he’s the one who helped you escape?"
Alex swallowed hard, nodding slowly. "Yeah. Elliot."
"Well, I’ve got plenty on them too," Raymond said.
"Then you know he’s in danger," Alex replied.
Raymond gave a small nod. "And that’s why you’re here," he said. "You’re hoping I can help."
Alex blinked. "You some kind of mind reader now?"
Raymond smirked. "Not exactly. But I know desperation when I see it."
Alex looked down, his voice low. "Well, yeah... I came because I thought maybe you could do something. Anything."
Raymond exhaled and folded his arms. "Do something like what, Alex? What if your friend wasn’t caught? What if nothing’s going on over there?"
Alex flinched. "Nothing’s going on?"
He took a step closer to Raymond, frustrated.
"He hasn’t picked up my calls; no one’s seen him in three days. Three whole days. That’s not a coincidence. Something’s definitely wrong."
Raymond watched him for a long moment in silence, then finally nodded. "Okay," he said. "We’ll look into it."
Alex’s eyes lit up slightly. "Really?"
Raymond walked over to a small control panel hidden behind a shelf. With a swipe and a few taps, a quiet humming sound began. A small screen lit up on the far wall. It displayed what looked like a network of dots, maps, and encrypted signals.
"We’ll see if there’s been any movement," Raymond said. "Any signs of him, or them, near him."
"You can actually find that out?" Alex asked, disbelief written all over his face.
Raymond gave a sideways glance and a small smile. "They’re not the only ones who can watch people, Alex. They’re not the only ones with reach."
Alex was quiet, processing it. "Wow..."
Raymond nodded. "You’ve only seen the tip of it all. The Circle thinks they’ve got a grip on everything. Truth is, we’ve been poking around quietly, building our own shadows. Zane’s one of them."
Alex turned to look at Zane again. The man was quiet, silent as ever, but you could tell he was listening to everything.
"..."
Then Alex asked the question that had been itching at him since he arrived.
"So... what exactly are you guys working on down here?"
Raymond chuckled, "Ah. The young man’s curious now."
He stepped away from the wall and walked slowly toward the center of the room.
"Let me put it this way," Raymond said. "George gave me a blow. Yeah... It may not have hit me the way he wanted, but he still threw the blow."
He looked at Alex now, his eyes filled with something, anger, revenge, maybe both.
"And I intend to hit back, Harder, Louder, And in ways they’ll never see coming."
"..."
"..."