Chapter Seventy-four

Chapter Seventy-four
Bryan
"Jonas?"
Kacy and I lowered our guns, seeing Jonas at the door. He's raising his hands in the air. He's wearing a white shirt and jeans. I approached him and gave him a brotherly hug. "Jonas, why are you here?"
"Francis told me you were in trouble, so I came," he replied.
"How about your wife? It's been a long time since we last saw you. You didn't change at all. You just look more mature. I heard you have children; how are they?" I just had so many questions and things to talk about. I might not show it, but I miss this man a lot. He didn't even say goodbye before quitting the team.
"My wife and children are doing well. I don't want to put them in danger; they are the reason why I quit the gang," Jonas said.
"And now you're back? How did you know we're here, by the way?" I asked.
"As I said, Francis told me you're in trouble. That guy reconnected with me through the Internet, and he told me what happened to Denver. I'm sorry. I wasn't even there during his death," he said.
We didn't say anything for a while, then Kacy broke the silence by saying, "Welcome back, Jonas." She shook his hand. "Congratulations on your family. We're so glad that you came to help us."
"That's what friends are for. You two look tense." Jonas looked at the guns we're holding. "Did something happen?"
"No, nothing. We're just preparing," Kacy replied. "We're going to Francis' apartment."
"Okay. Can I go with you?" Jonas asked.
"Sure. Do you have a gun?" I asked.
"Always." Jonas pulled out a handgun from his side and pointed it at me. An unreadable expression appeared on his face. "You always told me to bring one."
"Jonas, what are you doing?" Kacy asked.
"Down!" Jonas exclaimed and pulled the trigger.
I thought I was going to die, but he was actually targeting the man behind us. We dropped low as two more men came out and shot at us.
"What the fuck!" I couldn't help but curse.
Bullets started raining towards us. We hid behind the walls. They are probably using M134 miniguns. It's literally showering hot brass casings from the air. Impossible to dodge if Kacy didn't use her necklace to shield us and lead us to the balcony. We didn't even have the chance to see the faces of the shooters.
We continued outside the gate and got inside Jonas's car. The men didn't stop shooting at us even though we were moving away already.
"That's insane," Kacy said.
"Those are the bad guys; they want to make sure we're dead. That's why they are using high-fire-rate guns," Jonas said, maneuvering the steering wheel.
I gave Jonas the address to Francis' apartment, and we headed there. It was a huge, tall building located in a megacity. We were welcomed by the receptionist and other staff as if they knew we were coming. Then Francis came with his bodyguards. He was wearing a black suit and shades.
We had small talk before proceeding to the penthouse. Francis actually owned the whole building. He said he used his money for this and to build a tech company, one that sells gadgets and sets modern trends in technology.
"Congratulations, man," Jonas said, giving Francis an arm wrestle, their way of greeting each other.
"Bryan told me you need my help. I didn't expect to see you again. I thought that was our last time together. Bonehead might be gone now, but it seems like someone came back to the team," Francis said.
"Let's not talk about Denver; he might come out and haunt us," Jonas replied, sitting down on the white-upholstered couch.
"If only he could haunt the enemies for us." Francis also sat down, then he looked at me and Kacy. "So, what's the agenda for today?"
"Someone wearing a Ghostface mask was trying to kill us. He was the one who killed my grandmother," Kacy replied. "We have a hunch that he's not someone ordinary. He couldn't kill my grandmother just like that."
"Or perhaps he could," Francis added. "Just because your grandmother is a witch doesn't mean she's immortal. Even vampires die."
"You have a point; it's the first time I've heard you say something reasonable." Jonas nudges him.
I cleared my throat. "Our problem is, we don't know anything about him, if he's working for someone, or whatever."
"And that's why you're here, right? Because you want me to investigate? Isn't that your job, boss? You're perfectly capable of gathering intel about the enemy," Francis said, hands on his stomach, legs crossed.
"I'm sorry, but no. This is a different case. We can't infiltrate someone's house when we know nothing about them, and he's dangerous," I said.
"That doesn't sound like you, boss," Jonas said. "The Bryan I used to know was quite impulsive."
"Well, people change, and so do I."
Kacy coughed to get our attention. "So, that's our problem. In order to defeat the enemy, we got to know them first. We can't just strike a stranger, you know; it'll deprive them of their story."
"But sometimes striking a stranger is better than being struck by the stranger first. Just because we don't know them doesn't mean they aren't bad guys. It's kill or be killed," Francis said.
"You've got a point again. So, what do you think we should do?" I asked.
"I think you should wait, stand by, and be prepared. Silence is mystery, and mystery lures people in," Jonas suggested.
"I didn't expect to hear that from you. I'm sure your family doesn't know where you are right now," I said.
"The less they know, the better. Knowing so much will only put them in danger, and most of all, I don't want them to get involved with what I am doing right now. If it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't come back to this team. But I know you need lots of help right now," Jonas said.
"That's right," Kacy said. "Every help is appreciated."
I've never had such a serious talk like this before. It seems like everyone has grown a lot and become more mature. Probably because Denver isn't with us anymore; he was the most playful among us, and his death makes us take our enemies seriously too. We can't afford to let anyone of us die again.