CHAPTER 85 - CULPRIT

“This is close to impossible.” Blurted Spencer.

“There is only one prime suspect, Sir.”

“Who?”

“Luis Norton. He was with me when I created Alka.” Venice answered without any doubt and slowly got up from her position.

“Now the question is, ‘Whom did he used to do this?’ Luis was not allowed to step foot at our HeadQuarters.” She added and looked at Nathan who was looking at the ceiling.

“If there’s a will, there’s a way.” Nathan bumped in, pointing his index finger at the surveillance camera above them.

“Bud, tap with Xieaniel and check all the surveillance cameras and… wait, how many hours will that Alka take to effect?”

“Two to three hours.”

Nathan nodded. “Detect every people the third squad mingled with three hours before the symptoms. Inform the Cadre and Lady Mix regarding this matter and tell them not to eat foods from the imperial kitchen for a while. Leon, team up with Oriana, Kate, and Raith, and investigate the chefs and the whole kitchen including the imperial kitchen.”

“Got it.”

“Copy, Sire.”

“Good.” Nathan then looked at Spencer. “Father, please inform the Elders and take charge of this place.”

“Leave it to me, son.” Spencer answered with a proud smile then tapped Nathan’s shoulder before calling his men to clean the place. Leon and Natsuki went their way as well.

When they all left, Nathan turned back and caught Venice’s worried eyes.

“Please take a rest, Lady. Don’t worry about this. It’s not good for your baby.”

He smiled and glanced at John. “Stay in a safe place and don’t ever leave her side - though I know I don't have to say that.” Nathan chuckled, trying to lift the mood. John only smiled and nodded in response.

“Inform me if there are clues. I don’t want to turn blind eye.” Venice said.

“Of course.”

No one wasted a second and quickly went on their own ways. Nathan fished for his phone and dialed Xieaniel who answered after a few rings.

“Yes, Sire?”

“Lock all the gates. No one is allowed to come in and out.” He commanded with a stern voice.

Xieaniel stood up from his chair in alertness and dashed to his computer.

“Got it, Sire. But what happe-” Xieaniel stopped with a loud buzzing from his door. He quickly looked at the camera and opened the door. “Oh? The Second General is here.”

“He’ll explain everything to you, MG. Secure the gates, I’ll go there as soon as I finish checking something.”

“Ai. Ai.” Xieaniel said playfully and Nathan ended the call. He sighed deeply, thinking of the possible way how Luis successfully killed the whole third squad.

“It’s a big chunk to the forces. Such a loss.” He whispered, washing his face with his two palms in disappointment. “Ash, what should we do?”

Olive had barely finished coaching Oriana when Leon dashed inside the training hall like a bull.

“I’ve been calling you two multiple times, for heaven’s sake!” He bellowed and wrapped his hand to Oriana’s wrist, pulling her with enough force.

“We have an assignment to fulfill.” He bluffed and without any more delay, pulled Oriana out of the hall. She gasped but managed to fish her phone before being completely dragged out.

Olive raised an eyebrow. “Assignment? Why am I not informed?” She whispered, checking her phone. As soon as she saw her twin’s thirty six calls, an unregistered number popped in her screen. Her eyes narrowed. She knew that number.

Olive sighed. “Here we go with a fool again.” She spat before answering. “What?” She asked coldly.

“Heard the news?” The man muttered with a laugh. She frowned.

“What news?”

“The third squad of your famous Elite Forces was eradicated successfully. Few more squads to go, eh? Ha!”

Olive’s eyes widened with the sudden news. Impossible. How the hell can a fool like Donovan eradicate a squad trained by Natsuki? Her eyebrows furrowed. Suddenly, she doesn’t feel at ease.

“How the hell did that happen?” She grinned her teeth. “Tell me.”

“Luis authored everything, okay? I heard he used poison. I know nothing else.”

“You moved without informing me?” she seethed. “For earth’s sake use your mind! What if it was a flop? What if you got caught? What if-”

“Suck it! It was a success, okay?! A success!” Donovan wailed.

“Shut the hell and tell me who he used? I don’t care about your success. I need to make sure everything is clean.``

Olive heard Donovan’s frustrated sighed and a deep breath before answering, “I heard it’s someone named Nick. I don’t freakin’ know what else.”

“Ring code?”

“77385”

“Good.” Olive hissed before ending the call and erasing the data of her phone, making sure Xieaniel doesn’t find out.

“Always know less, such a fool.” She snagged and quickly scanned every list of members she had. “Luis? The heck. As if he works clean.”

After thoroughly explaining to the four what Alka was and looks like, they quickly did their assignment. Startled chefs and workers scattered from the kitchen upon seeing four High Members barged in with few Elite Forces.

Leon headed straight to the huge refrigerator and checked every ingredient and the rest followed. Kate started interrogating alongside Raith as Oriana assisted Leon.

“Check the trash cans and garbage.” Leon commended a few of his men and continued searching.

***

“Pause!” Natsuki shouted. “No, rewind a little.” He added and Xieaniel rewind the footage.

“More, more and… hold.”

Natsuki and Nathan’s eyes narrowed. “Zoom it.” Nathan commanded and Xieaniel zoomed the footage.

“You see this man? Who is he?”

Natsuki’s head tilted with Nathan’s question. “I don’t know, he’s not familiar.”

Xieaniel swiftly scanned every member and searched for the man’s face but there’s no data. He cursed under his tongue.

“Who on earth is-” Xieaniel was cut and their heads tilted to the door that opened. Aside from Ashriel, only one person can and will enter Xieaniel’s lab without knocking.

“Ruby? Good thing you’re here.”

“What’s the matter?” Olive asked.

“I think we found the culprit.”

“Ring, Leon-” Nathan was cut when Natsuki’s phone rang. It was Leon.

“Sir, we found a suspicious bottle beneath the garbage cans. The staff said they haven’t seen anything like this before.”

Natsuki glanced at Nathan and Xieaniel who were listening. Olive’s eyes narrowed, silently cursing. She knew it. The job was not clean.

“Is there any substance inside?”

“It has. But it looks like clear wate-”

“Colonel Norton!” They heard Kate shout. “The staffs said someone named Nick was assigned to serve food to the third squad.” She added with a stern voice and looked at the staffs who were in turmoil.

Hearing his name, Olive grinned her teeth and crumpled her fist. “What a pathetic elephant.” She insulted silently.

“They said they haven't seen Nick since after breakfast.” Kate added.

“I’ll send you his picture. Confirm with the staff if it is him.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Send me a copy.” Olive bumped in, gripping her phone strongly.

Xieaniel quickly sent the picture to Kate and Olive, and after a few moments, “Yes, Sir. Confirmed.”

Olive bit her lower lip and hurriedly walked out of the room, tapping her phone to find Nick.

“Huh? Ruby, where are you going?”

“Let me help.” She answered swiftly before going out.

“You’re not the one who will bring me down.” She whispered with fury, tapping her screen angrily. She needs to be fast if she wants to find Nick before Xieaniel could.

She’s fortunate Xieaniel taught her some techy-things or else, she’s dead. When the similar faces popped out, Olive quickly scanned them one by one then typed the ring code until a huge red dot blinked in her screen.

“Bingo.”

Olive scanned her pockets for her knife and gun before running, following Nicks trail. She ran a few more blocks then stopped. The red dot stopped and as she checked it, Nick was in the basement.

Olive clicked something and the surveillance cameras died but before she entered the basement, she deleted some footage. She needs to be careful.

“Okay. The time is ticking.”

She only has a few minutes before Xieaniel could fix the cameras and before that happens, Olive needs to clean the mess.

Every tap of her stilettos echoes through the whole basement. Olive scanned the place. It was dark and a little chilly.

Nick, who was hiding behind the wooden boxes clenched his jaw, preparing to attack like a lion guarding his prey.

“Get out, bastard. Luis called so I’m here to help.” Olive spat without moving from her position. When she heard no response, she spoke again.

“If you don’t want to be tortured by Luis, reveal yourself. Don’t you dare test my patience.”

Hearing the word “tortured,” Nick’s body trembled. He once experienced being tortured by Luis and he has no plan of experiencing it again. It’s un-humanly. Slowly, he began to show himself and seeing his terrified face, Olive smirked.

“Dogs really produce puppies, huh? Stray ones.”

Olive heard her alarm tick, signaling her few more minutes and the surveillance cameras will function again. The problem is, it’s earlier than she anticipated. She shook her head.

“Seriously, Ethan?”

Olive took a step towards Nick, tightening her grip to her knife but stopped when Nick whouted,

“Who are you?!”

“Someone you must not know.” She answered. “But don’t worry, Luis called. He asked me to help you escape.”

Olive started to walk again and stopped in front of Nick whose body continued to shiver. She extended her hand and smiled.

“Let’s go.”

Nick remained still.

“A few more moments and they will be here. I can feign innocence if I want but how about you?”

Nick still hesitated but hearing the boots outside the basement, he quickly reached for Olive’s hand.

“Good.” Olive smiled and pulled Nick to the exit. “But you know what?” Olive uttered and stopped midway, facing Nick.

“W-Wha-ugh!”

Blood splashed from Nick’s chest to Olive’s face like a squashed tomato.

“I lied.” She whispered grimly. “You’ll not be the reason of my downfall.”

Olive pulled her knife out and the blood splashed like a newly opened faucet. Nick looked at her for the last time before receiving another deep stab and collapsing on the cold floor. Olive took her knife and wiped her face.

Suddenly, the door opened and the Elite Forces barged in with some High Members.

“Olive? What happened?” Nathan asked worriedly and full of shock upon seeing Olive covered in blood.

“I found him but he attacked me so… we ended up like this.” She lied. “At Least the culprit’s gone.”

Nathan lowered his gun and glanced at Natsuki who wore the same expression as him.

“How did you know he’s here?” Nathan asked.

“Ethan taught me before. Guess it’s useful, Sir. haha.”

Nathan took a deep breath before sighing deeply.

“Collect the corpse and clean the area.”

“Yes, Sire!”