Chapter 141 Close watching
Lucas followed right behind him, his grip tightening unconsciously at his side.
Their eyes scanned around the room, which seemed too large all of a sudden. It was a dead silence and space, with no footsteps, no shadows, and no one. Just the quiet night stretching endlessly around them.
Lucas’s brows furrowed, confusion flickering across his face. “There’s… no one here.”
But his voice betrayed him, too tight, too alert.
Alex didn’t respond. He walked over to the closet checking around. Then opened and closed the bathroom door.
Suddenly, he chuckled at himself and muttered, “Alex what are you doing? There are burglar protectors on the window, which can't be passed through by a child, let alone an adult.”
He laughed out bitterly but headed out, Lucas followed behind. Their eyes swept the whole house, sharp, calculating. Their instincts screamed that something wasn’t right. They knew they were being watched and it didn't start that night.
After searching and all was clear, the door was intact, they went back upstairs. The instant they entered the room the car light flickered.
Both of them snapped their heads and headed back toward the window. Through the window, a brief flash of light reflected, coming from the car.
Lucas’s heart thudded. “He was still in the car…”
Before he could finish, the engine roared to life. The sudden sound tore through the silence like a gunshot.
Alex stepped forward instinctively, eyes locking onto the vehicle to move to see if he could get the plate number.
Then his phone buzzed again.
He didn’t need to check. He already knew. It's him again but he had no choice. So he clicked on it.
“Good night, Alex darling.”
Lucas felt a chill crawl up his spine. “Who the heck is this Mac?” he whispered.
The car’s headlights flared fully immediately. Then it sped off, too fast. Tires screeched faintly as it disappeared into the darkness. He left nothing behind but fading engine noise and a heavy, suffocating silence.
Alex couldn't get the plate number. Neither of them moved. They just stood there, staring through the window as if the car might suddenly reappear. It didn't, it was gone completely leaving an unexplainable chill.
Lucas swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. “He was never in the house.”
Alex’s jaw clenched, his gaze still fixed ahead, dark and unreadable.
“He was toying with us,” he said quietly.
The realization settled in like ice.
Mac had been close, watching. He was controlling everything from the shadows. And they had walked right into it.
Lucas wrapped his arms around himself slightly, the fear now impossible to hide. “That means, he could still be watching us, right now.”
Alex didn’t answer immediately.
His phone was still in his hand, the message glowing faintly on the screen.
A slow, dangerous calm replaced the tension in his expression.
But his eyes burned.
“Let him watch for today,” Alex said finally, his voice low and steady.
“From tomorrow, he won't watch.”
He slipped the phone into his pocket, gaze hardening.
“I’ll be ready.”
Behind the calm, one truth remained unspoken, Mac wasn’t just playing games anymore.
He was getting closer.
And that made him far more dangerous.
Then Alex's phone buzzed again with Dan’s call.
Dan’s voice came through the earpiece, sharp and controlled but underneath it, urgency bled through.
“Boss, the target is moving fast. He knows he’s being followed.”
Alex stepped away from the window, his expression instantly shifting from cold and calm to razor focus. “Don’t let him slip, Dan.”
“Yes boss, we will do our best.” He disconnected.
Lucas turned to him, anxiety still clinging to his voice. “You think he’s connected to Mac?”
Alex didn’t answer because deep down he couldn't shake off the feelings.
From outside the club unite James had taken the route towards a crowded street he knew well.
“Split up!” Dan ordered me through the earpiece, his voice cutting through the night as he sprinted after the fleeing figure ahead.
James darted through the crowded street, shoving past people, nearly knocking over vendors' stands.
“Watch it!” someone shouted at him, but James didn’t stop. He couldn’t, not tonight, not when everything was closing in.
Dan pushed harder, weaving through the chaos with trained precision. His eyes never left the back of James’s head.
“Left alley! He’s heading into the alley!” one of Dan’s men reported through comms.
“Cut him off from the other side,” Dan snapped. “Now!”
James turned sharply into the narrow alley, his breath ragged, heart pounding wildly. “Damn it” he cursed. “I made a fucking bad move”
That was because the alley was too tight. Footsteps echoed behind him, getting closer. His adrenaline pushed him further.
“Damn it…” James muttered again, glancing over his shoulder.
Dan was gaining fast.
James’s eyes darted around panic rising. Then he saw a door half open. Without thinking, he lunged for it and slipped inside.
Dan reached the alley seconds later and stopped abruptly. It was empty. “Report!” he barked.
“He didn’t come out our end,” another voice replied.
Dan’s gaze swept the alley, sharp and calculating. Then he saw the slightly ajar door. He moved toward it slowly, every instinct on high alert.
Gun drawn. He pushed it open and met darkness and silence. He stepped in carefully, senses on edge. “James,” he called, voice low and dangerous. “You’re done, come out.”
Nothing.
Then a faint sound came behind him. He turned instantly, but it was too late.
BANG!
A metal object crashed into a stack nearby, deliberately thrown.
Dan spun back distracted. The back door slammed shut.
“Damn it!” he cursed, rushing after him. By the time he burst outside, he saw nothing.
No footsteps, no movement, James was gone again.
Dan exhaled sharply, running a hand over his head as he tapped his earpiece.
“Boss… we almost had him.”
Then Alex’s cold voice came through unhappily. “Almost? Damn it, almost doesn’t count, Dan.”
Dan clenched his jaw. “He knew the area too well. This wasn’t luck, he planned an escape route.”
That made Alex pause. Just for a second. Then he said quietly, “He’s being guided, then.”
Lucas looked at him. “Mac.”
Alex’s gaze darkened.
“Probably.”
Dan stood still for a moment longer, scanning the empty street.
Something felt off. This wasn’t just a chase. It was a setup more like
a test. And they had just failed it.
Back at the house, Alex stared out into the darkness where the car had disappeared. Everything was connected like Mac and James timing was controlled.
A slow, dangerous realization settled in his chest. “He’s not running from us,” Alex said.
Lucas frowned. “Then what is he doing?”
Alex’s lips curved slightly but there was no warmth in them.
“He’s leading us.”
And somewhere in the distance, a phone buzzed in the dark. James looked at the message, breathing still uneven.
“Good. Keep moving.”
James swallowed hard before he asked, “Who the heck are you?” He whispered. But deep down, he already feared the answer.
“You don't want to know who Hunter is right now. You did a good job tonight but you nearly slipped.”