Chapter 224 Right Where He Wants Him

Chapter 224 Right Where He Wants Him
Rico was about to step into the tunnel when a hand suddenly grabbed his arm. He turned and found Bruno staring at him.

“Boss, it’s too dangerous to go by yourself," he said in a low tone, slightly laced with worry. Several other men immediately nodded in agreement.

The warehouse had already proven itself to be a trap. There was no telling what Marco had prepared ahead.

Rico glanced at the dark opening before looking back at Bruno. Then a cold smile slowly appeared on his face. “The danger ahead isn’t more dangerous than I am.”

Before anyone could argue further, he pulled his arm free and stepped into the tunnel.

The air inside was damp and cold. Old pipes ran along parts of the walls while small puddles of water covered sections of the ground. The tunnel wasn’t very wide, forcing Rico to keep his shoulders slightly squared as he moved forward.

His gun remained firmly in his hand, index hovering around the trigger, ready to pull it.

Every step he took echoed around him, and every shadow made him more alert. Yet he continued deeper without slowing down.

Something caught his attention and Rico suddenly stopped. His eyes dropped to the floor, and he saw a fresh footprint. His gaze narrowed.

It had formed inside one of the puddles. The water around the print was still disturbed, so whoever made it couldn’t have been far ahead.

A dark grin touched his lips. It was Marco.

Without wasting another second, Rico followed the trail. The footprints appeared every few feet, leading deeper into the tunnel. Sometimes they became faint before appearing again near another puddle.

Rico followed every single one, his pulse steadily increased. After weeks of searching and chasing shadows, he was finally close.

Several minutes later, he noticed light ahead. A faint glow appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Rico clenched his jaw, immediately tightening his grip around the gun, and picked up his pace. The closer he got, the brighter it became, until he finally reached the exit.

He stepped out and immediately scanned his surroundings. He was greeted with a forest. It wasn't a dense one.

Tall trees stood scattered around the area while thick bushes covered parts of the ground. Moonlight filtered through the branches above, casting long shadows across the earth.

Rico slowly turned his head left, then right, but heard no movement or sound. A frustrated growl escaped him. His eyes swept across the forest again, forcing himself to think. The bastard couldn’t have disappeared that quickly.

Rico lowered his gaze toward the ground. Dried leaves covered most of the area around the tunnel entrance, and for a brief moment, he saw nothing unusual.

Then his eyes landed on a dark wet stain. His gaze sharpened immediately. The same muddy water from inside the tunnel had dripped onto the leaves, and it continued several feet ahead.

Rico followed the trail with his eyes. Then another wet mark appeared. A slow smile spread across his face. Marco had been in such a hurry that he hadn’t even realized he was leaving a trail behind.

Rico adjusted his grip on the gun and started moving again, faster this time. Because he knew one thing for certain... Marco was close. And his luck had finally run out.

Rico continued moving deeper into the forest, his boots crunching softly against the dry leaves beneath him. The trail had become harder to follow now, but he refused to slow down.

The cold night air brushed against his face while the sounds of the forest echoed around him. Crickets chirped somewhere in the distance. An owl hooted from one of the tall trees above. Occasionally, the rustling of leaves made him tighten his grip on the gun.

He kept moving, kept searching, and hunting.

Suddenly, Rico stopped. Every muscle in his body became still. The forest seemed to hold its breath alongside him. He listened carefully.

The night creatures continued making their usual sounds, the wind continued whispering through the trees, and then he heard footsteps. It was very faint and quick.

His eyes narrowed. The sound came from ahead, so Rico remained motionless, listening closely.

Then a figure suddenly burst from behind a cluster of trees roughly thirty feet away and sprinted in the opposite direction.

Rico’s eyes widened, realizing it was Marco. The bastard had been hiding. 

Without a second thought, Rico exploded into motion. He took off after him like a man possessed. “MARCO!” His roar echoed through the forest.

The figure ran faster. Branches snapped beneath their feet as they tore through the trees.

Rico raised his gun while running and fired. The gunshot exploded through the forest. A flock of birds immediately burst from the trees above.

The bullet missed Marco by an inch, and struck a tree trunk instead, sending pieces of bark flying into the air.

Rico cursed and pushed himself harder. The chase continued through the forest. Marco jumped over old fallen trees and branches, shoving through bushes while Rico remained right behind him.

The distance between them slowly began shrinking.

Years of rage seemed to fuel Rico’s legs. He began remembering every sleepless night, and the painful memory of the moment Calla spent trapped in that box because of him. The pain Sophia must have endured. The fear Eli had to put up with.

Marco glanced over his shoulder and immediately realized Rico was catching up, so his pace increased. 

So did Rico’s. Neither man was willing to stop or surrender.

Marco suddenly turned around a large tree, and Rico followed immediately. The moment he rounded the tree, he found Marco directly in front of him.

The bastard hadn’t expected him to be that close. For a split second, surprise flashed across Marco’s face. And that was all Rico needed.

His fist shot forward with all the force he could put behind it, and Marco practically ran straight into it. The punch landed hard against his ribs.

A sick grunt escaped Marco’s mouth as all the air was knocked from his lungs. The force sent him crashing onto the dirt, and he rolled several feet before coming to a stop.

For a moment, all he could do was groan in pain and cough while clutching his side.

Rico stood over him, breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell rapidly from the chase, and sweat dampened his hair. His knuckles throbbed from the punch, but none of that mattered because after weeks of searching and hunting, Marco was finally right where he wanted him.

Marco remained sprawled on the ground for several seconds, coughing violently as he struggled to pull air back into his lungs.

Then suddenly, he laughed. The sound caught Rico off guard, not because it was loud, but because it was real.

Even after everything. Even after the blood pouring from his mouth and the bruises darkening his face, Marco was still laughing. The bastard had truly lost his mind.

If it was a distraction or something else, Rico wouldn't be deceived by it. Not anymore.