Chapt. 20 - Emergency Missions

“What if God takes me? Will you be happy to be free of me?” –Mike–

***

Mike thought back to the idiotic thing he had said to Angie a few hours ago. What was he thinking? Why had he been such an idiot to make such a decision? A lifetime contract? Seriously?

The issue wasn’t whether he loved Angie, had grown accustomed to her, or didn’t want to lose her, but something else far beyond the understanding of ordinary humans.

Even with his above-average intelligence, Mike couldn’t wrap his head around what he felt now.

“There’s no way I could fall in love with that whiny girl! Are you kidding me?” he muttered to himself. He’d been in his office for over an hour, but hadn’t finished a single task.

The uncertainty made him quickly grab his phone and call the first number in his contact list.

“Where are you?” Mike asked, his hands moving constantly, clicking and pressing the mouse buttons. He didn’t know what he was doing. He hadn’t done anything all this time, but when the girl on the other end answered the call, he suddenly wanted to impress her that he was so busy and had deliberately taken the time to call.

“What do you want?” the girl snapped sarcastically. She was still upset about what Mike had said a few hours ago regarding their marriage contract.

“Is that how you talk to your husband, Little Bunny?”

“Stop calling me that disgusting nickname. I’m not your bunny!” Angie ended the call abruptly, leaving Mike frustrated and unsettled.

“Damn it! What’s wrong with you, Mike?” Mike tried to smile, as usual, when he felt he had successfully teased Angie. However, this time, there was no satisfaction. He felt uneasy receiving such a reaction from his wife. “What is she doing there? Why is she so sensitive? Is it because she doesn’t have a job anymore? Unemployed people tend to be easily angered, right?”

Mike tried to shake off the feeling that kept bothering him even after lunch. Finally, he decided to leave the office early.

Mike was about to enter the apartment basement when a call came in. He pulled over and, upon learning that his father wanted him to come for an important task, hurriedly got out of the car, which he left at the entrance of the parking lot, and took the elevator to the apartment.

“Get ready! We’re heading to my parents’ house now.” Mike ordered, and Angie didn’t have time to refuse or even ask questions because, in her mind, Mike might be using his father as a witness for the contract extension he had planned.

Angie complied and got ready without wasting time.

Both of them hurried to the main residence of the Genosie family for a mission Mike had to carry out.

***

“Have you checked the members you lead, Mike?” asked the head of the Genosie family, and leader of the most prominent black organization in Eastonville, Zack Genosie. Mike, who was asked, didn’t answer immediately but instead made sure what his father was actually trying to convey through the question. “One of them, I’m sure, has betrayed us and leaked the secret of the storage warehouse at the southern dock.”

Mike was startled by his father’s words. Until now, he had personally selected the troops and members under his command without ever making a mistake. Besides dueling skills and agility, especially in weapon use, intelligence was also a factor. Loyalty above all else was also a priority.

So for him, it was utterly unreasonable that any of them would betray him.

“Are you sure? You know me well, Dad. I wouldn’t just randomly choose members; if there was any corruption within the group, I’d be the first to know because the other members would act rightly out of loyalty.”

"I know that, Mike. But this is the reality. What else can I say? Now, you need to lead the important operation of moving the remaining goods in the south dock warehouse to Westmont Bay. Some troops will be waiting there to help with the process."

“Are you sure it’s safe? Have you explored the possibility of others betraying us besides my men?” Mike asked, making sure. His instincts told him the leak wasn’t from him, but from a deeper position, so what happened wasn’t just on a small scale, but much broader.

“Mike, my son, have you ever seen me make the wrong decision or misjudge something?”

“Then it’s the same for me. Why are you doubting my performance, Dad?”

“You know the answer.”

Mike fell silent. The tension in the room grew as doubt crept between father and son—something that shouldn’t have happened. Such a situation had never occurred before, as Zack had always trusted him fully, and Mike had always strived to minimize mistakes.

However, due to a single incident—a failed transaction between their group and the organization led by Zico, one of the second-largest organizations after The Black Venom—Zack began to doubt Mike’s competence.

“I think my orders were clear, and you don’t need to argue with me, because this was one of the precautions. Regardless of whether you or anyone else made a mistake, it’s mandatory to resolve it.”

Those words concluded their meeting, which ended with Mike returning to his apartment.

Mike and Angie were still ignoring each other, though that wasn’t the situation they wanted. Soon, within hours, he would leave. Shouldn’t saying goodbye to Angie be something he should do to make himself feel better?

Anxiety overwhelmed him now, knowing that an urgent mission like this meant a secret operation, so danger could strike at any moment.

Mike knocked on Angie’s door at ten o’clock at night. Angie hadn’t gone to sleep yet. Her heart was also too restless because she had accidentally overheard the conversation between Mike and his father.

“Angie, I’m leaving now,” Mike said, waiting for the girl to open the door.

Then what? What would he have wanted if Angie had opened the door and responded to his farewell? Did he hope for a goodbye kiss to accompany his departure—to boost his spirits until the mission was complete?

“I might not be back tomorrow,” he said again. However, Angie remained silent and didn't respond to his words.

Angie was behind the door, now, about to open it and respond to all of Mike’s words, but something held her back. Mike finally left with an uneasy feeling, hoping the night would end soon and the task his father had given him would go smoothly, so he’d still have a chance to meet Angie again—the girl he… somehow had to describe.

Upon arriving at the dock, Mike led their secret operation, giving orders to his swift-moving team.

“Divide into two groups. Ten people are on the northern wing, and the rest are on the eastern wing of container XXX12. The others are already confirmed empty!” Mike issued his orders in the silence of the night, receiving obedient nods from the others, who then immediately moved toward the designated positions.

Meanwhile, Mike stayed behind with a few others, monitoring the operation to ensure no mistakes were made.

“Greg, you’ll stay at the eastern wing.”

“But, sir. My duty is to protect you.”

“Greg, this is an order. Carry it out and ensure the area is secure. Keep me informed of any developments, no matter how small.”

Greg nodded and moved toward the location. The operation seemed to be proceeding smoothly, leaving a few containers for them to empty. However, the sound of gunfire broke the group’s calm, especially after Mike received a report from Greg via his radio monitor.

“Sir, some opposing forces are moving toward us. I’m ordering the others to stop moving and hide. What’s the situation there?”

Mike didn’t have time to answer, as footsteps approached. Instantly, he heightened his alertness and prepared to fire the projectile from the object in his grip.