Chapter 279: Fish Them Out
Although I'd faced many challenges, this was the first time I'd encountered something so twisted. I screamed, and Damian quickly pulled me behind him. Luke stepped forward, shielding me from the gruesome scene. I stared at the severed tongue at my feet. Still shaken, I pushed Luke aside. “Silas, you want to die? I won’t let you. I’ll find out everything! I’ll make you watch Anna spiral into ruin and see your organization fall apart!”
“Damian, no matter what it takes, make sure he stays alive!”
“Roger that.”
The smell of blood made me nauseous, so I stepped outside for a moment. Silas was a madman, willing to bite off his own tongue rather than speak the truth. From the start, he'd purposefully brought up a topic to distract us before killing himself. He was a tough man, but it was a shame he chose the wrong path.
Though it was late winter, the Snowville night was chilling. A flower in the yard swayed gently in the streetlight, offering little comfort.
“Are you okay?” Luke asked, concern in his eyes.
I shook my head. “I’m tough. You saw it too; this organization is powerful. We need to be extra careful from now on.”
“I know.”
I gave him a subtle glance. “Keep an eye on Sheila. If she’s part of the organization, she’ll likely try to rescue Silas.”
“You want to draw them out?” he asked, understanding dawning on his face.
“Yeah. If she’s not part of it, that’s fine. But if she is, we’ll have a lead. You just need to play your part well—pretend you were deceived by Anna and lash out at her lover.”
“Got it. You… take care of yourself.”
“I’ll head back to my room.” I left without saying anything else. Carter wasn’t in the room; he was probably discussing something with Jeffrey. I went to the bathroom to freshen up, trying to wash away the lingering image of the severed tongue. I was about to get some water when the image flashed in my mind again, sending an uncomfortable shiver down my spine.
Carter entered the room, radiating a sense of calm. He must have already learned the details from Damian. As soon as he entered, he swiftly closed the curtains and hurried to my side, pulling me into his arms. His voice was soft as he comforted me. “Chloe, don’t be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid. It’s just… this is the first time I’ve seen something like that. It’s hard to get used to. I’m okay now. How is he…?”
Carter explained, “Don’t worry, he survived. I had his blood, hair, and skin samples taken for DNA testing. Chloe, don’t rush. We’re getting closer to the truth. Soon, it will all be clear.”
“Silas would rather bite off his own tongue than reveal anything, which means he knows that as long as he stays silent, we won’t harm Anna. But if he talks, the organization behind him won’t spare her. Once I know the truth, Anna will be worthless, and the only thing waiting for her will be death. Silas is using his life to buy Anna time.”
Suddenly, something clicked. “Silas mentioned ‘Mister’ earlier. If he wasn’t lying, it means my little sister isn’t dead; she’s being held captive by that man!”
“That’s good news, right? As long as she’s alive, there’s hope,” Carter said, trying to comfort me.
I sighed. “I hope we can find some clues in Silas’s DNA.”
Carter gazed into my eyes. “Chloe, don’t get your hopes up too much. If it were facial recognition or fingerprints, it’d be easier to identify him. But just from blood and DNA samples, it’s harder. Unless his family is in prison or registered in a genetic database, it’ll be tough to pinpoint his identity right away.”
“I know. But right now, it’s our only shot.”
He assured me, “Don’t worry. We’ve already found their main base. If it comes to it, we can force our way into their underground hideout and see what secrets it holds. But that’s risky. We don’t know how many people are there.”
I patted his hand and stopped him. “We don’t need to take such drastic measures yet. If we act out of desperation, the mastermind might slip away. We’re close to the truth. Once Silas is caught, they’ll speed things up. They might try another trick, but if we stay one step ahead, we’ll be able to follow the trail.”
“By the way, Carter, keep an eye on the Sanders. I suspect those people might try to make a move against them. They’re probably worried about things dragging on and changing their strategy to act quickly. If we beat them to the punch, we can…”
Before I could finish, Carter’s phone rang. For some reason, a sense of unease and irritation settled in my chest. I watched him intently as his face slowly turned serious after answering the call. When the call ended, I rushed to ask, “Is something happened to the Sanders?”
“Chloe, we were too late.”
My heart sank. “What happened?”
Jake… he’s dead.