Chapter 234: Nowhere Left to Run
Kason gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. “Lunatic,” he muttered; it was clear now—Shane had known about the photos. But the person who actually sent them wasn't him. A single name flashed in Kason's mind: Sierra.
After the deputy warden's comments about Sierra and Shane's connection, the strong possibility remained that Sierra herself had sent him those photos. And this wasn't some twisted game. Twice now, he had taken Sierra to his secret base. Now, for the first time, Kason felt a rare pang of regret.
He sped toward the lab, repeatedly dialing the head of security. No answer. His breathing turned erratic. Something was wrong. His mind raced, and suddenly, he yanked the wheel, changing course. He needed to get to the airport, but halfway there, his car was forced to a stop. Every road leading to the airport was blocked—not by police, but by the military. A sinking feeling twisted in his gut. It was over.
Kason turned the car around. If he couldn't escape, he needed to get back to the Richardson family estate. But the moment he arrived, his worst fear became reality. He watched as police dragged his father out of the house in handcuffs. It was over. Completely over.
His mind went blank. Then, he snapped out of it, gripping the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. He wasn't done yet.
Mateo had been monitoring the entire situation. "Thamn," he said, "Kason's really scrambling. No idea where he thinks he's going to run to now. Oh, wait. Looks like he's heading our way."
He turned to Jonathan. Sierra, watching the tracker, said calmly, "He's coming for me. Ignore him." They already knew what Kason would try. The military and police had everything covered—he wasn't going anywhere.
Sure enough, just as expected, Kason's car was blocked again. This time, he had no way to turn around. He stared at the vehicles surrounding him, and for a brief moment, he laughed. Then, without hesitation, he slammed his foot on the gas. The car sped forward, crashing violently into the barricade. The impact knocked him unconscious on the spot.
The news reached Sierra and Jonathan quickly. "He's been taken to the hospital," came the report. Sierra frowned. "Did he just try to kill himself?" Jonathan shook his head. "He's not trying to die. He's trying to buy time."
She didn't give Kason another thought. "What about the lab? Any updates?" "Still waiting on Stone," Mateo replied. Right on cue, Jonathan's phone rang. After a short conversation, Jonathan turned to Sierra. "You were right. There was a hidden level between the two floors. They found the test subjects and a stockpile of drugs. The base is under full control now."
Stone had come prepared; he had already disabled the lab's self-destruct system. So when the head of security tried to trigger it, he realized too late that it wouldn't work. The man had tried to flee with the remaining researchers, only to be captured along with them. "Everyone involved in the experiments has been arrested."
The case was massive. It didn't just shake Maviston; it reached all the way to the Capital. Within a single day, the entire country was in an uproar.
"Did you see the news? This is horrifying," someone said. "Illegal experiments... all those poor animals. How could anyone be so cruel?" "The animals are one thing, but did you see how many missing people were involved? They used real humans for this. It's like something out of a horror movie." "Videos are surfacing. Kason tortured so many people. He killed them for fun. The ones who survived became his lab rats. He's worse than an animal." "And it wasn't just the homeless. They took prisoners too. Now the entire prison system is being investigated." "How did they even get away with this for so long? They were just a company. The fact that no one caught them means they had serious protection."
The internet exploded. People were furious. The Capital immediately formed a special investigative unit to oversee the case. And the one leading the task force was someone Sierra and Jonathan knew: Maddox.
When Sierra heard the name, she was stunned. She turned to Jonathan in disbelief. She had already known Stone's role in the military; Mateo, too, had a powerful background. And now even Maddox was heading the investigation? That left only one question: who exactly was Jonathan? She had always known his family background wasn't ordinary, but now she realized Jonathan's status might be far beyond what she had imagined.