Spike's POV
I put away my phone, wondering why Tabitha would suddenly ask that.
Did she discover something?
Feeling worried, I personally went to the surveillance room. The villa was located halfway up the mountain, and cameras were installed along the way.
If there were any vehicles coming, they would be spotted at the foot of the mountain, and we would monitor them in real time.
We were in a remote affluent neighborhood, so normally, people wouldn't come here. A few hikers might break in occasionally, yet they would be discouraged halfway through their trek.
All along, only our own vehicles would come to deliver various supplies. We never saw any outsiders.
I scanned the feeds for a while but didn't see anything off.
When my gaze shifted downwards, however, I noticed that a few screens on the bottom row went all blank.
These screens were connected with cameras installed on the steep cliff. Coupled with the rising water level and heavy rain these past couple of days, they could've been damaged by sea spray or something.
It was impossible for someone to climb up from the cliff during the day, let alone in such terrible conditions tonight.
After ensuring that there were no suspicious individuals or vehicles on the road leading up the mountain, I finally left the surveillance room.
Even though everything seemed fine, I always felt uneasy in my heart, as if I had overlooked something.
What exactly was it?
Suddenly, a face popped into my mind—the guy from yesterday, Austin.
I only shook hands with him when I ran into him, and then Joanna led him into the ward. Feeling awkward, I left.
Now it hit me how strong he felt when we shook hands, and he had some serious calluses between his thumb and index finger.
According to Joanna, he used to do academic research abroad. How did someone who spent all day typing and writing end up with a rough palm like that?
Unless...
I looked at the spot between my thumb and index finger and suddenly realized that Austin was probably just like me. He got the calluses because he had been holding a rifle all the time!
Upon careful recollection, I realized that the accident of Joanna's brother was also quite peculiar.
What if that crash was just bait to lure Joanna away? What if his real target was Tabitha?
Joanna had been showing off her bracelet all day long. If there was a tracker inside it, Tabitha's location would have been exposed!
I shook my head and thought to myself, 'There's no way it could be that coincidental! Who would set up such a trap?'
I told myself I must have been overthinking.
Though I didn't think it was possible, I still felt uneasy in my heart. Thus, I decided to call for backup to stand by throughout the night, ensuring that nothing would go wrong.
The moment my call was connected, I heard a woman's scream.
It was Joanna!
I turned on the walkie-talkie immediately for backup while running towards her bedroom.
When I burst in, all I saw was Joanna's phone lying on the bed with its screen still lit up. The window was wide open, with the cold wind sweeping in, sending sheer curtains fluttering outside.
I picked up the phone and saw Joanna and Austin's chat page.
Austin's avatar was pitch black. I only saw a shadowy figure when I zoomed in. He had this creepy smirk on his face, looking as terrifying as a ghost.
My gaze fell on the last message between the two.
"Austin: Baby, I'm here."
I widened my eyes in shock. Obviously, Austin didn't come here to meet Joanna.
Crap, Tabitha was in danger!
As I looked down, the entire cliff was full of guys decked out in bulletproof vests and helmets!
There were even gliders constantly landing overhead. I couldn't believe that they actually chose such a reckless way to land!
No wonder there were no people on the surveillance cameras along the road.
Derek's POV
That night dragged on while thunder cracked outside. I tossed and turned but couldn't fall asleep.
Tabitha used to hate rainy days, especially on nights when there was thunder. She would always curl right into my arms.
I flipped over several times in bed, wanting to go check on her. But upon remembering how much she hated me, showing up would only ruin her mood more than likely.
Alice reminded me not to let her bear any mental burden anymore, so I lay back down again. Yet sleep wasn't happening at all tonight.
Another flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by another round of booming thunder. I got up once again.
I had to go, even if I could only stand there and look at her from afar.
"Rolf, get the car ready."
Halfway through our drive, my phone buzzed. It was Spike calling.
He'd been assigned specifically to protect Tabitha. If it weren't for something related to Tabitha, he definitely wouldn't have called me so late.
Before I even said anything after picking up, I heard gunshots coming from the other end of the line.
Spike started talking fast between breaths, his voice panicked, "Alpha Derek, we've got big trouble!"