Talon's grand display

Things are complicated on Hopkins's side. His business was on the verge of collapse, and he was counting on a deal with Ryan Doyle to turn things around. However, their endeavor didn't turn out as planned.

Hopkins is quick-tempered, and his current predicament made him more angered. Unable to do anything, he is currently venting his frustration toward his close aide Jared Thompson.

"What the fuck is this, Jared? I thought you had it under control. You told me that Doyle was trustworthy." The angry Talon yells and throws a glass at Thompson's head.

Thompson frowns from the pain but doesn't utter a word. He carefully takes out his broken glasses, calmly takes a handkerchief from his pocket, and wipes the mixture of blood and liquor running down his forehead.

But his collected demeanor triggers Hopkins even more. "How are you going to fix this? I told you to do things correctly." Talon shouts and grabs Thompson by his collar, hanging him in the air.

Hopkins grows more impatient toward his passiveness. Irritated, he throws Thompson on the ground and begins to kick him on the stomach.

"Why aren't you answering? You fucking dipshit! Why don't you say anything? Huh?" Talon continues his relentless beating.

Jared didn't resist and remained silent on the ground. He only curls himself and puts his arms crossed in front of his face to protect himself from the enchainment of hits.

Talon continues to vent his rage, unleashing savagely on Thompson. He mounts on top of him, puts his knee on his chest, grabs his hair, and launches multiple punches at Thompson, now filled with bruises and blood.

Hopkins only stops when he notices Thompson immobile and disfigured with severe bleeding. He passed out from the beating.

Talon clicks his tongue in annoyance, stands from his position, and instructs some of his men. "Take this fucker out!" He says, calming himself down by pouring a glass of water.

Julie Morel was present throughout everything. Hopkins' bad temper is known to anyone in his entourage. She did not intervene despite his cruel display of violence.

Feeling that Hopkins had finished with Thompson, she finally talks.

"You think Doyle double-crossed you?" She asks carefully.

"Nah! I think Jared wasn't straight the past few days. Whatever it is, that fuck won't get out Scott free if he dares." Talon mutters ominously and sits next to Morel.

"All of them, looking down on me." He laments. Angered again, he pulls Morel by her hair, tackles her on the sofa, and forcefully has his way with her.

Morel just allowed him to do as he pleased.

____

Leven's evening red sky illuminates the concrete buildings surrounding the back alley parking. Jared Thompson struggles to walk toward his car, still feeling his injuries inflicted by Hopkins.

As he was about to open the door, someone behind suddenly called him.

"You good, Jared?" The easy-going voice surprises Thompson. He turns around and sees a young man in an orange suit and green tie. He immediately looks exasperated at the sight of the man and his strange clothing taste.

"You look handsome like this." The man sarcastically remarks, seeing Thompson's disfigured visage. He impolitely points at Jared's blue-and-black face and insensitively laughs at his misfortune.

The rude behavior annoys Thompson, who harshly retorts. "Better to get beaten again than have your fashion sense, Mathiew."

Calaway looks amused at the comeback and continues. "Still, he really is ruthless! And here I thought that when you joined the army after high school, you would fare better."

Thompson didn't reply.

Mathiew and Jared were former classmates, but they lost contact after graduation. Jared enlisted into the military, where he served for five years. And he was recently discharged because of an injury.

"Anyway, let's talk elsewhere," Mathiew suggests and brazenly enters Thompson's car in the driver seat.

Thompson is baffled, but let it be. He limps to the other side of the vehicle and sits on the passenger seat.

"So, what else do you want?" Jared asks while putting a compress on his swollen face.

Mathiew didn't reply immediately and asked a question in return. "How long have you been working for Hopkins?" He casually inquires as he drives.

"More than a year or something like that," Thompson replies, looking puzzled.

"You must already know, Jared! Hopkins and your little gang are in big trouble. The demon lord himself decided to get involved in the affair." Mathiew reveals.

Thompson notices his serious expression and continues to listen attentively.

"Within a week, he managed to convince the Richmonds to sell. The real estate group is now under their complete control, which means the nightclub is also virtually his." Matthew explains.

Alexander Maxwell struck a deal with the Richmonds to acquire their shares of the real estate group. In addition, he managed to beat Doyle, who Hopkins requested help from, to take control of the rest of the shares from the third parties.

In short, The Maxwell family managed to take everything, foiling Hopkins's plan.

"Hopkins must be panicking right now. Everything happened in a flash that he couldn't do anything. And now that he is in deep shit, he is lashing out his frustration on his men. That is low." Mathiew scoffs. "You are super tolerant to bear working with such a man, Jared. You have your own plan. But was it worth it?"

"How about you? Working for a high schooler." Jared retaliates.

"Haha! Even if he is a brat, he is still the son of the demon lord." Mathiew laughs it out and adds. "Anyway, let's go back to our talk. Can you handle it?"

Thompson hesitates a little before answering. "I can do it. Things will soon come to a conclusion."

____

The next day, Jared Thompson meets with Talon Hopkins and his goons at an abandoned entrepot. The surrounding was deserted, with only rusty pieces of scraps around.

"Did you call him?" Hopkins asks Thompson.

Jared, with half of his face warped in bandage, answers. "I did. I told him we caught Lambert. I communicated the location address, so it's a matter of time before he arrives."

"That horny pig better show up!" Talon growls.

"Remember, the moment I make the signal, take care of him!" He instructs a bunch of henchmen and makes himself comfortable on a ragged-sofa.

A moment later, a car pulls up outside the decrepit building. Coming out of it is Ryan Doyle. He looks nervous, seeing the many members of Talon's smiling house, looking at him with prying eyes.

Jared casually approaches Doyle. "You came, Doyle! Finally! How have you been?" He gives a friendly smile.

"I-I'm good!" Ryan's voice shakes a little. "What happened to you?" He is surprised by Thompson's appearance.

"Don't mind it! Let's go! Your princess is waiting for you inside." Jared shrugs it off and guides Doyle inside the building. "Anyway, are you ready to have your fun?"

"Actually, I'm a little nervous!" Ryan admits but still follows Thompson. His anticipation grows with each step, and his thoughts become wilder.

As Thompson and Doyle enter, Some of Hopkins' men suddenly ambush Doyle from behind. Two of them restrains his limbs while another one stabs him with a stun baton.

Doyle violently convulses from the electric discharge. He cries loudly from the shock before passing out from the pain.

Talon explodes with eerie laughter, watching Doyle fall on the ground like a ragdoll. "Ha ha ha! Serve him right!" He comments and kicks the unconscious young man.

When Doyle wakes up, he is attached to a chair in the middle of the space, surrounded by Hopkin's men. He is confused and desperately looks around to comprehend his situation. His eyes meet with Thompson's. He pleads with moans, yet, Thompson stays callous to his misfortune.

Doyle realizes that Thompson betrayed him.

"Mr. Doyle! You fucked us real good back there!" Hopkins slowly walks closer to the middle of the encirclement. He puts a knuckle-fist on his right hand, taking his time nonchalantly.

Doyle pees himself out of fear. He more or less understands what is about to happen. And he knows he won't be able to escape.

"Look at this fat pig peeing himself." Talon mocks him, and the men witnessing the scene join him in laughter.

Hopkins was about to beat him up because of his lost opportunity with the real estate. Even if Doyle was innocent, Talon was too blinded with frustration to care. He only wanted someone to blame and to vent. And Doyle happened to be there from misfortune.

____

The night is falling on Hopkins's little gathering. The dark also catches the dilapidated building, so they put fire into cylinder bins to lighten the place.

Doyle was still held in the middle of the inside, surrounded by Hopkin's men. Despite his bloody face and missing teeth, he was still conscious, having resisted the blows of Talon for hours.

"Phew! I could make this my new exercise routine." Talon sighs, then he sits lazily on the couch, facing the restrained Doyle.

Satisfied with the brief rest, he stands again and advances in front of Doyle.

"So, Mr. Doyle! Do you get it now? You don't fuck around with me and think you can get away with it." Talon lost himself in his sadistic play. He and his men were not sober nor lucid. Since earlier, they partook in some illicit substances. Only Thompson stayed lucid.

"Mr. Doyle! Are you awake? Let's do it again!" Talon watches the desperate Doyle, pleading with weak movements of his head.

However, before they could resume, several individuals in riot gear suddenly burst into the building from every opening, completely taking Hopkins and his gang by surprise.

"Everyone on the ground! Drop any weapon!" They shout in a loud voice while pointing assault rifles at everyone present.

These individuals were from the Leven metropolitan police department. They were successful in making a raid to corner the Smiling House gang.

Not long after, the police officers round everyone into custody vans. Doyle is freed and taken into an ambulance.

As for Hopkins, he was bewildered by what was unfolding. Things become worse when he sees Thompson casually talking with the police captain.

"Good work Lieutenant Thompson!" The man pats Thompson on his shoulder.

Hopkins couldn't believe his sight. "You! You were a mole?!" He realizes and yells at Thompson while being dragged into the vehicle, handcuffed.

"Don't think this is over, Jared!" Talon continues to shout furiously, to Thompson's indifference.

Jared Thompson was indeed an undercover agent. He was tasked to infiltrate Hopkins's gang in order to trace their source for a potent rape drug in circulation around Leven.

His second task was to gather enough evidence to incriminate and disband the smiling house gang. And all resulted in today's raid.

____

Before going back to the station, Jared drops by a bar alone. When he opens the heavy door, he sees Mathiew energetically waving toward him.

As he comes closer to Mathiew's table, Thompson notices Alex Maxwell, comfortably sitting on the leather couch, his arm wrapped around a blonde beauty.

Jared is a bit uncomfortable. He was supposed to meet Calaway alone.

"Relax! Alex is the true mastermind. He was curious about you, so he tagged along." Mathiew reassures Thompson and pours him a drink.

"Thank you for taking care of Doyle, Mr. Thompson," Alex says calmly with a satisfied smile.

("Mastermind? Ryan Doyle? Is that, Eliana Carter?") Every dot finally connects in Thompson's head.

A while before, Mathiew approached Thompson for a favor. At that time, Mathiew and Maxwell already knew about his undercover situation.

In exchange for Thompson's cooperation, Maxwell will provide them with all the information and resources he needs to accomplish his mission.

The task was simple, yet not straightforward. "Get Ryan Doyle involved!"

After that, Maxwell gave instructions on how to proceed via Mathiew intermediary.

Everything was meticulously planned by this young man.

But one thing escaped his mind. "Why does Doyle need to be involved?" He looks pensive and asks rhetorically.

Hearing his comment, Maxwell chuckles. "Without Doyle, Hopkins would not make his grand display."

"So you make Doyle, Talon's hope to take control of the real estate. But then you swept everything under their feet. You even anticipated, Talon would blame Doyle for everything and make it a grand display before his men. Therefore creating an opportunity to round them altogether." Jared conjectures with awes.

"Yeah! That is more or less it!" Alex confirms casually with a simple smile.

Thompson suddenly remembers Mathiew's word: 'the demon lord son'

____ End of chapter 28 ____