Chapter 421: Dead Soldiers!!

A few miles outside Mountain City, Belvoir...

The forest road was almost completely silent.

Tall trees stood on both sides of the narrow stretch of asphalt, blocking most of the morning light. A damaged black vehicle remained stopped in the middle of the road.

Its windshield had several cracks.

One of the doors was open.

And scattered across the road and the nearby grass...

Bodies lay still.

Clarissa stood a short distance away.

Her katana remained in her hand.

Fresh blood slowly dripped from the edge of the blade.

Her breathing was controlled, but the sleeve around her left shoulder had already turned dark.

A bullet had grazed through the flesh.

Ken stood several steps away, rifle still raised as he carefully scanned the forest.

Nothing moved.

No footsteps.

No engines.

No second team.

Finally, he lowered the weapon slightly.

"You alright, Clan Supreme?"

Clarissa glanced toward the rifle in his hands.

Then toward the bodies around them.

"When we reach the base..."

Ken looked at her.

"Teach me how to use one of those."

He blinked.

"A firearm?"

"Yes."

Clarissa looked at the blood on her shoulder.

"Swords are good."

She sighed.

"But apparently bullets don’t care about tradition."

Ken almost smiled.

"Understood."

Clarissa wiped her blade clean against the coat of one of the dead attackers before returning it to the sheath.

"Find out who they are."

Ken nodded.

"And why they attacked us."

"Already checking."

Behind them...

The vehicle door opened.

Olivia stepped out.

She had remained inside during the attack, protecting the two sisters.

Thea still sat in the rear seat, holding Ivy tightly against her.

Ivy’s face was pale.

Her fingers clutched the front of Thea’s clothes.

"It’s going to be alright."

Thea gently stroked her hair.

"It’s over."

Ivy looked through the window toward Clarissa.

"Is..."

She swallowed.

"Is Master alright?"

Thea followed her gaze.

Clarissa was still standing as though nothing serious had happened.

"She’s alright."

Thea smiled faintly.

"She’s a warrior."

That seemed to calm Ivy slightly.

Outside...

Olivia hurried toward Clarissa.

"You good?"

Then she saw the blood.

Her eyes widened.

"Oh my God."

"You’ve been shot?"

Clarissa looked down at her shoulder.

"Just a flesh wound."

"That is still a bullet wound."

"I’m alright."

Olivia stepped closer.

"Show me."

Clarissa sighed.

"It’s really nothing."

Olivia touched the edge of the torn sleeve.

Clarissa immediately flinched.

"Ahh."

Olivia stared at her.

"Nothing?"

Clarissa looked away.

Olivia shook her head.

"We need to clean it."

"There’s a medical kit inside the car."

She glanced at Clarissa’s blood-stained clothes.

"And I have spare clothes in the luggage."

Clarissa nodded.

"That would help."

Olivia turned.

Then stopped.

For the first time, she properly looked at the bodies around the road.

Her expression slowly changed.

Something was wrong.

These weren’t poorly equipped hired criminals.

Most of them wore expensive suits beneath light tactical equipment.

Clean shoes.

Professional watches.

Even their movements during the attack had been coordinated.

Olivia frowned.

"They don’t look like hired goons."

Ken had already crouched beside one of the bodies.

He removed a phone from the man’s pocket.

Then another.

A few moments later, he stood.

"You need to look at this."

Clarissa walked toward him.

"What?"

Ken unlocked one of the devices and opened the image gallery.

Then handed it over.

Clarissa scrolled once.

Her eyes narrowed.

Olivia stepped closer.

"What is it?"

Clarissa turned the screen toward her.

Olivia froze.

"That’s me."

Another swipe.

Clarissa’s expression hardened.

"And Ivy."

Olivia took the phone.

There were several images.

Olivia.

Ivy.

The Winslow Estate.

Vehicle records.

Public road cameras.

Even official photographs.

Olivia enlarged one of Ivy’s pictures.

"These aren’t random surveillance images."

Ken looked toward her.

"How do you know?"

Olivia stared carefully.

"This one..."

She pointed toward Ivy’s photograph.

"I took Ivy for her biometric ID update when she turned fourteen."

Clarissa looked at her.

"You’re sure?"

"Completely."

Olivia swiped to her own photograph.

"And this picture of me..."

She paused.

"It’s only attached to my passport records."

The three of them became quiet.

Ken finally spoke.

"Then I have good news and bad news."

Clarissa looked toward him.

"What’s the good news?"

Ken glanced toward the car.

"They don’t know about Thea."

Clarissa immediately looked at the photographs again.

He was right.

Olivia.

Ivy.

Vehicle details.

Nothing about Thea.

Clarissa made the decision instantly.

"We’re abandoning the flight."

Olivia turned.

"What?"

"We don’t go through an airport."

Clarissa looked toward the surrounding forest.

"If whoever sent these people has access to government records, we can’t risk Thea appearing on a passenger system."

She looked toward Ken.

"Call Monica."

"Tell her we need an airlift directly from here."

Ken nodded.

"Understood."

Olivia looked back toward Clarissa’s shoulder.

"First..."

She pointed toward the car.

"Mr. Ken, help me patch her up."

Ken collected the phones and wallets from the attackers into a pouch.

"On it."

He walked toward the vehicle.

Thea immediately looked toward him when he opened the door.

"What’s wrong?"

Ken gave her a reassuring smile.

"Already handled."

"There has been a change of plans."

Ivy tightened her grip around Thea.

Ken continued,

"We’re going to Star Harbor by helicopter."

Ivy looked toward Clarissa again.

"Is Master really alright?"

Ken glanced at Clarissa, who was currently arguing with Olivia about how much disinfectant was necessary.

He smiled.

"That girl has an iron body."

Thea finally released a breath.

"Good."

A few minutes later...

Olivia finished the call.

She returned quickly.

"Sister Monica said the helicopter will be here in twenty minutes."

Clarissa nodded.

"Good."

She adjusted the temporary dressing around her shoulder.

Then pointed toward the bodies.

"Take photographs of everything."

Olivia nodded.

Clarissa continued,

"And call your grandfather."

"He’ll know how to make sure this road is cleaned before anyone inappropriate starts asking questions."

Olivia understood.

"Right."

She immediately pulled out her phone.

Clarissa looked toward the forest.

Whatever had just happened...

It wasn’t random.

And somehow...

Someone had known exactly who would be inside that car.

...

China.

Several hours later.

The vibration of a phone broke the quiet inside the cottage.

Miles slowly opened his eyes.

For a few seconds, he remained still.

The room was dim.

Outside the large windows, the earliest light of morning was beginning to touch the forest.

Chloe was asleep beside him.

Miles reached toward his phone.

Several messages.

Photographs.

Missed calls.

The moment he saw Monica’s name...

His sleep disappeared.

He carefully got out of bed.

Put on his clothes.

Then quietly stepped outside without waking Chloe.

The morning air was cold.

The campfire from the previous night had already gone out.

Miles walked toward the wooden railing outside the cottage and opened the photographs Monica had sent.

Bodies.

Phones.

Faces.

A damaged vehicle.

Clarissa’s bloodied shoulder.

Miles immediately called.

Monica answered quickly.

"Boss."

Miles’ voice became serious.

"What’s wrong?"

"They were attacked."

"When?"

"Shortly after leaving the Winslow Estate."

Miles stared at one of the photographs.

"They were waiting?"

"Looks like it."

His jaw tightened.

"Status?"

"Clarissa and Ken handled them."

Monica paused.

"Clarissa took a bullet to the shoulder."

Miles’ expression changed.

"How bad?"

"Flesh wound."

"She’s fine."

Miles released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

"Where are they now?"

"On the way to Star Harbor."

"I arranged an airlift."

"Good."

Miles looked toward the dark forest around him.

"Send additional security to the Winslow Estate too."

"Already done."

Miles nodded.

Then noticed the hesitation in Monica’s voice.

"What?"

Silence.

"Monica."

"What’s wrong?"

"The attackers weren’t there for Thea."

Miles’ eyes narrowed.

"They were targeting Olivia and Ivy."

He became quiet.

"They don’t know Thea is with them?"

"No."

Miles looked at the photographs again.

"That’s an advantage."

"Yes."

Monica continued,

"But there is another problem."

Miles waited.

"I identified some of the attackers."

"From where?"

"The military database."

Miles froze.

"Military?"

"Yes."

He immediately straightened.

"They were soldiers?"

Monica’s next words were slower.

"They were."

"According to the records..."

"They’re dead."

Miles frowned.

"What?"

"They died in the line of service."

He stared at the man’s face on his phone.

"For real?"

"All of them?"

"Everyone I’ve identified so far."

Monica continued,

"I found their names in state funeral records."

Miles zoomed in on one photograph.

A man lying near the road.

His face.

Something about it.

Miles stared longer.

Then realization hit.

"Wait."

He stood completely still.

"You’re right."

Monica became attentive.

"You know them?"

"I’ve seen one of them before."

"Where?"

"An army base."

Miles frowned.

"Years ago."

He looked again.

"How is this possible?"

Monica sighed.

"That’s what we’re trying to understand."

Miles became quiet.

Then asked,

"The pictures of Ivy?"

"They came from government records."

Monica explained the biometric photograph.

Then Olivia’s passport photograph.

Miles’ face hardened.

"That means someone had access."

"Yes."

"The fact that they knew about Ivy worries me."

Miles thought carefully.

"There’s only one person who actively wanted Ivy."

"Bjorn."

Monica agreed.

"But these don’t look like WEB personnel."

"No."

Miles looked at the dead soldiers again.

"This isn’t Bjorn’s style."

Monica replied,

"And these people have legally been dead for years."

That sentence bothered Miles more than anything else.

He walked slowly along the cottage porch.

"Check their families."

"What exactly?"

"Everything."

Miles looked toward the mountains.

"If a soldier disappears from his family and willingly becomes dead on paper..."

"He probably did something to make sure the people he left behind were protected."

Monica listened.

"Check pensions."

"Compensation."

"Unusual donations."

"School payments."

"Medical expenses."

"Any anonymous financial support."

He paused.

"Find out if there is a common sender."

"Understood."

"And bring Charles into it."

"I will."

Miles’ eyes returned to the photographs.

"Whoever these people are..."

"They aren’t ordinary."

Monica remained quiet.

Miles continued,

"Someone inside the system is still helping the WEB."

"We didn’t get everyone."

Monica immediately replied,

"We removed everyone connected to the records we recovered."

"And everyone Thea identified."

Miles nodded slowly.

"Then we’re dealing with someone above those records."

A larger figure.

Someone whose name had never needed to appear.

Miles’ voice became colder.

"Do not alert government authorities yet."

Monica understood immediately.

"Not even Wilfred?"

"Not yet."

"If this goes deep enough..."

Miles looked at the dead man’s face again.

"...we don’t know who receives the alert first."

Monica replied,

"Understood."

"We’ll handle it."

"Take care there."

Miles smiled faintly.

"Thanks."

Then added,

"Keep me updated."

"Of course."

The call ended.

Miles remained outside.

The morning had become slightly brighter.

Birds had started moving somewhere among the trees.

But Miles wasn’t looking at the scenery anymore.

He reopened the photograph of the dead soldier.

That face.

He knew it.

Not personally.

But enough.

After several seconds...

Miles dialed another number.

The call connected.

A sleepy voice answered.

"What is wrong, General?"

Miles smiled faintly.

"Good morning to you too."

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Morning."

"Exactly."

The man yawned.

"Where are you?"

"I’m at my apartment in Citadel."

Then his voice changed.

"Wait."

"You owe me an explanation."

Miles raised an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"The cleanup."

Adam sounded offended.

"You didn’t tell me anything."

"Do you think I was compromised too?"

Miles smiled.

"Who knows?"

"Not every rookie gets promoted from Special Forces to the President’s Secret Service."

Adam went silent.

Then...

"Ouch."

Miles chuckled.

"That hurt."

"Good."

Adam sighed.

"Alright."

"Tell me what’s wrong."

Miles became serious.

"I need you to check something."

He sent the photographs.

Then briefly explained the situation.

The attackers.

The military records.

The funerals.

The fact that the men lying dead on the road had supposedly been dead for years already.

Adam became completely awake.

"No kidding?"

"Check the pictures."

"Give me a second."

Silence.

Miles waited.

Then...

Adam cursed under his breath.

"I know some of them."

Miles’ eyes narrowed.

"Personally?"

"Not closely."

"But I’ve seen them."

He paused.

"This is real."

His voice dropped.

"Damn."

"This is a different level."

Miles frowned.

"Different level?"

"You’re Secret Service, Adam."

"What level exactly do you see above you?"

Adam sighed.

"That’s the problem."

Miles understood.

Someone able to hide trained soldiers behind state funeral records wasn’t operating from the bottom.

Adam continued,

"I’ll look into it."

"Quietly."

Miles added,

"Don’t tell anyone."

Adam became silent.

Miles continued,

"Not even the President."

"That serious?"

"Until we know what we’re looking at."

Adam didn’t hesitate.

"Anything to protect him."

Miles smiled faintly.

"Take care."

"You too."

Then Adam suddenly remembered something.

"Oh."

"What?"

"Congratulations on your wedding."

Miles laughed.

"Little late."

"Better late than never."

Adam continued,

"And apparently..."

"I owe you a gift."

"You didn’t come to the wedding."

"Exactly."

"So yes."

"You owe me one."

Adam laughed.

"I’ll make it up to you."

"Take care, Miles."

"You too."

The call ended.

Miles lowered the phone.

He stared at the photographs one last time.

A dead soldier who wasn’t dead.

Government records that lied.

An attack on Ivy.

Someone powerful enough to move people through the system without leaving them alive on paper.

A new problem.

Or perhaps...

A very old one they simply hadn’t noticed yet.

"Everything alright?"

Miles immediately turned.

Chloe stood at the cottage door.

Her hair was still slightly messy from sleep.

She wore a light robe and looked at him with sleepy eyes.

Miles smiled.

"Yes."

Chloe studied his face for a moment.

Then walked closer.

"When are we leaving?"

Miles slipped the phone into his pocket.

"Now."

Chloe stopped.

"Now?"

He nodded.

She looked down at herself.

"Wait."

Miles raised an eyebrow.

"I need to shower first."

Miles smiled.

"Me too."

Chloe looked toward him.

Then, for some reason...

A mischievous smile appeared.

She stepped slightly closer.

"Want to join me?"

Miles froze.

"Hun?"

Chloe immediately looked away.

Miles’ eyes widened.

"What did you say?"

Chloe’s face began turning red.

Miles stepped closer.

"Say it again."

She grabbed a towel from the chair beside the door.

"Hmph."

Then threw it straight at his face.

Miles caught it.

"Hey."

Chloe had already turned around.

"Too late."

"Chloe."

She hurried toward the bathroom.

Miles followed a few steps behind.

"Wait."

The bathroom door closed.

Miles stood outside holding the towel.