Chapter 775
“Who are you looking for?”
The man’s voice over the phone sounded raspy and unpleasant.
As Cedrick listened to the man’s voice, memories of Joe’s face from their younger days and the shared
experiences of training together came flooding back.
During their training, Cedrick and Joe, along with their fellow trainees, learned a few voice modtion
techniques.
“Joe, is that you?” Cedrick inquired, though deep down, he was already certain of the answer.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a light chuckle. “Looks like
I’ve underestimated you, Mr. Jenson. I’m impressed that you were able to figure that out. That exins
why you’re still at the helm of the Federal Bureau of Investigation after so many years.”
Cedrick, not interested in pleasantries, got straight to the point. “Where’s my wife? Release her
immediately. If you have any demands, speak to me directly,” he demanded.
The man sneered, his voice hoarse and tinged with mockery. “I’ve always thought you had a heart of
stone, but it seems you love your wife deeply. Tell me, are you willing to give up your life if I want you
dead?”
Cedrick remained silent for a moment, contemting his response carefully. When he spoke again, his
tone was serious and unwavering. “If you release Gwendolyn and guarantee her safe return, you will
witness news of my self-inflicted gunshot the next day.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“We’ve known each other for years, and you know I’m a man of my word. If you don’t trust me, I can
write a will.” Cedrick spoke calmly as if discussing something trivial.
Owned by N?velDrama.Org.
However, Cedrick’s serious words seemed to have the opposite effect, further enraging the man on the
other end of the line.
The man’s voice grew even more venomous as he reminded Cedrick of a past tragedy. “Cedrick
Jenson, have you forgotten about the girl who died for you? You were heartless back then, and now
you’re iming to be a perfect husband, willing to sacrifice your life. Do you think I would let you off so
easily?”
Cedrick’s face turned pale as Joe’s words unearthed haunting memories from his troubled past.
“Why aren’t you talking? Do you believe that after all these years, you can sitfortably at the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, pretending to be a devoted husband without any guilt?” Joe’s voice
dripped with bitterness as he gritted his teeth.
His hatred toward Cedrick was evident.
Nevertheless, Cedrick remained expressionless, refusing to be swayed by the man’s usations. “I
don’t feel guilty. I haven’t done anything wrong to her.”
The “her” mentioned in their conversation was the girl whom Joe had asserted had died because of
Cedrick.
“Cedrick Jenson!” The man’s voice turned even more menacing, reminiscent of a wild beast’s growl or
a lurking predator’s hiss, thoroughly provoked. “After all these years, you’re still the same heartless
man you used to be. Since you’re so capable, find your wife on your own. But let me remind you, I’ve
been treating your wife kindlytely. Nevertheless, in the next two days, you can expect a little surprise
gift from me. Perhaps her ring finger or her delicate pinky?”
As a chilling chuckle emanated from the other end of the phone, Cedrick’s grip on the receiver
tightened. “Joe Landon, if you dare toy your finger on her, I’ll make your life a living hell.”
Joe dismissed Cedrick’s threat with indifference. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve been living in
a state worse than death for a long time,” he replied callously. “But it would be quite a treat if I could
make you and your wife suffer together.”
As the intense conversation between Cedrick and Joe continued, Swain proactively traced and
analyzed the signal locations.
Cedrick utilized a specializedmunication device—a surveince mobile phone equipped with
advanced technology—to facilitate hismunication and ensure security during the sensitive
exchange.
Completely unaware of the state-of-the-art technology used in investigations, Joe remained oblivious to
the fact that all the information from his phone was being encrypted and uploaded to the Federal
Bureau of Investigation’s cloud database the moment the call connected.
Cedrick would asionally nce at Swain, who remained fully focused on theputer screen as he
deftly maniptedplex codes.
Unaware that he was being monitored, Joe continued his conversation with Cedrick. “Cedrick, we’ve
been friends for years. I might consider letting your wife go if you admit to your past mistakes. Kneel
before Eryn’s grave for three days and three nights, and I’ll ensure your wife’s safe return,” he
proposed.
Swain, who could hear their conversation, decisively shook his head. He knew that dealing with Joe,
who had been on the run for many years, would be no easy task.
Thetter possessed exceptional skills in disguise and had a highly deceptive personality.
Coupled with the fact that many things could happen in three days, who could be certain of the dangers
Gwendolyn might encounter during that time?
Besides, Cedrick had already maintained his innocence regarding the past events Joe mentioned, so
there was no reason for him to falsely admit wrongdoing and perform such an unusual task as guarding
a grave.
Amidst the tense exchange, Cedrick chose to remain silent, seemingly deep in contemtion about his
next move.
Joe did not press him further. “Take your time to think it over. If you don’t call me by this time tomorrow,
be prepared to receive a gift from me,” he warned ominously before abruptly ending the call.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Swain immediately leaned in. “Boss, what’s the n?”
Cedrick’s gaze remained fixed on the blue screen of Swain’s coding, his eyes narrowing sharply as he
focused his determination. “We’re not at his mercy. I’m in control of the situation,” he dered firmly.
“We still have twenty-four hours, so let’s use the remaining time to track him down.”
“All right!” Swain responded, fully immersing himself in the realm of hacking technology.
It took him a few hours to finally establish a connection with the tracking system on Joe’s mobile phone.
Byte afternoon, the disyed location on Swain’s screen indicated that Joe was still in Quawak.
A frown etched itself on Cedrick’s countenance as he fell into deep thought.
He had led his team to search every nook and cranny of Quawak a couple of days ago, but their efforts
were futile, as there were no signs of Gwendolyn or Joe.
As he mulled over the situation, a thought popped into his mind: perhaps Joe had never left the area in
the first ce.
Cedrick meticulously recalled the footage of the search operation in his mind, and he started to notice
something peculiar.
“He was the old fisherman by the creek in Quawak. He cleverly concealed his scent with dried fish and
adopted a hunched posture to disguise himself,” Cedrick muttered, finally piecing together the puzzle.
“Given that, let’s move out right away to catch him. We might have a good chance to rescue Mrs.
Jenson tonight!” Swain eximed eagerly.
Cedrick swiftly walked over to the corner where the coat rack stood, removed his military coat, and put
it on. “Inform Team Four and Team Ten to prepare and assemble in fifteen minutes. We’re heading to
Quawak immediately,” hemanded.
“Yes, sir!”
To avoid drawing attention and arousing suspicion, Cedrick divided the teams into ten vehicles,
departing from two different side exits. They opted for a longer route to reach Quawak discreetly.
Just five minutes after their departure, Charles arrived at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, only to be
informed by the guards that Cedrick was not there.
Unable to reach him by phone, Charles decided to call Nico instead. “Where’s Cedrick? I’ve something
important to discuss with him. I’ve located the specific location where Gwendolyn might be—”
“Mr. Jenson has already gone to rescue Mrs. Jenson. We should have an oue by this evening,”
Nico interjected.
“Where did he go?”
After careful consideration, Nico decided to trust Charles, given thetter’s consistent reliability over
the years, and revealed, “He went to Quawak.”
Charles’ stern expression deepened.
Quawak? Why?
The hacked information revealed a location different from the one Cedrick had discovered through the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Was the information I received incorrect, or did something go wrong with Cedrick’s investigation?