CHAPTER 162 If They Only Knew


    Liam


    I couldn’t get a hold of Demon. His phone just kept on ringing. I decided to call the Sheriff


    instead.


    “Are you finished at the Ol’ Barn? I asked.


    “Yep. Everything is clean,” the Sheriff said. “We’re on our way to Hignd Oaks in our tactical suits.”


    “Good. Go to the back of Hignd Oaks. At the hidden door, there should be a bunch of motorcycles


    and a gang of masked men. Kill them. Use silencers.”


    I looked behind me. There were several cars at a distance headed this way.


    “Henry, drive faster. I need to get there before anyone else does.” I knew I shouldn’t have cleaned


    myself up, but there was blood all over my mouth and face.


    As we sped down the road towards Hignd Oaks, I noticed it was pitch ck outside. There was no


    power, not even the streetlights along the road were on. How was it possible that the rest of the town


    had power while this high-end residential area had none?


    Just before we reached the gates of themunity, Henry abruptly stopped, causing me to hit the


    passenger seat in front of me.


    “What’s wrong? Why did you stop?” I asked, rubbing my forehead.


    “Mayor, there are bodies lying on the pavement, Henry answered. “I can’t drive on them, over them or


    around them. There’s just too many of them.”


    What?!


    “They were only supposed to kill the Martins. I gave distinct instructions to make it appear as if they


    were shooting at people. Sure, maybe wound some, but not kill. The people were supposed to be a


    cover up. What happened?!” I yelled. He winced at the sound of my loud voice, amplified within the


    confines of the car.


    “Mayor Cohen, didn’t I suggest you use your guards instead of employing a gang Bismarck? I also


    suggested not to give them drugs until the job was done. It would keep


    from


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    CHAPTER 162 If They Only Knew


    imagined these people to be bunny rabbits or something,” Henry pointed out. I rubbed my forehead.


    This was my fault.


    I promised Demon anything if he and his crew did this for me. He, unfortunately, wanted a down-


    payment in the form of drugs.


    “Henry, I needed people who were disposable if ever they were caught,” I remarked, “and my guards


    would point directly to me as the mastermind. No one should know it was me.” I pointed out. “Well, I


    need to get inside. The Martins aren’t at their home which leads me to assume they’re at the old


    McDowell residence. I need to pretend I’m saving them, so I can kill them and pin it on this gang.


    These idiots haven’t done the one thing I instructed them


    to do.”


    “Mayor, I highly suggest not to. These addicts may still be inside, armed. They will kill you-”


    -Henry was unable to finish his sentence. He was interrupted by the loud screamsing


    from outside.


    People from inside the residential area poured out through the gates, pushing against each other. They


    ran wildly in every direction while screaming and yelling like crazed animals.


    The light from my car was their beacon of light.


    Perfect. They’ll think I’m their hero.


    “Turn off the headlights once I’ve gone through the gates,” I told Henry. “I think the gang has left the


    vicinity or these people wouldn’t be running out. I’ll be in and out, before Jack and the rest of the people


    get here. And don’t worry, I have my bulletproof vest on and I’m


    armed.”


    Before I walked out of the car, I took a shlight from the glovepartment.


    Lucklily, the massive number of people scrambling out earlier hadpletely thinned down,


    there was no need to push my way through to enter the gatedmunity. If the Martins weren’t at


    home, then it only meant they were at Link’s house… the Old McDowell residence.


    I figured they would go to him after the paranoia of believing they were the target set in.


    No problem. I knew my way there even in the dark.


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    CHAPTER 162 They Only Knew


    Once I was inside Hignd Oaks, Henry shut off the headlign: just as he was instructed. leaving the


    residential area inplete and utter darkness once more. I nced behind me and noticed the cars


    were now a short distance away.


    I turned my shlight on and can down the street, avoiding the bodies that were strewn all over the


    concrete road. Come tomorrow, he would be a nightmare for me, but I already had a n in mind.


    I just tested to throw some money at ….


    Just in time too. The Spring Fortey Bee Celebration wouldmence in a couple of days.


    Money and parties would make this all go away.


    At the Old McDowell residence. I found the from door of the house open to my surprise. walked in my


    shlight on, vandering where they were. I went upstairs and found all the rooms empr. I tried the


    basement and found it empty as wel


    Where could they be?


    I was standing in the h o ren. looking through the window out into the satyard and notions


    the guesthouse.


    If they weren’t there, then I’d like it to Norma sihouse to the. Maybe Demon overlooked a


    hidden door or something


    I turned to exit through ste back door when I saw a piece of paper on the Anchen counter


    was a small note.


    Tomas has signed the text of sale. I will zul you to make arrangements.


    I crumpled the piece of paper and threw it in the sink. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Link had the deed of sale and the Martins were gone.


    Go d d ammn: The Mans were so f ucking lucity.


    pulled out my phone to locate them using the tracker in Tinmas car, but strange


    pinged at Norma’s house


    They must have used Linic’s car.


    F uck! I didn’t have a tracker on it.


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    EP 169 If Thou


    CHAPTER 162 If They Only Knew


    And this darkness all around me was not helping.


    I decided to call the power cooperative. Not having any light was f ucking irritating.


    “I need the power back on at Hignd Oaks. There’s a situation here and we need-”


    And like magic, the power came back on. Was someone f ucking with me? “Thank power is back on,” I


    said and hung up.


    What the f uck was going on? Did Pete know about this? Was he behind all of this?


    It was impossible. I made these arrangements yesterday afternoon.


    Was he watching me?


    you.


    That


    Maybe his capo was following me. I’ve been meaning to search through my father’s files for his identity,


    but I keep forgetting. I will do that first thing once I get home.


    I walked out the kitchen, confused and anxious. As I passed the living room, three women screamed.


    They made me jump from fright.


    “Oh my gosh! Mayor Cohen! We didn’t know it was you. We thought it was one of the shooters,” the


    youngest said before bursting into tears. “Oh thank Go d! This means we’re


    saved.”


    “Come on. Let’s get you outside, so emergency services can help,” I said.


    “Link told us to tell our rescuers there are people in the guesthouse,” the oldest of the three


    said.


    “You know Link?” I asked surprised.


    “Not really,” the oldest answered. “He saved us from a shooter and told us to stay here, so he can help


    more people. We don’t know what happened to him? Is he okay?”


    “I don’t know. I came looking for him because he called on me for help. But first, let’s check on those


    people at the guesthouse,” I said ushering them out the front door.


    Outside, I saw Link’s car parked out front. If Thomas’ car is still at Norma’s and his car is


    here, how did they leave?


    Maybe they used Norma’s car. I sighed. I didn’t have a tracker on her car either. I’ll have the/7


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    CHAPTER 162 If They Only Knew


    With the three women clutching my jacket, we went to the back to help the people in the guesthouse. I


    tried the door k nob to see if it was locked. It wasn’t.


    Screams erupted as I swung the door open. I switched on the lights and found the guesthouse packed


    with frightened people. When they saw me, they all let out a sigh of


    relief.


    “We’re saved!” They all cheered. I ced a finger on my mouth to shush them.


    If they only knew…


    “When we are all out, you can cheer. For now, I need everyone to stay quiet. Come on everyone.


    Follow me,” I instructed.


    They followed me quietly through the streets and out of the gates where emergency services and the


    media greeted them.


    Everyone broke out into an apuse as I brought the people out to safety. Jack who was standing


    beside a body of a fallen deputy, looked shocked to see me with so many people.


    “Mayor, how does it feel to be a hero?” One of the press asked. I needed to make an ambiguous


    statement.


    “If there is a hero, it is the people who go far and beyond the call of duty. This is a tragic event. Let us


    mourn for the people we have lost. Excuse me. There are pressing matters I


    have to attend to.”


    The deputies at the scene were cing yellow tape up, prohibiting the public from entering


    the area. I made my way to the people processing the crime scene and gave them instructions to give


    me a list of names of the deceased so I can provide benefits to the


    families.


    I walked to Jack who was still standing over the body of his deputy. He had his bulletproof vest on,


    waiting for his men who were busy putting on theirs.


    His face was dark, his jaw clenched, and his hands balled into fists.


    “Liam, please tell me you had nothing to do with this,” Jack whispered, his voice eerily low.


    “Jack, people can’t just disappear. I needed a way to make everything look like a massacre without


    using the Killing Fields as a burial site, I reasoned. “Plus, I also needed a way to kill


    the Martins without making it look like they were the intended targets.


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    CHAPTER 162 If They Only Knew


    “Good men lost their lives today,” Jack said, his hands balled up into fists. “This didn’t need


    to happen.”


    “Well, the damage has been done. I don’t need to remind you that you are as much a part of this as I


    am,” I murmured low.


    “You make me sick,” Jack muttered angrily. “After today, you are on your own. I don’t want to be part of


    any of this anymore.”


    “If you turn your back on me now, I’ll make sure you never get appointed as Undersheriff u go down


    with again,” I threatened. “And before you get any bright ideas, if I go down, you go


    me.”


    He stared at me like I was a lost cause.


    da warning.


    “Liam, I’ve done so much for you. But not like this,” Jack said, his tone held “You’re going to pay for the


    burials andpensate their families or we’re through.”


    “Done,” I replied. “Jack, I’m doing this for all our sakes. After tonight, this town is ours. No more


    treading on eggshells. We will be kings. I’ll even make sure your debt is wiped clean. forever. You can


    start a new life with Kik i. Buy a nice house, raise a family. Trust me, Jack.”


    “If I’m going to be a king, I don’t want anymore of this s hit. We are here to protect and serve,” Jack


    reminded me. “Well, this is going to be a long night. I need to process the whol residential area, but


    before I can do that, I need to make sure this area is clear.”


    “The Sheriff is on his way to contain the area. Make sure no one is alive.”


    Jack nodded his head and walked away.


    Jack headed towards the deputy coroner, leaving instructions to bag the deputy, then gestured for his


    deputies to follow him inside Hignd Oaks.


    I told those punks to cause mayhem without hurting people. If they had to shoot at the


    people, shoot them in the leg or arm…


    To pretend they were on a killing spree.


    But this, this was an actual mass shooting.


    “Mayor Cohen,” a woman said, tapping my shoulder. “Thank you for saving my life. You’re my


    hero.”


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    I smiled sadly, nodding my head in appreciation.


    But I want a hero.


    I walked over to the ambulimeas to check on the people. To my surprise, I found Link sitting on a


    shorter, getting lunest checked by the EMTs.


    He lips curved into a lopsided smile, but his eyes held a coldness in its depth, 20


    Unfortatuttely, he had my dead of sale


    I vowed to deal with distr


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