Chapter 128: Impatient & Rumor
Gideon waited patiently, though only for a short while. He knew Elaine was more than capable of handling herself, but remaining hidden in the cramped and dim generator building quickly became unbearable.
From his vantage point, he could see the bandits laughing and mocking the captives, even forcing one of the men to dance like a monkey for their amusement. The scene was both irritating and painfully dull.
He rolled his eyes. ’Well, at least they’re not doing anything truly degenerate,’ he thought, though the bar for decency among these men was already disturbingly low.
When one of the bandits wandered close to the generator building, Gideon seized the opportunity.
He moved swiftly, dragging the unsuspecting man inside before the bandit could even react.
Wrapping his arm around the man’s neck, Gideon twisted sharply. A quiet crack echoed in the darkness as the body went limp and collapsed to the floor.
"Well, it should be fine if I keep things quiet, right?" Gideon muttered with a shrug.
He quickly stripped the corpse of its robe and black face mask, disguising himself before stepping back outside.
Blending seamlessly with the other bandits, he made his way toward the building where Elaine had been taken.
No one questioned his presence, and none even offered a greeting as he passed. The disguise worked perfectly.
Inside, the structure resembled a standard three-story building. The first floor functioned as a storage area, filled with various crates neatly arranged along the walls.
Several bandits were busy documenting the contents with surprising diligence. Their records appeared even more organized than those of Freebound.
’They really do operate like an organized crime syndicate, even with their limited numbers,’ Gideon mused. ’Jade could learn a thing or two from this.’
As he continued forward, he suddenly halted when he heard voices coming from a nearby room. The word "bitch" was mentioned repeatedly, and Gideon immediately knew they were referring to Elaine. He quietly approached the door and peeked through the small window etched into it.
Inside, two men were working—one unpacking crates and placing their contents on shelves, while the other carefully recorded each item in a ledger.
From what Gideon could see from the small window on the door, the crates contained energy drinks, likely part of their trade goods.
"Boss finally managed to capture that bitch," one of the men said with a scoff. "She should’ve done it sooner instead of giving us all those useless orders."
"Right?" the other replied with a sigh as he continued writing. "We’re already short-staffed here." He paused before lowering his voice. "But I heard it’s because of their past."
"They have a past?" the first man chuckled. "What, did the boss suddenly have a heart attack and that doctor saved her life?"
"No." The second man glanced around cautiously before leaning closer. "I heard—"
Gideon frowned as the rest of the sentence became inaudible from his position. Whatever secret was being shared, it was clearly significant.
A moment later, the first man spoke again. "Damn, if that’s true, it makes sense. Did you see her movements? There’s no way she’s just a civilian."
"Exactly," the second agreed.
"That probably explains why the boss has a weird soft spot for her. Honestly, why didn’t she just ask the doctor to join us? Someone like her would be a huge asset."
"Well, easier said than done," the first man snorted. "Didn’t you see how that bitch beat the hell out of the boss?"
"Yeah," the second chuckled. "I swear I heard her nose crack. That was satisfying."
Their laughter echoed briefly before the second man abruptly stopped.
"Shh! If she hears you, you’ll be thrown into the desert. Let’s just finish this work."
Gideon frowned as he processed what he had just overheard. From their conversation, it was clear that Elaine shared a past with the Skull Fangs’ boss, something tied to her status as a military doctor and perhaps even more.
"Fuck, should I move now’ he wondered.
He didn’t have much time to deliberate. The two men inside had finished their work and were preparing to leave the room.
Gideon acted first.
He pushed the door open with force, sending one of the men stumbling backward and crashing onto the floor. The sudden impact startled both of them.
"What the hell, dude? Are you blind? Can’t you see this room is full?" the fallen man snapped, his expression already twisting with irritation as he prepared to stand and retaliate.
Instead of responding, Gideon stepped inside calmly. He closed the door behind him and locked it.
"Oi, don’t you have a mouth, bastard?" the second man barked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"What’s your name? Which division are you from?!"
The man who had fallen to the floor finally pushed himself up, rubbing the back of his head with a scowl.
"You deaf or just stupid?" he muttered as he stepped closer, his hand tightening into a fist. "Answer the question before I—"
He never finished his sentence.
Gideon moved, closing the distance in an instant. His hand shot forward, grabbing the man by the throat and slamming him against the wall.
Before the second bandit could react, Gideon drew his knife and drove it cleanly into the man’s neck. A muffled gasp escaped the victim as his body went limp.
Gideon approached the man who was groaning and slumped on the ground. Grabbing the bandit’s robe, he covered the man’s mouth firmly with his other hand as he leaned closer.
"If you dare to scream, you will suffer the same fate as your friend," he whispered coldly.
The man’s terrified eyes shifted toward the lifeless body lying nearby, sprawled in a growing pool of blood. His face turned pale as realization sank in, and he nodded frantically in agreement.
This was the one who had whispered about Elaine’s past. Gideon knew he could not simply wait for Elaine to explain everything; it was entirely possible she would never reveal it to him on her own. If he wanted answers, he had to take them now.
Slowly, Gideon removed his hand, though he kept the bloodied knife pressed against the man’s throat. The bandit swallowed hard before speaking, his voice shaky and uneven.
"I-it’s just a rumor I heard! That’s all! I-I don’t know if it’s true!"
"Tell me everything," Gideon replied, his tone calm but firm. "I don’t care if it’s only a rumor."
The man gulped and began to speak. "Back then, I was finally allowed to travel with the boss to another Skull Fangs headquarters."
"I mean, the real headquarters, not a branch like this one. It was for an annual meeting where most of the branch heads gathered."
He paused briefly, gathering his thoughts. "When Elaine’s name was mentioned, everyone’s expressions changed. It was like... they were afraid."
"They ordered the lower members, including me, to leave the room, leaving only the heads behind. So we took a smoke break, it was one of the perks we received as gifts during the meeting."
Gideon’s brows knitted together. What could Elaine have done to make even the heads of the Skull Fangs fear her? The thought only deepened his curiosity.
"Keep talking," he urged. "Don’t leave out any details."
The man nodded quickly. "I asked the bodyguards of the heads about what was happening inside, and they became very serious."
"One of them finally told me that Elaine was once a member of the Skull Fangs. Not just any member, she stood beside the Leader of the organization."
Gideon’s eyes widened in surprise. "The Leader? What makes them different from the branch heads?"
The bandit hesitated before answering. "This faction is structured like a government or a large mafia. The branch heads are like ministers, the Leader is equivalent to a president; the one who commands everything."
"There are two Leaders, and one of them is said to be Elaine’s sister."
"What?!" Gideon could not hide his shock.
The revelation clashed sharply with the image he had of Elaine. The Skull Fangs were criminals, operating much like the mafia of this world. How could someone like her share the same origins?
She was a doctor—one known for her kindness—often treating patients without demanding payment. Summer and Freya had always spoken of her generosity, which was precisely why she had fallen into such heavy debt.
Yet Gideon also sensed the deep resentment she held toward the Skull Fangs. After all, her clinic had been burned down, and her life had been nearly destroyed.
In a world like this, people could change drastically when pushed to their limits.
’If I were in her position, I might have done even worse,’ he admitted to himself.
"Then why did you all treat her like a pest?" Gideon asked.
"Well..." the man sighed, still trembling. "I was told to keep quiet about it, and honestly, I was in disbelief too... until now. The way she fights, the way people react to her... She’s like a monster."
Gideon remained silent for a moment. Despite the man’s fear, he found it difficult to fully accept the description.
Still, the possibility lingered. Something must have happened in Elaine’s past to make her abandon that life and become the person she was now.
’I need to know more,’ he thought.
Gideon’s priorities shifted. Understanding Elaine’s past was no longer just a matter of curiosity; it was essential.
With her skills, experience, and connections, she could become an invaluable asset to his Safe Zone.