Chapter 291 One Morning Two Surprises
Dickson coughed hard, struggling to catch his breath. Ash still hung in the air around them as the building behind them crackled under the blaze.
He looked over at Liam with dazed, reddened eyes. "That... was definitely staged."
Liam didn’t even argue. He nodded once and pressed two fingers to his ear.
"Vanessa," he said through the comm, his voice flat and serious, "they knew you were watching. They waited for us."
There was a pause on the other end, and then Vanessa’s voice came through, thick with frustration and guilt. "Damn it... I should’ve known. Of course, if they were transporting actual serums, they’d have taken out the cameras right after. I was stupid."
Liam exhaled and shook his head slightly. "It could’ve happened to anyone," he said calmly. "Don’t beat yourself up."
But even he knew things were getting worse.
He stood slowly, arching his back as he stretched. His spine popped in several places. Then he turned to the burning wreck behind him, flames now licking at what was left of the roof.
"They’re getting smarter," he muttered. "The Crimson Hand... they’re not just brutes anymore."
Dickson grunted as he rolled over and finally pushed himself off the ground. He winced and rubbed the back of his head, still dizzy from the blast.
"I can’t believe this is the crap you deal with every day," he muttered as he staggered upright.
Liam gave a dry chuckle. "Welcome to the life."