How great was their desire to get rid of Xia Lei?
To the CIA, that would be their most important mission since their establishment. Though Xia Lei wasn’t a terrorist, the threat he brought to America’s interests surpassed all the terrorists they had to deal with combined! The terrorist organizations active around the Middle East had only given America safety threats and some chaos at most. None of their doings had wavered the country’s foundation and was not significant enough to threaten its hegemony status. Xia Lei was different. He and his Thunder Horse Organization had pressured America’s world-leading military capabilities and the current world order that it dominated.
During the tank biathlon in Russia, the Japanese Land Self-Defense Force tanks had opened fire at Xia Lei under America’s support. They were so desperate to get rid of him to the point of ignoring the possible triggering of World War Three!
Xia Lei had gone to France, Germany, Italy, Afghanistan and Japan but never America. The man had avoided America for so long. Who would believe that he was there now?
Now, Xia Lei was in America.
That was Jack’s deduction.
Ton fully believed this and the three significant FA organization figures had expressed their agreement too. The reason was simple. The incident at the farm had fitted the description of Xia Lei’s past doings. Barging in alone into enemy grounds but successfully getting rid twenty of the FA’s best special agents! On this planet, there were only a handful of people who were capable of such combat capabilities. But only Xia Lei had both the combat ability and hostility towards the FA Organization!
“It’s him.” In the Mercedes-Benz GL450, Sirita’s expression was stone cold. “The CIA and American Special Forces, the elite fighters of the Japanese Hattori clan and the fifty-membered Indian Mountain Division Warriors, had totalled up to more than a hundred people who had tried to kill Xia Lei and Bureau 101’s Tang Yuyan. But the sole survivor was Hattori Geppa from the Hattori clan. Dark Mona had survived the ordeal because she was absent from the battle on the mountain while busy with four of Xia Lei’s subordinates. But later on, Xia Lei managed to get rid of her along with Hattori Geppa. I dare say that Xia Lei is the most powerful killer ever to exist. He’s the only one who would dare to invade the farm.”
“If it really is him, his courage is commendable,” uttered Augustan. His expression seemed calm but there was a hint of worry in his eyes.
Yan Fo said, “When we reach the farm, we’ll let the CIA enter first. We’ll wait it out and observe the environment before taking our next course of action. Ton will definitely call for support and the nearby American soldiers might rush over to aid. I’m guessing that he will not be calling for the National Security members but the Delta Special Forces.”
“If he’s around the farm. He won’t be so lucky this time. This is America’s territory. They will not lose him,” commented Augustan.
“If there’s a chance, I’ll kill him myself. I must avenge Dark Mona,” sneered Sirita, her eyes cold as blades.
A conversation akin to this occurred in another car.
“If we can arrest Xia Lei, we’ll become national heroes.” Ton continued, “Jack, by then you’ll be joining the CIA with glory and you might even become a party supervisor. The president will even award you a Medal of Honor.”
The Medal of Honour was the most difficult acknowledgement to obtain in America. To be able to get rid or capture Xia Lei was deemed worthy enough for such an unreachable award.
Longing glimmered in Jack’s eye as he turned and looked out at the moving scenery. The man peered into the direction of the farm. He said that Xia Lei was still in the farm meddling with the drone and had missed the best opportunity to escape.
“He’s probably still at the farm. That drone is what he wants. But it will take a long time for him to crack the control codes or replicate the contents inside. There’s no way he can do all of that in such a short time. He’s too greedy…” Jack thought to himself solemnly, finding himself sympathizing with Xia Lei. The man even felt a tad bit sorry for Xia Lei’s probable fate.
At that moment, a ray of light manifested among the clouds.
Jack jolted, focusing his eyes on the ray. It didn’t take long for reality to sink in. It was not a shooting star but a ball of flames. It dropped from the skies and with an intimidating momentum, it felt as if God was exerting his wrath on the mortals below.
“That’s…” Jack roared in unprecedented terror. “A missile!”
It really was a missile. In fact, it was the one Lockheed Martin made for Xia Lei, the ‘Skunk Surprise’.
Watching the missile travel downwards, Ton paled. In that split second, he finally understood Xia Lei’s plan. The man wasn’t trying to destroy Predator B, he had intended to utilize the drone to attack them instead! From the start, Xia Lei had been teasing him and Jack relentlessly. The sly man had even hidden a twist in his plan!
What Ton had realized, Jack came to realize as well. Fear overwhelmed his spirits completely, a never-ending pit of despair eating away at his hopes and dreams for the future. He was extremely smart but the gap between him and his opponent was like an idiot and a genius!
The CIA agent driving the car panicked. He quickly drove the car away from the road, in an attempt to avoid the missile. But as he began to move the Chevrolet Suburban out of the way, the missile had already landed on the hood.
Ka-boom!
The ruthless explosion shattered the tranquillity of the wilderness, illuminating the area in a vibrant red. The shockwaves generated from the blast overwhelmed the convoy, passing by everything like a strong typhoon wind. Vehicles were sent tumbling away, it burned and crashed, exploding by its own means. In no time, the wilderness was littered by incomplete human parts.
The impact destroyed every single vehicle. Not one of it was complete and on the ground as usual.
As soon as the shockwave rode out, a bloodied dislocated penis fell from above with a plop. It was peculiar, it stood upright like a bamboo shoot that sprouted from hell.
The outcome was as expected. This was a life-threatening missile tailored by Lockheed Martin for Xia Lei after all. Despite it being launched from a drone, the power it packed was no less than that of a Tomahawk cruise missile!
One second ago, they were still an aggravated convoy. One second later, the convoy was reduced to nothing but a pile of trash and pieces of minced meat.
The penis that descended from the sky was like an exclamation mark that signalled the end of this thriller story.
Among the clouds, the drone made an urgent turnaround. It was now headed towards Jalisco, Mexico.
Predator B would be delivering its remaining gift to the FA headquarters and that gift was the ‘Key to Hell’.
In Juárez city, by the Grand River, Xia Lei folded his laptop. It was only then that he allowed himself to heave a long sigh. He had succeeded but there was not a hint of joy on his face. The impact of the gigantic explosion earlier had brought upon absolute shock and solemnity.
Just by the Skunk Surprise alone, if Xia Lei hadn’t received information on FA’s Plan A and not tempered with their operation, the FA organization would’ve sent Predator B to China and launched an attack on Thunder Horse Military Factory. If that happened, he and his factory would perish!
The Land Rover returned to the road slowly, the vehicle now headed towards the dock. Reaching his destination, Xia Lei got off and approached a man and a woman steadily.
Caitlin was still waiting for Costa on the dock. Beside her was a bald Caucasian that had a muscular physique. The man leaned against the railings along the dock, hands gripping the sides of a newspaper. He was not reading it but using it as a front to study his surroundings.
He was the CIA special agent tasked to supervise Caitlin under Ton’s instructions.
The abrupt appearance of a young Thai man produced some alertness.
“Hey, miss. How much for a night?” Xia Lei went towards Caitlin, lips curled into a lewd smirk. “You know what I mean. I want the full package, not just a blowie.”
The woman was instantly angered. “Fuck off!”
“Oy! Who gave you the right to shout at me?!” Xia Lei strode over, looking like he was about to beat her up.
“Hold it!” The agent put down the newspaper and rushed to Xia Lei. “Did your mother not teach you manners? Get lost or I won’t go easy on you!”
Just as he roared his threat, Xia Lei raised his palm. In his grip was a pistol equipped with a silencer.
The muscular agent’s expression shifted drastically and he frantically reached for his pistol. Before his hands could reach the weapon, a bullet shot out from the muzzle and pierced through his brain. Blood and brain tissue sprayed violently from the back of his skull. The man’s body swayed involuntarily, flipping itself over the railing and into the turbulent waters below.
The dock was dark and the tragedy that took place went unnoticed. It was as if it had never happened.
Caitlin was terrified out of her wits. She wanted to run but lacked the courage to do so. The woman had no strength left. With horrified eyes, she stared at the armed Asian youth. It didn’t take long for her to slump onto her knees and plead, “Please don’t kill me. I beg you! I saw nothing!”
“You don’t want to die?” asked Xia Lei calmly.
“Yes, I don’t want to die. Don’t kill me, please. I can do whatever you ask for.” Caitlin immediately thought of something. With wrapped fists, she pulled up her sweater to reveal a pair of naked breasts. “Don’t you desire me? I can give you anything you want. I can satisfy all your needs. Do you want to do it here? I’m alright with that, I can pleasure you.”
In the threat of death, anyone would be willing to do anything to save themselves.
Caitlin stared at Xia Lei with wide teary eyes, awaiting his dictation on her fate. Tears rolled around in her socket, her heart a vast field of despair. First, she was abandoned by her brother and now this? The woman felt no hope for the future.
As Caitlin slowly resigned herself to her fate, a card was thrown on the ground before her.
The woman stared at it blankly.
Xia Lei stowed away his pistol. He turned around and walked as he said, “There are half a million dollars in there. Move to Russia and spend it wisely. The pin to the account in the last six digits of your birthday. I’m sure you know your own birth date right?”
“You…” Caitlin snatched the card from the ground and straightened her posture urgently. “Wait! Who are you?!”
Xia Lei halted in his footsteps, turning around to spare her a glance. “I am who you think I am.”
“You’re… Costa?!” Caitlin screamed emotionally. “You’re Costa!”
A woman’s intuition was a mystery.
Xia Lei did not acknowledge it but did not deny it either. “There’s still time for you to escape.”
“Did you ever love me?” Tears began to flow along the groove of her cheek.
“No.” Xia Lei entered the Land Rover and drove away.
Caitlin stood in the night breeze staring at the retreating Land Rover.