Chapter 191: Wrapping Up Loose Ends!

Chapter 191: Wrapping Up Loose Ends!

[Rick, I was just locked out of Star Wars. Someone from the China Empire managed to cut my connection, so the last 4 Satellites will be missed if you can't open it for me?]

Tap Tap Tap! The sharp clatter of my own keys echoed inside the Mustang as Lucy's urgent voice filled my earpiece. I instantly shifted my interface layout, pivoting away from my current protocol to aggressively breach the China Empire firewall and reclaim absolute command of the network.

Once the primary bypass sequence initialized, I routed the active administrative permissions back over to her terminal.

"Okay, I am on it, but while I do this, can you find Kevin and Karl for me?" I asked, my fingers blurring across the keyboard as I monitored the upload. "I have not had time to get the latest position of the two? Oh hold on a second..."

Bang Bang! As Lan navigated the muscle car through the gridlock, I spotted a pair of rioters wearing distorted animal masks mercilessly beating a defenseless police officer on the asphalt. I leaned out the passenger window and leveled my unregistered Smith & Wesson 44 magnum revolver, sending two heavy rounds directly into the skulls of the Mad Hatters before they could strip the uniform.

The heavy weapons were specifically selected for this excursion because the revolver mechanism completely retained the spent shell casings, ensuring no ballistics footprint or serial numbers could be linked back to my personal armory.

[I know where they went... They are hiding out in The Hunting Lodge, near the North West off the 1st Highway, exit 12,] Lucy reported, her voice returning with a steady hum over the link. [It is a high end drinking and gunfighter club for the wealthy. Seems they are enjoying themselves and getting drunk during the chaos.]

"Thanks, and the Hacker who cut you out before goes by the handle... Hungry Ghost," I murmured, a cold smirk touching my lips as I finalized the code package. "I just sent him into an infinite loop program, so he is currently fighting an imaginary hacker trying to gain control of Star Wars, but in reality, he is not even connected."

I checked the terminal data one last time before severing the remote transmission line.

"I have Valentine simulating a fake connection for him in a virtual struggle," I added with a low chuckle. "It should take him about 30 minutes to realize he is chasing his tail, ha-ha!"

[All right, I will take care of the rest, good luck,] Lucy replied, the line clicking shut as she assumed orbital control.

I pointed down the avenue toward a large metropolitan precinct building that had descended into total operational madness. "Park there and wait for me," I instructed Lan, gesturing toward a perimeter wall away from the main entrance.

I stepped out of the Mustang, using the tinted side mirror to quickly verify the placement of my stage-makeup mustache and dark reflective sunglasses before pulling the regulation officer cap firmly over my brow.

With a measured, authoritative stride, I walked directly into the center of the chaotic station lobby. The entire precinct was in a state of absolute, unmitigated crisis as panicked officers sprinted through the corridors shouting conflicting orders. A massive influx of rioters and street criminals were being dragged through the doors in overwhelming numbers, completely paralyzing the judicial processing pipeline.

The visibly exhausted desk sergeant looked up from a stack of emergency forms as I approached her counter, waving a hand in absolute dejection. "Officer, we are now full, we cannot hold anymore, take your perpetrator to department 67 please," she groaned, her voice cracking from stress.

I stepped closer to the high desk, displaying my temporary badge with a calm, professional smile. "Officer Leader wanting to speak to Sergeant Landon if I could," I said, using a subtle, localized accent.

The woman squinted at my face, her sharp eyes registering the slight imperfections of the theatrical disguise until a knowing smile broke through her strained expression.

She quickly stifled a laugh, leaning over the counter to speak in a hushed, conspiratorial whisper to ensure the surrounding staff remained oblivious. "Wow, I did not recognize you sir," she murmured, sliding a heavy object across the wood. "Here, no need to bother Landon, he said you wanted this. It will be reported stolen later, good luck sir."

I gripped the small brown envelope, feeling the distinct weight of standard-issue automotive keys inside before offering a brief nod of gratitude.

I exited the building through a side corridor, tossing the paper packaging into a disposal bin as I scanned the adjacent secure vehicle yard.

Matching the numerical engraving on the metal fob to the bumper stencils, I located squad car 07 parked near the rear fence, slipping into the driver's seat the exact moment the surrounding guards turned their backs.

During the brief drive toward the highway exit leading to the Hunting Lodge, I witnessed dozens of violent crimes unfolding across the blackened commercial districts. I kept my focus entirely disciplined, only stopping to deploy lethal force when I encountered individuals wearing animal masks or executing coordinated terrorist strikes against infrastructure.

Lan maintained a cautious, parallel distance behind the patrol vehicle, keeping the Mustang well away from the immediate perimeter of the tavern to preserve her cover.

I pulled the cruiser directly up to the front entrance of a massive, two-story rustic building styled to resemble a frontier saloon, complete with heavy swinging wooden doors.

An imposing line of roughly eleven heavy motorcycles sat parked along the wooden deck boardwalk, the prominent Harley Davidson emblems confirming the presence of a localized biker syndicate.

The moment my boots hit the wooden deck planks, four burly bikers smoking by the railing locked their eyes onto my uniform with immediate, unadulterated hostility. They exchanged confused, suspicious glances, clearly struggling to comprehend why a lone patrolman was investigating a remote venue while the entire city grid was actively burning down.

I adjusted the bridge of my reflective sunglasses to ensure the adhesive on the fake mustache remained completely flush against my skin before shoving the swinging saloon doors open.

The expansive interior was packed with roughly one hundred rowdy patrons, and at least thirty of them immediately ceased their conversations to glare at my entrance. Several coarse bikers were actively forcing terrified drink servers onto their laps along the main floor, creating a wall of noise that I ignored as I scanned the back booths for my specific targets.

One particularly large biker holding a struggling waitress looked up, his face contorting with immediate rage when he realized I wasn't aggressively intervening to reprimand his behavior. "Hey copper, get lost!" he roared, shoving the woman aside as he reached for a blade at his hip. "This is the Hell's Angels bar, you have no business here!"

Swoosh, BANG, Swoosh! My hand blurred as I cleared the leather retention strap, drawing the heavy 44 magnum and discharging a single high-velocity round directly into the center of his forehead before re-holstering the weapon in a single fluid motion.

The sudden concussive blast echoed violently off the cedar beams, causing the released waitress to shriek in terror as the immediate blood splatter coated the wooden table.

The entire tavern froze in absolute, paralyzed silence, the patrons staring in sheer disbelief at the terrifying speed of the execution.

There were no Miranda rights recited, no formal verbal warnings issued, and no opportunity afforded for negotiation; the man was simply dead before his body hit the floorboards.

"There is a zero-tolerance law in effect..." I announced into the quiet room, my voice flat and entirely devoid of emotion. "Say or do anything to piss me off, you die. Now excuse me."

The remaining bikers immediately shuffled backward, clearing a wide path through the center aisle as I marched toward the far end of the long mahogany bar.

I adopted a thick, generic American inflection as I approached two well-dressed men who were quietly nursing a pair of expensive whiskey glasses. "Are you two the sons of Mr Smith?" I asked, resting my hand casually on the counter.

Kevin and Karl exchanged a pair of tense, uncertain glances before Kevin slowly nodded his head to acknowledge the inquiry.

I immediately softened my posture, forcing a deep expression of heavy, professional anguish onto my features to play the part. "Please, be calm... your family has been involved in a shooting at their home, and... No one survived," I whispered, shaking my head. "If you two gentlemen would please come with me, I need you to identify the bodies?"

The two brothers looked remarkably detached from the news, though they quickly attempted to mimic a display of sudden familial grief for my benefit.

Karl leaned closer, a greedy, calculating look flashing behind his eyes as he pressed for specific details regarding the layout of the house. "Ah, we had foreign guests staying there, did they not make it?!" Karl asked eagerly, his tone betraying his true priorities.

I shook my head slowly, keeping my eyes completely neutral despite the sudden wave of disgust rising in my chest. "No, those women along with the rest, had been played with before being shot in the heart," I lied smoothly, watching their expressions. "So please come with me, gentlemen."

The absolute pieces of trash were still actively calculating how to possess my women even after being told their entire lineage had been wiped out in a massacre.

I exhaled a quiet breath, barely able to contain my anticipation for the execution sequence as I turned toward the exit.

As I crossed the threshold of the saloon doors, I paused to look back at the motionless crowd of bikers who were slowly letting the servers scramble away. "In a half hour, I will be back to arrest anyone doing bad things, Mkay?" I warned, pointing a gloved finger directly at the leaking corpse on the floor. "And when I mean arrest, I mean like that guy. See you later..."

Kevin and Karl followed closely behind my heels, their steps growing increasingly nervous as the weight of the casual execution began to sink in.

I swung the heavy rear door of the patrol car open, gesturing toward the secure plastic bench seat as the two men hesitated on the gravel. "Gentlemen, If I really wanted to hurt you, I would just shoot you, ha-ha... So get in gentlemen," I joked, offering a wide, artificial laugh to break their resistance.

It certainly would have been more efficient to end their lives right there on the wooden boardwalk, but a quick bullet was far too merciful for what they had attempted.

I slammed the heavy door shut, sealing them inside the reinforced rear cage before turning my gaze toward the adjacent clearing where Lan stood waiting.

Four burly bikers were currently writhing on the dirt near the Mustang, their hands clutched desperately between their bloody thighs as they groaned in absolute agony.

They were the exact same perimeter guards who had been smoking outside when I entered, having clearly attempted to accost a lone foreign woman while I was inside the establishment.

I walked over to the convertible, looking down at the groveling men before addressing Lan. "What did they do?" I asked.

"They wanted to take turns on me, so I said no, with my sword," Lan replied coldly, her hand resting firmly on the hilt beneath her coat.

Bang Bang Bang Bang! I pulled the 44 magnum without a single word of warning, methodically firing my remaining four rounds directly into their temples until the clearing fell silent.

"Sorry Lan, but I have a zero tolerance for guys like this.... Well, because you're my woman," I said, sliding the empty revolver back into its holster.

Lan stepped forward instantly, closing the distance to press her lips against mine in a brief, burning kiss that cut through the smell of gunpowder.

"This was better than flowers, of course I am yours silly," she murmured, a sharp smile touching her lips as she glanced back toward the cruiser. "So we are going to take care of that now?"

"Yeah, follow me," I nodded, turning back toward the squad car.

The moment I slid back into the driver's seat, Kevin and Karl finally recognized my voice and features through the thin disguise, their faces turning completely translucent as they began weeping and begging for their lives.

I pulled the patrol vehicle into the center of a massive, completely abandoned Walmart parking lot, killing the engine before turning around to face the two trembling men.

A cold, unforgiving smile spread across my face as I looked through the metal partition. "This is for offering my Kim to Ralph, so see you later, my favorite brother-in-laws!" I stated flatly.

I reached forward and rolled up every single window until the seals were completely airtight, reaching down to turn the climate control system onto maximum heat capacity to stifle the cabin. Then I stepped out of the vehicle, ignoring their frantic pounding against the reinforced ballistic glass as they screamed for mercy.

Walking to the rear trunk of the cruiser, I retrieved a heavy plastic fuel canister and began methodically pouring the volatile liquid across the entire roof, hood, and doors of the patrol car. I tossed the empty container into the back storage compartment, slamming the heavy lid down with a dull thud just as Lan walked up beside me.

She reached into her pocket, extending her hand to offer me a small box of wooden matches while the two men inside grew increasingly hysterical against the glass.

I shook my head slowly, pushing her hand gently back toward her chest as a dark grin crossed my lips. "Feel free, I think they would rather a beautiful woman send them on their way, right?" I suggested softly.

Lan's smile widened into a sharp, vindictive expression as she marched toward the front bumper where the two brothers could see her face clearly through the windshield. She offered them a tiny, adorable wave, striking a single match against the box before flicking the burning wood onto the fuel-soaked hood with a playful gesture.

Whoosh!

Then she walked back over to my side, wrapping her fingers tightly around my uniform arm as she leaned into my shoulder.

The two of us stood perfectly still on the asphalt, watching in absolute silence as the two men inside the patrol car began screaming frantically and tossing their bodies across the leather seats, their boots slamming desperately against the reinforced ballistic glass.

After a few intense moments of thrashing, the violent movements inside the smoke-filled cabin abruptly ceased, and Lan gently rested her head against my shoulder while looking down at the charred wreckage. "You know, I think I like it a lot when you act immature," Lan murmured, her voice dropping to a soft, intimate register. "Let's go home, so we can get back to normal?"

I turned my head to press a kiss against her lips, but she let out a sudden, musical laugh and firmly pushed my chin away before I could close the distance. My brows furrowed in confusion at her sudden resistance, causing her smile to widen as she gestured toward my mouth.

"Ha-Ha, No Rick, I can't kiss you till that mustache is gone, it is gross!" Lan teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "You drive, I like it when you get into the race mood."

She slipped the vehicle keys directly into my palm, her warm fingers grazing deliberately across my chest before she turned and climbed smoothly into the passenger seat of the convertible.

I watched her adjust her posture in the leather seat, wondering briefly if it was just my imagination or if Lan had recently become significantly more vocal about her desires.

The successful execution of the mission had noticeably lifted the heavy tension from my shoulders, putting me in a vastly better mood as I gladly took the wheel to navigate us back toward the estate. I needed to return to the mansion as quickly as possible because I still had a substantial amount of incriminating evidence to systematically purge from the immediate crime scene.

Fortunately, my loyal Fire Birds embedded deep within the local police department had already been explicitly instructed to handle the formal investigation into the Smith home assault, ensuring the official reports would match my narrative perfectly.

Back inside the quiet basement bedroom, I completed my sweep by collecting the heavy rocket launcher assembly and driving out to toss the metal components deep into the open sea, making absolutely certain to eliminate any trace of the heavy weaponry.

I returned to the house to carefully secure my personal firearms, utilizing a hidden, reinforced closet space behind the paneling to store the specific revolvers I had deployed during the morning skirmish. Big Rick would easily be able to retrieve the sanitized hardware and permanently dispose of the components for me once the initial heat from the local authorities died down.

[Rick, now that you're done, I am turning the Power Stations back on, so the Americans can function again.] Lucy's crisp status update echoed inside my secure earpiece while I was busy stripping the tactical vest from my shoulders.

I reached up to tap the receiver link, leaning back against the concrete wall as the adrenaline finally began to fade from my system. "Thanks Lucy, I am going to unhook my gear and shower now," I murmured into the microphone. "Thanks for all of your hard work, love you."

A soft, breathless gasp traveled through the secure channel, a familiar reaction since I could always hear Lucy visibly shudder with intense emotion whenever I offered genuine gratitude and told her I loved her.

The moment I gathered a fresh change of civilian clothing from the drawer, the bedroom lights flickered and surged back to life as the main power grid successfully stabilized across the territory.

Lan emerged from the adjacent room holding a bundle of her own clean garments, her fingers sliding smoothly into my open palm to squeeze my hand with a look of intense, quiet longing. "While we clean, make love to me..." Lan whispered, her breath warm against my neck as she stepped closer. "It has been almost two days, and after all we did today, I want you to release with me... Come with me, Rick."

Yielding completely to the raw hunger in her words, I pulled her along into the steaming bathroom for a long, luxurious shower, using the privacy of the cascading water to thoroughly make her mine all over again.

As the heat filled the enclosure, Lan lost herself in the intensity of the moment, her defenses slipping just enough that she softly whispered that she loved me directly into my ear. She clearly assumed the steady roar of the heavy shower spray would drown out the confession, completely unaware that my enhanced senses captured the words perfectly.

In the beautiful years to come, her fierce devotion would eventually bless our household with two incredible children, a milestone she would reach even before Mei gave birth to my firstborn...

When I finally unsealed the heavy bunker hatch and stepped into the underground living space, Kim didn't even wait for the door to fully align before she leaped directly into my arms, locking her limbs around my waist to hold me in a fierce, trembling embrace.

I buried my face in her hair to soothe her panic, keeping my voice low as I pulled Big Rick aside to deliver a quiet, critical warning regarding the current state of the estate grounds.

I explicitly instructed the older man to ensure the young children remained strictly inside the rear quarters for the remainder of the afternoon, preventing them from catching a single glimpse of the bloody mercenary bodies still littering the front security gates.

Thankfully, the intense hail of automatic gunfire had completely failed to damage the structural integrity of the main house due to the high-grade ballistic bulletproofing we had previously applied to the framework.

The only prominent scar left on the landscape was a massive piece of blackened helicopter wreckage protruding grotesquely from the surface of the coastal waters, alongside the heavily scorched terrain stretching across the front yard.

Kim and I immediately logged onto our secure Harem-Chat interface, spending several hours actively typing out reassuring updates to calm the panicked wives and letting the entire network know that our household was entirely safe and fine.

Even Ana managed to route a direct call through to my personal device using the specialized smartphone I had custom-built for her security requirements. She was visibly sick with worry over the sudden continental blackout, but her rapid breathing quickly settled into a relieved rhythm the moment she heard the deep concern in my voice regarding her physical health. Despite being one of the explicitly blocked users on the main public Harem-Chat server to maintain operational security, I still prioritized making sure she received real-time updates regarding my survival.

We spent the remainder of the quiet evening gathered around the monitors, watching the local and international news broadcasts filter in to gauge how the global factions were responding to the catastrophic losses.

Eventually, the thick atmosphere reminded me that the one call I had been heavily dreading all afternoon could no longer be postponed, forcing me to retreat to the isolation of my bedroom to dial the secure frequency.

[Rick, I am so happy you are safe... I didn't want to say anything in Harem-Chat till I spoke with you... What do you want to say to me?] Helen's trembling voice vibrated through the speaker the exact moment the encrypted connection finalized, her relief palpable even through the digital line.

"Sorry to worry you Helen, and is uncle around?" I asked, pacing slowly across the carpet.

[Yes, he is in the living room with me watching the news... Do you want me to put it on speaker or just talk with him alone?] she inquired, her footsteps echoing softly on her end.

"Both of you," I replied firmly.

[Okay Rick, I am next to him,] Helen murmured, a soft rustle confirming the device had been repositioned between them.

[Glad you're fine, but I knew you would be, ha-ha,] Anthony's boisterous voice boomed through the receiver, carrying his signature unyielding confidence. [Is this about Helen's betrothal? Did you pick someone yet? Tick Tick... Helen, stop blushing, he knows I am joking.]

"I am calling about Scott..." I interrupted, my tone instantly cutting through his cheerful banter with a cold, solemn weight.

The line fell into a sudden, suffocating silence for several seconds before Anthony's voice returned, completely stripped of its previous humor. [...Just say it, we both can handle whatever he did this time...] the older man muttered, bracing himself for the worst.

"He had an honorable passing, he killed Laura Long..." I stated softly, letting the reality of the statement settle over the line.

For a few long moments, neither of the individuals on the other side of the transmission uttered a single sound, the sheer magnitude of the update leaving them completely paralyzed.

[Really? Are you just saying that, or did he do something?] Anthony finally asked, his voice cracking slightly under the strain of his paternal emotion.

"No, he earned a bit of my respect in the end..." I replied honestly, staring out the window at the ruined gates. "Uncle, please put his two children back in the Tang family... I promised him to take care of them."

A faint, muffled sniffle echoed from the speaker, confirming that Helen had broken down into quiet tears upon hearing that her brother had perished so shortly after the tragic loss of their mother.

My heart felt incredibly heavy for her as I listened to her grief; she had always been the entirely innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of this toxic family drama.

I remained perfectly silent, waiting patiently out of respect until either Anthony or Helen possessed the composure to speak.

[I will have the children be put into the family register, and be raised with the local Branch Head and their family,] Anthony finally answered, his tone hardening into a serious, formal resolve. [I will let him know it is your request, so the children won't be neglected... What else did Scott say?]

"Oh? Um, He told me to let Helen choose her fiance..." I murmured, rubbing the back of my neck. "Seems he talked to Helen recently, so yeah..."

A heavy silence followed, and I could easily imagine Anthony casting a pair of stern, scolding eyes toward his daughter for communicating with her rogue brother in secret. The revelation successfully startled Helen enough that her soft crying abruptly paused, realization dawning on her that Scott had completely sold out her secrets in his final moments.

[Well Rick, let's table that talk till you get back,] Anthony suggested, his voice heavy with exhaustion as he took the phone off speaker mode. [This is not a good moment to talk betrothal on this day...]

"Yeah, it is hectic here and my mind is distracted a bit," I agreed, nodding to myself. "I will be home in 3 days, and I promise to settle this before university. I will let you guys go if you have nothing else."

The faint rustle of clothing traveled through the line, accompanied by the distinct sound of Helen walking rapidly away from her father's immediate presence to secure the handset.

[Rick, it is only me... Whatever Scott said... I-I...] she stammered, her voice frantic with unexpressed emotion.

"He only told me to take care of you," I interrupted gently, a soft smile touching my face. "Why did you say something else?"

[Rick... I only want you...] Helen whispered, the raw vulnerability of the statement hanging heavily in the quiet room.

"I am a lucky man," I answered softly.

[Rick?! You mean?] she gasped, her breath catching as she processed the implicit confirmation.

"Today, grieving for Scott is what we should do, we have the rest of our lives to talk about other things," I told her, my voice filled with an absolute, unyielding certainty. "I love you Helen, and I always will."

[I love you so much Rick... And I always will, goodbye,] she sobbed happily before the line clicked shut, leaving only the dull drone of a disconnected signal. [Click... do do do...]

I slowly lowered the smartphone, staring down at the darkened screen as the weight of the day's bloodshed finally settled into the past.

"Alright Scott, reincarnate with a clear soul..." I murmured into the empty bedroom, sending a final, silent salute to my fallen rival. "Your regrets should be gone now, so live a better life..."