Oppressive silence enveloped the small house like thick fog blocking the way out.
No one spoke.
Only the sound of breathing could be heard inside the room.
Outside, the footsteps of several people moved slowly across the front yard. Their shadows were faintly visible through the slightly parted curtain gaps.
Daniel still stood near the window with a gun in his hand.
He peeked out again.
"Three cars. At least six people," he whispered.
Ethan stood in front of the door, his face as hard as stone.
"Helix?"
Daniel shook his head slightly.
"Not sure."
Leonard Graves stood a few steps behind them with an oddly casual demeanor for a situation like this.
As if the old man was enjoying a game that had just begun.
Victor Hale looked the most terrified.
The man sat on the sofa, his body trembling.
"They've come for me…"
Daniel turned to him.
"Who?"
Victor closed his eyes.
"The same people who killed Elena Ward."
Ethan spoke coldly,
"Good."
Victor opened his eyes in shock.
"Good?"
Ethan stared at the door.
"Because that means we'll finally meet them face to face."
Daniel didn't look convinced.
"We don't know how many people are out there."
Leonard smiled slightly.
"Daniel is right."
He walked slowly to another window and pulled the curtain aside a little.
Car headlights outside lit up the road brightly.
Several armed men stood in the yard.
They wore dark clothes and body armor.
Their movements were trained.
Not ordinary people.
Leonard said softly,
"They're not just Marcus's men."
Ethan turned to him.
"Do you recognize them?"
Leonard nodded slightly.
"Helix's Shadow Unit."
Victor immediately paled.
"No…"
Daniel said softly,
"Special forces?"
Leonard replied casually,
"Their own version."
Outside, a voice rang out again.
"This is your final warning! Open the door!"
Daniel checked his gun.
"We can't hold out here for long."
Ethan asked,
"Is there a back way?"
Daniel nodded.
"The kitchen."
Victor immediately stood up with difficulty.
"We have to leave now!"
But Leonard raised his hand.
"Too late."
Ethan stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
Leonard pointed to the back window.
Daniel moved quickly over and peeked out.
He immediately cursed under his breath.
"They're there too."
Victor almost fell back onto the sofa.
"We're trapped…"
Ethan turned to Leonard.
"You led them here."
Leonard shrugged.
"Maybe."
Daniel spoke sharply,
"This isn't the time for jokes."
Leonard looked at him calmly.
"I'm not joking."
He walked to the center of the room.
"But this isn't the end either."
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"Do you have a plan?"
Leonard smiled slightly.
"Always."
Outside the house, footsteps grew closer.
Someone began trying to open the door.
Daniel said quickly,
"They'll break it down in a few seconds."
Ethan took a deep breath.
"Alright."
He looked at Victor.
"Stay behind me."
Victor nodded tremblingly.
Leonard glanced at Ethan with mild interest.
"You're truly your father's son."
Ethan didn't respond.
The next moment.
CRASH!
The front door was smashed open violently.
Wood splintered and the door swung half-open.
An armed man rushed inside immediately.
Daniel shot first.
BANG!
The man fell to the floor before he could raise his weapon.
But three more men came in right behind him.
Shots rang out inside the room.
BANG! BANG!
The window glass shattered as bullets hit the wall.
Ethan pulled Victor behind a large table.
Daniel moved quickly to the other side of the room.
A short but brutal fight broke out.
One of the Helix men fell after Daniel shot him in the shoulder.
But the other two kept advancing.
Leonard stood calmly near the wall.
He didn't even reach for a weapon.
Ethan shouted,
"Leonard! If you have a plan, now's the time!"
Leonard finally sighed.
"Alright then."
He pulled a phone from his coat pocket.
Then pressed a single button.
A few seconds later
the sound of heavy vehicle engines came from the front road.
Daniel glanced out the window for a moment.
"Another car?"
But this time it wasn't an ordinary car.
Blue and red lights suddenly flashed on the road.
Siren wails cut through the night's silence.
Police cars stopped in front of the house.
The Helix men hesitated immediately.
One of them shouted,
"We have to go!"
But it was too late.
Several armed police officers got out of the cars.
"Drop your weapons!"
Daniel looked at Leonard suspiciously.
"You called the police?"
Leonard smiled slightly.
"Of course."
Ethan said coldly,
"You usually don't like involving the law."
Leonard replied casually,
"Sometimes the law is useful."
The Helix men tried to escape through the back door.
But the police had already surrounded the house.
A few minutes later
it was all over.
Two Helix men were arrested.
One was wounded.
Another escaped into the darkness.
The safe house was filled with police officers inspecting the scene.
Daniel stood near the window with a serious look on his face.
Ethan still kept watch over Victor.
Leonard spoke briefly with a senior police officer before finally returning to the living room.
Ethan looked at him.
"You planned this from the start."
Leonard nodded casually.
"Part of it."
Daniel asked,
"Why help us?"
Leonard looked at Victor.
"Because of him."
Victor looked almost desperate now.
"You'll hand me over to them…"
Leonard shook his head.
"No."
He looked at Ethan.
"But there's something you need to understand."
Ethan waited.
Leonard said softly,
"The people who attacked this house are just soldiers."
Daniel narrowed his eyes.
"Not their leader."
Leonard nodded.
"The person you're really looking for will never come himself like this."
Victor whispered,
"He's too smart…"
Ethan said,
"Then tell us his name."
Leonard looked at Ethan for quite a long time.
Then he spoke in a calm voice,
"Alright."
The room fell silent.
Daniel and Ethan waited.
Victor closed his eyes as if he didn't want to hear.
Leonard finally said softly,
"The person who ordered the murder of Elena Ward…"
he paused for a moment.
"…is someone you already know."
Ethan frowned.
"Who?"
Leonard looked directly into his eyes.
But before he could say the name
a police officer suddenly entered the room.
"Sir!"
Leonard turned to him.
"What is it?"
The officer looked tense.
"One of the detainees said something before being taken away."
Daniel said,
"What did he say?"
The officer swallowed hard.
"He said… their main target tonight wasn't Victor Hale."
Ethan felt a bad premonition rise in his chest.
"Then who?"
The officer replied,
"He said they came to…"
he looked at Ethan.
"…kill you."