Ethan watched Ming disappear inside the dormitory before walking quickly to the waiting Escalade. He opened the rear door and slid inside. Jason was waiting, Falcon 1 and 2 standing guard outside.
"Good, you’re all here," Ethan said, his voice dropping from the cheerful tone he used with Ming, but remaining natural voice. "I’m glad you’re safe, Jason. You looked like hell when you arrived. Now, tell , what happened? Why the blood?"
Jason touched his cheek reflexively, then felt a thin, dried line of blood near his earlobe that had gone unnoticed during the high-stress drive. He looked surprised. "Ah. My apologies, Boss. I didn’t even notice. Just a scratch from so shrapnel, probably from the second site. Nothing serious."
[Shrapnel wound sustained during a hostile, explosive engagent. If this were a university seminar, the topic would be ’Effective Stress Managent in High-Risk Urban Environnts.’ Also, the ’dramatic flair’ of your arrival was top-notch.]
Ethan shook his head, a mix of concern and exasperation crossing his face. "A scratch from shrapnel. Right. You know, everyone at the table noticed the blood, Jason. They were just too polite—or too scared—to ntion it. Next ti, tell you’re heading into a war zone."
Jason gave a tight, respectful smile. "Understood, Boss. But honestly, it was handled."
"I know you handled it, but I didn’t expect you to start the execution phase imdiately," Ethan clarified. "I gave Lena the green light to prepare the legal foundation and start talking to the gangs about unification. I didn’t authorize a hostile takeover."
"That was my call, Boss," Jason admitted easily. "We approached The Dukes, and Santiago was imdiately on board, but he admitted his control over the area was weak. The neighboring gangs, The Pipers and The Outlaws, were the biggest problem, holding critical access points. We couldn’t wait. We needed to unify the streets before ODG got nervous about Lena’s aggressive land acquisitions. You and Ms. Rossi agreed that speed was critical."
"So, you took the initiative," Ethan summarized, nodding slowly. "And what did that initiative entail? Speak clearly, without the corporate euphemisms."
"We paid The Pipers and The Outlaws a visit," Jason recounted, his voice calm despite the violent content. "The Pipers were easy; they didn’t believe we were serious. We breached their warehouse, executed their two leaders, and subdued the rest. They surrendered and are now integrated under Santiago’s command."
"The second group, The Outlaws, was tougher. They were operating out of a fortified bar near the docks. They didn’t surrender to negotiations. We had to use fragntation grenades to open their defenses, and it quickly beca a full-scale firefight. We left three dead, including their leader, and subdued the rest. Total submission achieved. The remaining mbers of both gangs are terrified and fully loyal to the new structure."
[Suboptimal Negotiation Techniques. Optimal Submission Achieved: 100%. Jason clearly favors a direct, high-impact approach. A real man, Champion.]
Ethan leaned back, running a hand over his face. He felt the weight of the casual violence, a weight Jason carried so easily. "So, you’ve secured the local muscle for Lena. That’s a huge step forward. Make sure Santiago understands the cleanup must be flawless. Lena Rossi can’t deal with a police investigation in the middle of her land acquisition phase."
"Already handled, Boss. Santiago assured that part of the city is lawless. The police won’t go in unless explicitly ordered. I’ve instructed Santiago to start identifying potential lieutenants for a unified structure."
"Good work, Jason. A clean sweep. And the final target you ntioned on the phone?"
"A small logistics group. We decided to hold off. Your pickup was the priority, Boss. We can hit them tomorrow night."
Ethan nodded. "Take the team back to the mansion, Jason. Get so rest. You’ll need it. I want a full, written breakdown of the Dukes’ unified structure by tomorrow evening. And Jason," Ethan added, giving him a aningful look, "Get a charger for that phone. Your life is too valuable for a dead battery."
"Yes, Boss. Right away."
Ethan watched the dark SUVs pull away, the vehicles blending into the city trafic, leaving him alone in front of the MIT dormitory. He stood there for a mont, the casual confidence he had shown Ming replaced by a deep furrow in his brow.
[Is that all you have, Champion? You just let your lead enforcer walk away with a cryptic scratch and a casual shrug about ’frag grenades’?]
Ethan thought: "I want to believe him, but not entirely. I know he’s hiding sothing—perhaps the true level of danger. He delivered the report as if they had rely taken a stroll in the park. I can’t believe the gangs were so weak they couldn’t put up a aningful fight."
Ethan sighed, running a hand through his hair. He rembered the blood and the way Jason had moved to hide his wound. Ethan thought: "And Jason’s wound wasn’t just a scratch. He tried to hide it, but that shrapnel required more than a bandage. It probably needs sutures."
[My internal trics confird the necessity of minor dical intervention. However, Jason is a professional; he will handle it. He chose to minimize the severity to avoid worrying his Boss. A touching display of loyalty, if strategically flawed.]
Ethan decided: "He’s a grown man, and he’s loyal. I won’t dwell on it. I’ll trust him to take care of himself."
He then felt a sharp pang of realization. In the chaos of the pub quiz, Hailey, Max, and Jason, he had completely forgotten about a much softer, yet equally important detail.
He pulled out his cell phone, and the screen lit up with his conversation history. The last few ssages were not from Ming or Hailey, but from Chloe.
He hadn’t heard from her since their last eting.
Ethan sighed, the weariness of the night finally settling in. He quickly dialed her number several tis, but the calls went straight to voicemail.
I have typed out one final, urgent ssage:
"Are you okay? Can I help you with anything?"
He sent the text and stood there, staring at the empty street, the anxiety over Jason now replaced by a familiar, quiet concern for the girl he was supposed to be protecting.
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