Victor woke up in a luxurious bed in the Black Rock villa. Even though such a lavish life was not unfamiliar to him, he always felt more comfortable sleeping in his old home beside Carol. Unfortunately, Black Rock was his new headquarters.
Victor picked up his phone and found over a hundred calls and messages, mainly from Maverick.
“Hello? What is it, Mav? I haven’t checked the messages yet.”
Maverick’s tone was one of panic. “Sir, Springfield is under attack! Top billionaires have been assassinated overnight! Their families are being wiped out; Properties, businesses, and licenses are being bought off or usurped as we speak!”
Victor clenched his jaw. “It must be Monolith! The Puppetmaster has declared war on us, it seems!”
”That’s most likely, sir. Our agents are trying to neutralize their teams, but we have low success rates. Clive Baron is safe. What are your orders?”
Victor paused for a moment, processing the chaos in his head. It couldn’t be that simple. Monolith acquiring business and lands illegally would only attract the army to the city’s borders. There must be something bigger at play. The Puppetmaster couldn’t be acting randomly.
“Mav?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Pass on my orders to Drew Archibald. He is to meet the President immediately. We need a federal executive order to cast Eminent Domain on Springfield. We are prepared to pay a hundred billion dollars in exchange.”
Drew Archibald was Victor’s third five-star general. Even though his combat abilities were average, he wielded tremendous influence with the Presidents and Rulers of most countries.
“Oh, that would cease all transfers immediately! That is brilliant, sir!”
Victor exhaled slowly. “Something else is afoot, Mav. Stay sharp and let me know the most trivial occurrences.”
“Will do, sir!”
As soon as they disconnected, Claire’s voice call came through. “Victor! There’s something fishy going on in Tuscan Hill!”
“Tell me more.”
“Apparently, Carol found a new element in the mines. Its physical properties are off the charts. We could make trillions-”
It gave Victor a pause. “Carol is with you? What’s so strange about the discovery of a new element?”
“Let me finish. You’d want to know this. Falcon Industries is interested in the mines. They want to purchase it at fifty times the market value!”
Victor wondered why Lector would want to acquire a dirt-cheap, unproductive mine in Tuscan Hill. Second, as Chairman of the Rapids Project, he had already forbidden the sale of lands and properties under their purview. Why go out of his way to make an offer?
“I see,” he replied. “I’ll look into this. Meanwhile, you need to come to a secure location. Where is Carol?”
“She’s gathering her team. But don’t worry. I’ll take her to Holt Mansion for safety.”
Victor paused for a moment before responding. “Whatever you do, don’t go home.”
Claire sounded surprised. Victor had always maintained Holt mansion as secure, because his NWO team was stationed there. “What? Why?” she asked.
“I can’t tell you all the details, but Springfield is under attack. Billionaire families are being assassinated, and their wealth is being stolen. You’re lucky you weren’t at home.”
“Wh-what are you saying? What about my parents? Are they okay?”
Victor sighed. “I am yet to confirm. But they are likely dead.”
There was no reply from Claire. But he could hear soft sobbing. Perhaps it was his fault he couldn’t protect her parents. He underestimated the Puppetmaster.
“Claire. You need to get yourself together. Both you and Carol are in severe danger. Come to Black Rock. I am sending Val to meet you halfway. She’ll protect you.”
“Ok-kay-” Claire said before disconnecting.
Victor wasted no time. He sped his bike to the Governor’s office. The sight that greeted him was one of a bloody massacre. He rushed into the Governor’s office, skipping bodies riddled with bullets and butchered with blades. His entire NWO security team had been wiped out. Did an army launch an attack on them?
“Sebastian?” he posed near the door.
A man cowering under the office desk raised his head. “Victor? Thank God you are here! They came for me, but I fought them off. Is Springfield under attack?”
Victor nodded. “Yes, Monolith has made its move. Lector has joined them, most likely. But don’t worry, you are safe now. Go to Edgar Tower with the team I have brought with me. It is well-protected, and you can safely run the Governor’s office from there. The President will issue an executive order for Eminent Domain soon. You need to make sure it is implemented.”
Sebastian left the protection of his desk. “I will do as you say. I will help protect this city!”
Victor was on his way out when an emergency message beeped on his phone. His eyes widened, and he immediately placed a call to Maverick.
“Yes, sir!”
“Mav! Track Haley’s location chip immediately. Where is she?”
A series of keyboard taps sounded, after which Maverick spoke up. “She’s in Krull Island in the Pacific for the Annual Celebrity Bash. It seems she activated her danger beacon.”
Victor gritted his teeth as rage overcame him. “Monolith! They got to her as well! They have a death wish! I need to go there immediately.”
Maverick seemed to disapprove of his decision. “With due respect, sir, with everything happening in Springfield, you shouldn’t leave the area. I can send Johnny Tempest and Kurt Bane with a troop of star agents.”
“No, it is too late for that. They won’t reach the location in time. How far is Krull Island, and how soon can I get there on our fastest chopper?”
Maverick tapped a few keys before answering. “The distance is just under five hundred miles, sir. It would take about three hours on the CH-47 Chinook.”
Victor pursed his lips and determined he couldn’t let anything happen to Haley B, no matter what. He needed a much faster aircraft. “What about our jet planes?”
“They are active, sir. But you would need Level-2 access from The Tribunal of the NWO. Are you willing to go that far?”
Victor paused for a few moments before responding.
“Atticus Mars, huh…?”
“Alright, my decision is made. I will register my Level-2 legend code with him momentarily. I will need to unleash more of my strength to win this battle.”