Chapter 857

Hector shook his head. “It’s no trouble at all. I’m just doing my job.”

His expression was serious and composed, the kind that gave off the vibe of a genuine, dedicated officer. That was Desmond’s first impression of him. Still, he reminded himself not to judge too quickly. People often revealed who they really were over time.

Hector walked slightly ahead of Lucas, but with enough awareness to stay more or less level with him – never too far forward. He wasn’t sure how to handle other big shots, but someone like Lucas? He figured it was best to stick with respectful formality. After all, courtesy never hurt anyone. It was also a way to carve out a better future for himself. If he managed to win over someone like Lucas, who knew what doors might open? With that kind of backing, why would he need to fear his leader’s threats? He could fire right back without blinking. By then, chances were they wouldn’t even be in the same league anymore.

The more Hector thought about it, the straighter he stood. Truth was, he did hope to one day take over the lead officer’s position. But the timing had never been right, and that lead officer was naturally suspicious of everyone. If Hector let his ambition show too early, the consequences could be ugly. Worse still, the lead officer might never give him the chance to prove himself at all. So, for the longest time, Hector had buried those thoughts deep in his heart. There really wasn’t any need to say it out loud.

He came from a pretty average family, and landing a job at the precinct had taken a lot of hard work and effort. He’d just gotten lucky – passed the exam and happened to end up working under the current lead officer. On the surface, the man seemed decent enough, but behind the scenes, he was a completely different person. More often than not, he barked orders at the lower ranks like they were nothing, but in front of the chief, he played the part of a kind and supportive superior. That was exactly why Hector had started dreaming about taking his place.

If he could step into the role himself, he wouldn’t have to hold back anymore. Besides, he had a lot riding on him– there were mouths to feed back home. He had to keep climbing if he wanted to survive. It was the only way to truly understand where he stood in the world.

With that in mind, Hector introduced things with even more enthusiasm. As he spoke, he kept glancing at Lucas’ expression, but no matter what he said, Lucas’ face remained flat and unreadable, as if nothing could pique his interest. Seeing that, Hector started to panic. He began second-guessing himself, wondering what it would take to actually get Lucas’ attention.

Desmond picked up on it immediately. He understood all too well the way people scrambled to latch onto someone like Lucas. But right now, it was clear Lucas wasn’t interested in playing that game. His full attention was on Julian.

The real priority here was finding out where Julian was being held. They hadn’t flown all this way just to get a tour of a foreign detention center. Desmond cleared his throat and gently cut in, bringing Hector back to the present.

“So, Officer Hector, what we really need to know is – where exactly is Julian Hayes being held?”