Chapter 1934

"I have a way," Mike whispered. "I handled several things when we first moved here, so I'm familiar with the routes and surveillance systems. There's a route—" Lily interrupted, "We might not need to bother with that." Mike was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

She gestured toward a disabled surveillance camera, removed a signal jammer, and discarded it. "Has it occurred to you he might have done all this in front of us, simply to show he knows what we're doing? Besides, is he implying the higher-ups have abandoned the boss?"

"Abandoned him?" Mike found this hard to believe. He had only learned of the organization through the masked man, his sole contact. He knew the organization supported the "boss," but had never interacted with it directly. The masked man was both a messenger and a representative of this mysterious force. Fearing the man, the organization, and the harm they could inflict on his son, Mike had forgotten the "boss" was likely just a pawn. In the end game, pawns are sacrificed.

"Would they?" he mused, uncertain. Lily's words continued to puzzle him.

"You've met Rick several times," Lily said, "but has he ever spoken to you like this before?"

Mike shook his head. Rick had barely looked at him, let alone spoken. "Today, he sat and talked, then gave me the ultimatum. I think the higher-ups have decided to cut the boss loose." Lily pinched the bridge of her nose, weary from recent mental strain.

"So Edward's rashness led to something good, then?" Mike mused. They hadn't planned for this chain of events; their initial goal was to find clues about the masked man's secret. Edward had unexpectedly disrupted their plans. Did Edward's actions indirectly alter the organization's plans, or force them to accelerate them? Perhaps they intended to abandon the boss but hadn't for some reason. If so, did his disappearance fulfill their wishes? Still, these are just speculations. Mike felt a flicker of confusion. He shook his head, then remembered something crucial.

"But Rick wants you to deliver the result tomorrow. What will you do?"

Lily, calm in contrast to Mike's slight worry, smiled. "I'll give him what he wants."