Rise of the Crusader

66 Three Steps Ahead

PUFF!

A woman was standing on the rooftop of the twelve-story building. She had a cigarette held between the second and third knuckles of her index and middle fingers, and as she inhaled the cigarette, she exhaled the smoke out a few seconds after.

While the woman worked on the cigarette in her hand, her eyes were fixed on the academy, which was meters away from her. And as she stared at the academy from afar, she had a stern expression on her face.

BANG!

Suddenly, the door leading to the rooftop was slammed open, and a figure walked out of it. It was a man putting on a blue shirt and black pants. And as soon as he saw the woman, his eyes lit up very quickly.

“Gwendolyn, I have been looking all over for you.” The man said, “What are you doing in this building?” He inquired.

There was however no response from Gwendolyn and instead of even replying to the man’s question, Gwendolyn exhaled another smoke out of her mouth.

“Gwendolyn, are you alright?” The man began walking gently toward Gwendolyn, and even though they were colleagues, he prepared himself for any sort of situation that might occur.

“Gwendolyn?!”

.....

The man raised his tone as he appeared very close to Gwendolyn. It was not up to a minute after he had spoken, and he received a deathly glare from Gwendolyn that made him move several steps backward and then gasp heavily.

“Y-You...” The man stuttered.

Gwendolyn seized the man from head to toe, and she sneered. “What do you want, Dante?” Gwendolyn asked.

Dante remained silent when he heard Gwendolyn, and it was only after he had regained composure that he spoke. “The higher-ups in the academy want to speak to you.”

“Everyone has been trying to reach out to you, but your line keeps saying not reachable. The people you tortured have also gathered their forces to the gate of the academy, they are all demanding you give them an answer for what happened.”

When Gwendolyn stated that either legal or illegal, she was going to pull out all the information she could get from those people, she wasn’t joking.

Gwendolyn had deployed all sorts of methods into getting what she wanted from those people, and with cruelty that had no boundaries, Gwendolyn fetched every piece of information from them.

“The situation is really quite dangerous Gwendolyn, you have offended a lot of people, and I think the academy will not save you this time around,” Dante muttered.

“Gwendolyn, aren’t you listening!!!” Seeing how unbothered Gwendolyn was, Dante couldn’t help but flare up. He glared at her furiously and then clenched his hands into a tight fist.

But still, Gwendolyn didn’t change her mannerism toward the man, and she continued to inhale and exhale the cigarette. It was only after Dante moved even closer to her that she took a glance at him.

“This time around you really crossed a line and there is no saying what the academy would do to you. The briefcase which was stolen has already sent the higher-ups into a panic state, and the people yelling outside the academy, have also worsened the situation.”

“There is no doubt that the academy would please the public by punishing you, but what do we do about the briefcase.” Dante said, “The briefcase is said to contain level six classified information, and if those details are leaked to the public, it would create a breach in our national security.”

This time around, Gwendolyn reacted when she heard Dante. She raised an eyebrow, and then removed the cigarette from her mouth, “How is your search for the briefcase going?” Gwendolyn asked.

“It’s horrible. Even with the description we got, we were unable to find anyone like that in the academy. We have also scouted and blocked every possible exit out of the academy, still, we were unable to find them.”

Dante heaved a deep breath, “I’m afraid we have lost them, Gwendolyn, and from the video I saw, they have left the middle east side.”

“This is why the academy is even more pissed with you, as the information which you tortured out of those people was of no use. Perhaps if it had been helpful then they might not react about it, but now that it was of no use, the academy are really displeased.” Dante said.

A light smile appeared on Gwendolyn’s face when she heard Dante, she exhaled another smoke out, and the smile on her face widened.

“Gwendolyn, what is wrong with...” Before Dante could finish his words, Gwendolyn placed her index finger on her lips as a phone began to ring from her pocket.

Gwendolyn gently took the cellphone from her pocket and answered the call. She had a stern expression on her face, and after a few seconds, Gwendolyn placed the cellphone back into her pocket.

“Who called?”

When Gwendolyn heard Dante, she titled her head slightly, before then saying, “A friend of mine.” Gwendolyn responded.

She suddenly threw the almost finished cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. Once the cigarette was out, Gwendolyn didn’t take any further glance at Dante, and she began to approach the exit door immediately.

However, before Gwendolyn could leave the rooftop, Dante dashed in front of her, “Where are you going to?!” Dante asked.

“To take care of the people who created this whole drama,” Gwendolyn replied. She was about to move when a hand grabbed her.

Gwendolyn’s eyes twitched, she stared at her hand which was now being held by Dante, and a not-so-friendly smile could be seen on her face. Gwendolyn slowly shifted her gaze back to Dante, who quickly let go of her hand once he saw the look on her face.

“Ah-Ahem... my apologies, but what do you mean by you want to take care of the people who create this whole drama.” Dante said, “Didn’t you hear what I had just said, they are gone.”

“We have a surveillance video that showed the man who was described earlier and two other people leaving the middle east side with a briefcase in their hand. I have sent men at them, we can only hope it isn’t too late.”

Suddenly, a burst of laughter rang out from the rooftop, as a second after Gwendolyn heard Dante, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Haha hahaha!!” Gwendolyn laughed maniacally.

Dante’s eyes squinted, and his eyebrows furrowed when he saw Gwendolyn laughing. “Why are you laughing? What’s so funny about what I said?”

“It’s because I’m impressed with these people,” Gwendolyn replied. “I might as well inform you, that the video you saw was a fake. It was placed there intentionally to lead you all wrong.”

“Don’t you find it weird? Since they were able to take out the cameras around the academy, what’s stopping them from doing the same to the other? Instead, a video of them was found, in which they were leaving the middle east side.”

Gwendolyn shook her head several times, “I’m not buying it.” Gwendolyn said.

“They left those videos there for you to see, and assume that they have left the middle east side. And from what I’m seeing, their plan is really working because you all are so gullible.” There was mockery evident in Gwendolyn’s voice.

Dante’s mouth opened slightly when he heard Gwendolyn, and shock was written on his face. “H-How... How can you be certain that the videos were placed there intentionally?!”

“They might not have spotted that the camera was there.”

“Whether you believe me or not is actually none of my concern,” Gwendolyn said. “It’s however bold and foolish of you to think these people are amateurs.”

After Gwendolyn spoke, she didn’t waste any other time and began towards the door, however, before she could open the door, Dante’s voice sounded.

“Does this mean they haven’t left the city yet?”

Gwendolyn nodded her head, “Yes.” She replied. “The best place to hide doesn’t necessarily have to be the most difficult or unexpected place, instead it is the most overlooked place that’s the most suitable.”

“It’s a common belief that a robber or murderer would run off after committing a crime, but that’s only for a few of them. A mastermind is more likely to stay very close by.”

With that said, Gwendolyn pulled the door, “A criminal mastermind would always be two steps ahead of you, but to beat them at their game, you have to think three steps ahead.” Gwendolyn said and then left the rooftop.

“Three steps head,” Dante mumbled in a low voice

Meanwhile, after Gwendolyn left the twelve-story building rooftop, she headed straight to one of the famous five-star restaurants on the middle east side.

Gwendolyn glanced at the people in the restaurant with a stern expression. Her hands were folded across her chest, and it was only after she saw a young man with shiny red hair along with another lanky build man and a young woman that a smile appeared on her face.

The smile was, however, a bone-chilling smile and a second after she spotted the three of them, Gwendolyn began walking towards them.

“I believe you have something of mine!” Gwendolyn muttered as she stood in front of Hector, Arturo, and Gianna.