Chapter 339: Another Frank
"I'm finally free!!!"
Standing before the vast waters of Lake Michigan, Jimmy shouted at the top of his lungs, venting everything he'd been holding in.
"Don't forget to find a proper job," Frank said calmly.
"I know. I already did," Jimmy replied casually.
"Oh? You did?" Frank raised an eyebrow. "What job?"
In Frank's experience, Jimmy wasn't exactly the obedient type.
"At a car wash," Jimmy said.
"Seriously?" Frank's tone made it clear he didn't buy it.
To prove he wasn't lying, Jimmy even took Frank to the car wash so he could see for himself.
The workers there all knew Jimmy. When he showed up, several of them greeted him by name.
Jimmy slipped into a work uniform with practiced ease and joined the others washing cars. He moved naturally, coordinating smoothly with the crew. It didn't look staged. He didn't look like someone pretending to work just for show.
Frank stayed until Jimmy finished his shift.
"Believe me now?" Jimmy asked as he pulled off the uniform.
On the surface, it looked like Jimmy had turned over a new leaf.
But Frank remained skeptical.
Had Jimmy really gone straight?
Of course not.
Jimmy hadn't technically lied. His name was on the employee list. He was officially hired.
But that was about it.
Jimmy had been in the car-theft business for years. He knew plenty of people in that circle. The car wash belonged to one of his friends.
His "job" was little more than a name on paper.
Most days, he wouldn't even show up. He didn't need the wages. The whole arrangement existed for one reason: to fool Frank.
As long as Frank believed he had a legitimate job, he'd be less likely to interfere in Jimmy and Fiona's relationship.
And once Frank finally kicked the bucket?
Jimmy would be free as a bird.
The sky would be wide open.
And he'd go right back to doing whatever he wanted.
Jimmy now left the house on time every morning and came back every evening, putting on a convincing performance of a man with a steady job.
He thought that would be enough to fool Frank.
If he really believed that, he was underestimating him.
Frank had never once trusted that silver-tongued pretty boy who could lie without blinking.
Frank didn't personally tail Jimmy. He simply paid a few people to observe the car wash for several days. That was enough to figure out the arrangement between Jimmy and the shop.
However, when Frank tried to have Jimmy followed during his so-called "work hours," every single tail got shaken off.
Six months ago, when Jimmy was still stealing cars, Frank had managed to track him. Tony had even caught him red-handed. That incident had triggered a whole chain of trouble.
Jimmy had learned from it.
After that, he picked up counter-surveillance skills and even basic disguise techniques. Ordinary street-level watchers couldn't keep up with him anymore. His car-theft methods had also become more discreet.
But to Frank, Jimmy's tricks were still child's play.
---
"Is that him?" Frank sized up the stern-faced man before him and asked the middleman.
"That's right. He's a professional. Former Marine, from what I've heard. Top-tier skills. Not just surveillance—assassination wouldn't be a problem for him. And here's the funny part—he's got the same name as you. Frank," the middleman said with a grin.
Jimmy had learned enough to evade random low-level thugs.
So Frank decided to hire a professional to correct Jimmy's bad habits.
The man standing before him had a buzz cut and a cold, rigid expression. Scars marked his head and face. He wore a black jacket emblazoned with a skull emblem and a pair of jeans. He radiated danger—a hardened aura that only came from battlefields and bloodshed.
"What's your full name?" Frank asked.
"He's Fran—" the middleman began.
"My name is Frank Castle," the man interrupted flatly.
Frank's brows twitched slightly.
"Fine. One-day trial. Let's see if you're capable of handling this," Frank said after a brief exchange.
"Your job is to watch this man." He pulled out a photo of Jimmy. "You are not to kill him. You are not to cripple him. Don't let him commit crimes—especially car theft. If he tries, stop him."
Castle studied the photo.
"And no broken arms or legs," Frank added after a second thought. "But teaching him a painful lesson? That's fine."
"Understood," Castle replied, direct and concise.
His trial began immediately.
His first task: find Jimmy.
Jimmy had already left early that morning for "work." Frank had no idea where he actually was. In a city as dense as Chicago, locating one man should have been like finding a needle in a haystack.
Frank himself would never have managed it.
But Castle had a plan. After asking Frank a few precise questions, he got into his car and drove off.
Frank didn't follow up. He simply went home. When Jimmy returned that evening, he'd know the results.
---
Meanwhile, Jimmy was completely unaware that his nightmare had begun.
Humming to himself, he wandered through parking lots, scanning for a suitable target.
His phone rang.
He glanced at the screen—it was a coworker from the car wash.
"Yeah? What's up? Is Frank there?" Jimmy answered immediately. He had instructed them to call him if Frank ever came by to check on him, so he could rush back.
"No… it's something else," the voice on the other end sounded nervous.
After a brief, awkward exchange, Jimmy hung up, confused.
Outside the car wash, the coworker who had just made the call stood with a bruised face and swollen eyes, staring at Castle nervously.
"Is… is that enough?" he asked carefully.
"Thank you for your cooperation," Castle said stiffly.
---
Jimmy quickly forgot about the call.
Before long, he spotted a car he liked. With smooth, practiced motions, he pulled out his tools. It took less than thirty seconds to pop the door open.
Pedestrians passed by. No one noticed.
Jimmy glanced around and slipped into the driver's seat.
Half the job was done.
Once he started the engine, it would be over.
But before he could celebrate, the door was suddenly yanked open.
A massive hand grabbed his collar.
Jimmy—fully grown—was dragged out of the vehicle like a chicken being plucked from a crate.
Standing there was Castle.
It had taken him less than thirty minutes to find Jimmy.
"Hey! What are you doing?! I'll call the cops!" Jimmy shouted, panic flashing across his face as he stared at the cold, hostile expression before him.
He had no idea.
This was only the beginning.