"...Murphy," Jake said, his voice flat and unreadable.
Ethan's eyes widened, a sudden chill running down his spine. "Murphy...? But why...?"
He stared at Jake in sheer horror. Jake remained seated across from him, his face completely calm and expressionless.
Wait a minute... Ethan's mind raced, a terrifying realization striking him. Doesn't Jake work directly for Murphy? Then why in the hell is he telling me all of this?
Ethan looked at his face.
Jake stood up smoothly.
"Where are you going?" Ethan asked, his body on high alert.
"I'll be right back," Jake replied, walking away into the crowd.
Ethan watched him go, trying to assemble the pieces of the puzzle. Before he could process it, a group of striking women approached his table.
"Hi there," one of them offered with a bright smile.
Ethan offered a polite, cautious nod. "Hi."
"Are you a friend of Jake's?" another asked, leaning in slightly.
Ethan nodded. "Yeah, I am."
The woman opened her mouth to say something more, but a cool voice interrupted her.
"Ethan," Jake called out, stepping back to the table holding two tall glasses of chilled mango and banana smoothie.
Ethan stood up and walked over to Jake, accepting the offered glass with deep suspicion, his eyes locked onto Jake's face.
Jake took a seat, catching Ethan's gaze. "Drink up."
Ethan looked down at the thick yellow liquid in the glass, hesitating.
Jake offered a faint, amused smirk. "Don't worry, it's not poisoned. I can take a sip from it first if you're that paranoid."
Ethan shook his head, taking a slow sip. Surprisingly, it tasted incredible.
The two sat across from each other in silence for a moment before Jake broke the ice. "It's genuinely impressive that you managed to dismantle two branches of the Loop."
Ethan leaned back, shaking his head. "It was all thanks to my partners. I didn't do it alone."
Jake tilted his head slightly. "Ethan... you need to start proper combat training."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Training? Me? I think I can handle myself just fine."
Jake shook his head dismissively. "Sure, you were the 'Terminator Mercenary,' but that was different. What you're dealing with now is an entirely different."
Jake's eyes narrowed as he locked onto Ethan's face. "You know exactly what I mean. Get proper training."
Ethan's eyes narrowed into slits. What? How... how does he know... about... that?
Jake leaned back, returning to his relaxed posture.
He works for Murphy, yet he's giving me intel, Ethan thought, his mind spinning. What is he up to?
"Don't overthink it," Jake said smoothly, as if reading Ethan's mind. "I'm on your side."
Ethan pushed his chair back, standing up abruptly. "Why? What guarantee do I have that you're with us?"
Without a word, Jake reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a folded slip of paper, and slid it across the table. "Take this. You're going to need it in the near future."
Ethan picked up the paper. Before he could unfold it, Jake stood up and grabbed his keys. "Come on. Let me drive you home. It's getting late."
Ethan nodded silently.
A moment later, Jake's Bugatti Divo roared to life, tearing through the city streets like a sleek shadow. Ethan sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window in dead silence.
Without taking his eyes off the highway, Jake spoke up. "Next time you attack... wear a mask."
Ethan turned his head, staring at him.
"You obliterated two of their branches," Jake continued, his tone cold and practical. "And I guarantee they already know what your face looks like. If you want to keep your family breathing, wear a mask from now on."
Ethan's heart dropped into his stomach. Why didn't I think of that?!
"Now that you have my number, you can call me," Jake added quietly.
Before Ethan could interrogate him further,
Jake cut in. "I told you. I'm on your side."
Ethan swallowed hard, giving a single nod before leaning back into the leather seat.
"You're kind of dumb, you know that?" Jake remarked casually.
Ethan shot him a glare. "Ha... what?"
"They might think you're working directly under Murphy and attacking them on his orders," Jake explained.
Ethan's eyes widened once again. "Wait..."
"The only reason the Loop hasn't moved against you yet is because of your friends in the military" Jake said.
"Why would that stop them?" Ethan asked.
"Because as powerful as the Loop is, they aren't equipped to wage an open war against an entire nation's armed forces," Jake replied smoothly.
Ethan absorbed the information, then turned to Jake. "Tell me about Murphy. Why were you working for him?"
Jake's expression darkened slightly. "He trained me from the time I was a kid..."
Before Ethan could press for more details, the hypercar came to a smooth halt in front of Ethan's house.
"We're here," Jake said.
Ethan swallowed his remaining questions, gave a quiet nod, and stepped out into the night. The Bugatti's engine purred softly before accelerating down the road, vanishing into the darkness within seconds.
Ethan slipped inside his house quietly, making his way up to his bedroom without waking anyone. Throwing off his jacket, he collapsed onto his bed, interlocking his fingers behind his head as he stared at the ceiling.
So Murphy created the Three Pillars for his own shadow operations... but why? He was already absurdly wealthy. He was the heir to a massive empire in Canada... What is he really after?
Ethan took a deep, heavy breath, his eyes hardening in the quiet room.
"Well... it won't be long until we're standing face-to-face, Murphy..." Ethan whispered to the dark.
Meanwhile, inside the fortified headquarters of the Loop.
The Leader sat back in his high-backed leather chair. The faint moonlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows illuminated only his sharp silhouette, casting long shadows across the room.
He held a glossy photo between his fingers, staring down at Ethan's face.
"So... the Legend had another son?" the Leader murmured, a dark, raspy chuckle echoing through the empty office. "A younger brother... and he's playing the hero? How fascinating."
He swiveled his chair slightly, his grin widening in the shadows. "Come to think of it... where is the big brother these days?"
With a swift, practiced flick of his wrist, he launched a heavy combat knife across the desk. The blade flew straight and true, embedding itself deep into the center of Ethan's forehead in the photograph.