The Royal Contract

Gerald pulled out a full-frame camera with a long-range capability from his back seat and started scanning the place. He wanted to see if he could capture any evidence that he could use against the organization.

Mike would have come with him on this mission, but he had his own task. He had to distract the authorities, giving him time to build his case.

"Come on! Give me something." He whispered as he scouted the street and the alleys with his lens, hoping to capture something beneficial to his situation.

So far, he only saw a few small-time transactions that would hardly implicate the people he wished to take down. He needed something big and explosive.

He wished he could ask some of his former allies for assistance. But that was too risky. They used to be his friends, but they could have flipped as they pledged their alliance to the new head.

"Ok." He noticed that only a few guarded one of their headquarters.

He knew every inch of the place, even with his eyes closed. But still, he had to check their other security without being noticed by the guards.

After another half an hour cooped up in his car, he called it a day. He did not want anyone to notice him lurking around.

"Mike." He quickly called his only ally. "Meet me later at the safe house." He had a few things he needed to discuss with him.

"Ok. I will see you then in a couple of hours." His friend responded as they ended the call.

He immediately pulled out of the curve and joined the moderate traffic. At this point, all he could do was collate all the information he had and plan his next move.

But he would need Mike to infiltrate the headquarter to get the information he needed. If only he had known they would betray him, he would have prepared earlier for his exit.

But it was too late when he discovered their planned coup attempt. He and Mike had no more choice but to execute his demise before his enemies did it for him.

"This is for you, Hailey, and our baby." He mumbled while he focused his eyes on the road ahead.

He knew this would not happen if he did not drop the ball. He had been distracted since he met Hailey. He had lost sight of his job. He did not see his enemies coming.

But, of course, he did not Hailey or their baby. As a matter of fact, he saw them as his guardian angels, guiding him to the right path.

He never thought he would want a way out of this lifestyle, living in it all his life. But loving Hailey and learning that he would soon become a father had given him a new outlook, a better perspective of how he would like to live the remaining years of his short life.

"Inform me immediately once Mike arrives." He instructed Samson as soon as he entered the safe house. Then, he proceeded inside his room, wanting to be alone.

He placed his camera on the table and plugged it into his laptop. He wanted to review the pictures he had taken. He hoped to get more information on the new operation of the gang.

But as he waited for the photos to be uploaded, he clicked on a new app Mike had installed in the system. He opened the multiple screens, scanning their content until he found what he was searching for.

"As I suspected." He exasperatedly exclaimed, speaking to the person's image on the live video he was watching.

He tapped on the control, zooming the camera until he had the lens focused only on her. She still looked busy with her work, but it was already late.

Nevertheless, he could see she had already drawn a few layouts and designs for the resort's renovation. He could not picture it yet, but he was confident she would do a great job.

"You should be resting." He told the woman on the screen. Unfortunately, she could not hear him. He could only watch her but could never speak to her.

He let his fingers glide across the screen, caressing her face. Then, it moved down to her belly, wishing he could touch and feel his child move underneath his palm and fingers.

He did not wish to invade her privacy, but that was the only way he could see her. And he needed the assurance that she and their baby was always safe.

"Soon." He whispered. "This will be over soon. Then, you and our child will be safe again." He promised.

He wanted to give her freedom back. Free from all the dangers he and her father had brought into her life. But he still needed time.

"How I wish we could be together someday as a family." That was a promise he could not make. Because at the end of this ordeal, he would willingly sacrifice his life without any question for his family. He would do anything to set Hailey and his baby free from danger.

"I knew you would never get anything done if you kept staring at that screen." Mike's voice resonated around the room, forcing him to pry his eyes away from her lovely face.

"You are late." He said, ignoring his friend's snide comment. "Where have you been?" He asked, not particularly interested but just a force of habit.

"I was looking for that girl. You know from the other night." Mike told him, which made him think.

"Which girl?" He pretended not to remember, but how could he when he did not have the chance to meet her? The girl just vanished.

"Nevermind," Mike stated, but he did not pursue it, thinking it was irrelevant to their situation.

"I took some photos of their current operation, but I need someone to infiltrate the warehouse." He looked at his friend, indicating that Mike had no choice.

"Fine. What should I look for?" He asked as he focused on the current data available to them.

He used to have spy cameras inside most of their other warehouses. But the current people handling the operations must have discovered and disposed of it.

But that was not important now since all he needed was for Mike to find a way to get inside. That was easy since he was part of the group.

Then, he had to sneak into his old office. From there, Mike had to find his secret vault where he hid the crucial papers he needed to build his case.

Then, it would be just a matter of getting the ball rolling.