Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Simon’s Doom
It was Alex.
"I didn’t expect the great Chief Constable Simon Reed to know some Marital Arts," Alex said lightly, almost playfully.
"A bunch of rats!" Alex sneered. "Too timid to even show your true faces. If you are real men do you dare to take off those masks from your faces!"
With a flourish, he drew the machete, its blade gleaming under the early morning light.
The two men at his sides followed suit, their blades trembling slightly, betraying their nerves.
Simon didn’t mind them at all. His heart hammered not with terror, but anticipation.
Surrounded by dozens of men, and yet he felt no desperation.
He was, after all a Martial Artist.
A quick glance informed him everything he had to know of them: that they are nothing but small street thugs in his opinion, their have not any professional training.
Even if they have they have only done below-average kung fu at best.
The only decent aspect about them was their skills at their footwork, from the way they had arrived stealthily, if his sixth sense did not warned him earlier, he might have to die today.
But so what if they had good footwork, if he has to escape from here he can already bulldoze his way through them and get out, none of these flies could do anything about it.
This realization made him bold, even arrogant bordering on the thin line of ignorance.
"Oh, we do not Dare," Alex answered with a weak laugh. "But I can assure you Simon that your life, ends today."
Simon’s face twitched at the sheer audacity.
So direct.
So Shameless.
He had hoped they would be angered at his taunt, rip off their scarves in anger and bare their faces themselves in at the provocation.
That would have been ideal, he could remember their faces to mind and later track them down individually to hunt them down one by one.
Instead, the man standing in front of him openly confessed that he dared not.
Alex having seen through him naturally will not follow the plan of Simon.
"I bear no grudge against you so—why bring so many men here to murder me?"
Different from his usual cold face, Simon’s face shrinks into a frown.
Seeing that provocation was not effective this time; so he wished to know the truth of the attack first.
He could flee with his footwork, but the two confidants on either side of him didn’t have the same speed. If it came to fighting, they’d definitely be left behind.
"No grudges??" Nathan voice sliced like steel from the backside. "You hired assassins on me. If someone hadn’t defended myself, I’d be dead by now. That’s your definition of ’no grudge’?"
His anger poured out as he ripped off his mask. "All of this because of water? You thought to kill me just to shut me up. Simon ....you’ve overstepped your boundaries!"
He remembered Brother Alex’s situation. Without him, his body would have already decayed.
The realization shook him, then angered him.
There was no concern in this man’s eyes for the human life. He treated human lives like worn-out sandals.
Revulsion contorted on Nathan’s face.
Simon’s eyes narrowed with recognition. "Nathan Hartwell ... so it’s you. And I wondered who dared to meddle in my affairs."
His lips curled into a smile. "You’ve hurt my interests and injured my brother. If I don’t kill you, who should I kill?
Unless, of course, you tell me where you get your clean water. Do that, and I may spare your life."
The words dripped with arrogance.
Simon sneered, voice full of venom.
"Consider your old father at home. Consider your sister. If you dare touch me and I get away, do you think something will happen to them?
I have heard your sister is quite a beauty... ah, what a shame. Having such a beauty is only a curse!"
He swept his eyes around disdainfully, as if the lives of those around him were nothing more than insects at his feet.
"You and I are from different worlds. I am the law here—while you are less than ants to me to which I can crush anytime."
His eyes became narrower, brimming with venom. If these lowborn morons lay hands on me, I’ll see to it that their entire clans are eradicated once I escape.
"Go on then! Do you dare to kill me! Do it!" Simon bellowed, his chest thrust out in pretend bravado.
"I dare you! But you won’t do it, will you? I already know what your kind is. Running around in gangs gives you the delusion that you’re mighty, but really you’re still nothing. But filthy Untouchables! to me
Do you think you can kill the chief constable of Ironhold City and get away with it? It’s ridiculous!"
His two subordinates laughed sarcastically with him.
The black-clad crowd went quiet, their grips on their weapons tightening. Simon took their silence for fear and bellowed even louder.
"Don’t you dare?! That’s what I thought! I’m an officer of the court. Do you know what that means? It means—"
"Too much talk."
A cold voice sliced through the air. The leader of the black-clad individuals continued. "Kill him."
Simon could not defend himself when a figure emerged out from behind a tree. A huge boot landed on his legs.
Crack!
Crack!
Both legs cracked like two dry twigs. Simon fell to the ground, howling in pain.
"What are you doing standing there?" Nathan shouted. "Kill the others!"
The black men attacked in a group.
"Kill! Anyone who calls us ants does not deserve mercy!"
"Even emperors of past were once commoners!"
"You petty constable—die!"
It was a whirlwind of knives. Simon’s two attendants were ringed and cut down in seconds.
Despite their efforts to fight back, their limited skills could not hold out against the rage of the mob. Their screams were short, their slaughters violent.
Simon’s face contorted with shock as he saw last of his subordinates go down.
"You. you dare to disobey me? Do you want your entire families killed? You’ll all be destroyed, every single one of you!