<h4>Chapter 213: Failed Extraction</h4>


    "What was that?" Athena asked, stupefied to a spot, her voice almost a whisper as she met Ewan’s gazee. His facial expression mirrored hers: shock.


    Ewan was about to answer when another loud bang was heard. This time, it was followed by a rampage of sharp sounds that could only be attributed torge guns.


    "The gang!" Athena whisper-yelled, her legs instantly operating on instinct and adrenaline. She ran quickly, followed closely by Ewan, down the winding corridor into the elevator.


    "Can this go any faster?" She asked Ewan, impatience notable in her voice.


    Ewan shook his head. This was the fastest speed of the elevator; any more speed, and the machine might malfunction. It didn’t take long, however, and they were down at the lobby.


    When the door opened, Athena and Ewan rushed out, both surprised to see abination of workers of thepany and non-workers—mere pedestrians—huddling fearfully around in the office. It would mean that the gunshots were exploding right in front of the building.


    "Why do you think they are here?" Ewan asked as he and Athena hurried to the front door.


    "For Alfonso and Fiona."


    The matter-of-factness in Athena’s tone was surprising to Ewan.


    "You talk like you knew this would happen?"


    Athena nodded, opening the door and subtly peering out. "I was aware. My earlier panic was just reflexes. I think theirst attack against me left more traumatic remnants than I had thought."


    Ewan nodded slowly. "That’s okay. You will be totally fine in some days. But how did you know they wereing today?"


    However, Athena had already opened the door fully and walked outside, almost giving Ewan high blood pressure since the bullets were still flying around.


    "Athena, wait!!!"


    But Athena was already in military mode. She crouched to the ground and moved fast to a car, where she knew Old Mr. Thorne was waiting with his wife.


    Her eyes caught Aiden and the other security detail finishing off whatever remained of the gang. She smiled as she dropped a knock on the door, startled when she felt a touch on her shoulder.


    Acting out of reflex, she pulled the hand forward, about to do as the asion demanded when a whiff of perfume crossed through her nostrils. There was only one person that had the scent.


    "Ewan, what the hell! Why are you following me? I thought you would wait inside?"


    Ewan, who was wondering how Athena’s reflexes could be so fast and smart, said nothing. What was there to say? That he followed her out because he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if anything happened to her? He didn’t think Athena would want to hear that.


    Athena, tired of the silence, gave another rasp knock on the door. Twice and once, then twice again. Then she shifted away as the door opened.


    "Athena, thank God..." Florence said, before Old Mr. Thorne could say anything.


    "Come in..." She added, sighting Ewan. She gave him a smile when he met her gaze with an unsure expression.


    Athena nodded and entered the car, which had arge interior and was very spacious. Ewan followed suit.


    "So, how is it going? Did it happen as we had thought?" Athena started, reclining on the chair, aware of the decrease in the bullets flying around. Soon, it would all be over.


    She wondered for a second what Morgan would do when he discovered that his n had been foiled again. The thought brought a small smile to her lips.


    "Yes, it did," Old Mr. Thorne said, smiling. "They attacked us head-on as they had nned. Only that they hadn’t expected us to be aware of the ns..." Heughed and shook his head, amusement buttering his facial expression.


    "I’m sure Alfonso would be pissing in his pants now." Heughed again; this time around Athena and his wife joined in theughter.


    But Ewan was at a loss. As much as he didn’t appreciate being left out of the loop, he knew the fault for that fell solely on him.


    "But how did you people find out they wereing?" He finally asked when theughter had died down. If Athena and her group hadn’t known about this, he would have been attacked by the gang, because Fiona would have been with him.


    <i>And maybe he would have been killed during the extraction?</i>


    He didn’t know that. But he was sure there would have been bloodshed.


    "You know we kept them in a cottage. Well, it is a wired cottage, a fact only known to people in the inner caucus..." Old Mr. Thorne paused here, looking at Ewan intently, as if gauging his loyalty.


    "You can trust me, old man... I am a changed man now..." Ewan said then, with all sincerity.


    Athena exchanged furtive nces with Florence before looking out the window. Ewan’s sincerity was none of her concern.


    "Well, the duo wasn’t aware of this, or rather they guessed it right to an extent because they didn’t speak on weighty matters, rathermunicating through their phones. But they didn’t know that their phones had been tapped too."


    Ewan furrowed his eyebrows. "They didn’t make that deduction themselves? They didn’t suspect that your men had tapped their phones?"


    Old Mr. Thorne shook his head. "They couldn’t because they have been with their phones since the court case. Even when Fiona threw down her phone to obstruct evidence collection, she retrieved itter when she recognized that the phone hadn’t spoilt—considering the safeguard screen and pack used on the gadget. So, we didn’t touch their phones, which is why it didn’t cross their minds."


    Ewan was still confused. "If you didn’t touch their phones, how did you then tap into their phones? How did you even ess their messages with themselves and with Morgan?"


    Old Mr. Thorne shrugged his shoulders. "Their phones were already tapped before the court case by a special individual. It’s not that hard."


    Ewan’s mouth fell slightly open in shock. To tap a phone here, especially that kind of phone, they would have to have ess to the phone and input some codes. It would mean that someone, most likely one of their special agents, had sneaked into his mansion and done the deed.


    Was that why Sandro and Zane had told him to stay with them the few nights before the court case? Ewan cocked his head to the side. Probably not. It was chiefly because of the poisoned tea Fiona gave him every morning.


    Ewan sighed and rested his head on the chair. He knew he couldn’t go further with this line of questioning; he had a feeling that would be entering Athena’s turf, and seeing as she still had reservations concerning him, she wouldn’t give him the answer he was expecting.


    He sighed and shut his eyes. Athena Caddels. A doctor, a businesswoman. Of course, seeing her educational records, hearing the rector at the prestigious university talk about her, he knew it was possible, especially since the male talked about her not showing her face in all her years both as a student and a lecturer.


    She was a genius, and he had been blind to that because of his contempt for her during their marriage. It was possible that she had been taking online sses before and after their marriage. That would be why her close friends never called her an illiterate. They knew. He didn’t think Zack was aware of this either.


    What amazed him, however, was the strength and value of her connections. Now the president? It really amazed him how a girl whom he had thought stupid and low had risen up the ranks, to the extent of having a private phone call with the president of the country.


    A knock sounded on the door, dragging him out of his thoughts. He realized then that the shootout had stopped. Everywhere was quiet, except for the sirens. The police had arrived. At this rate, Morgan would be dered a wanted national criminal.


    "It is finished. The police will take care of the bodies," Aiden, who had been the one knocking, spoke as his eyes ran through everyone in the car.


    Momentster, Ewan was standing face to face with Alfonso and Fiona—the duo had been kept in the same car when the shootout had started to prevent the possibility of one escaping.


    Alfonso was speechless, having no choice but to bottle his anger and throw it into the abyss, because it was of no use to him anymore. He was going to the ck cell.


    "How did you know they wereing?" he asked calmly, when Aiden held him by the arm to drag him away to the car.


    At his question, Fiona, who had been silently wallowing in despair, lifted her head, needing to know this. Their eyes were focused on Athena.


    Athena shrugged. "Your phones were tapped, that’s all." She turned to Aiden. "Please take him away."


    To Ewan, she said, "Take Fiona away to the psychiatric hospital. I hope she receives the help she needs."


    This was said in a calm voice that soothed Fiona’s heart to an extent. At least she wasn’t going to the ck cell. At least they all thought she was mad. There was still hope for her escape.