Ch 438 - Reinforcements

Just as Alex was about to storm off campus to go and rescue Heidi, a black limousine came driving up the street in front of the university. When it stopped, the door opened, and all the students of Class 6 stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Even from a distance, Alex saw immediately who they were. He could also tell from their postures that they were downcast and afraid. He ran over to meet them. When they saw him coming, many of them burst into tears.

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked.

Eric stepped forward. "Mr. Ambrose," he said earnestly. "We've come to ask you to please help Heidi." Lance, who stood next to him, looked at Alex with admiration in his eyes.

Alex watched all their faces. It was clear that all of them cared deeply for Heidi. They all stared back at him with desperate and forlorn expressions, and many of them had tears in their eyes.

The class had made the unanimous decision to come and seek Alex's help. It had been Lance's idea, but it had been accepted without hesitation. Despite their rocky start, they respected Alex immensely, and every one of them had been determined to come along to seek him out.

"You're all cutting class," Alex said, frowning. His determination to help Heidi notwithstanding, his bad mood had returned at once again being asked to help.

"Mr. Ambrose, please help," one of the girls in the class pleaded.

"Yes, Mr. Ambrose," Lance said. "We don't care what punishment the school gives us. You must save Heidi."

Alex was moved by their confidence in him. They weren't agents or school principals, who should know better. They were helpless kids. They were frightened, and they had come to him instead of the authorities. He would not let them down. 

"Okay," he said. "I'll do it. Now, you all go back to class."

The students all cheered, and a great sense of relief flowed through the entire group.

**

Celia thought about what she should do for a long time after she left the campus. Gavin was ridiculous, but he was still in charge of the operation. He wouldn't approve of her calling Alex behind his back. But now was not the time to do things the official way. They needed help, and the director was standing in the way. She picked up her phone and made the call.

"Mr. Ambrose," she said when Alex answered, but he interrupted her before she could say anything more.

"I'll come with you," he said. "For Heidi's sake."

Celia was overjoyed. "Thank you," she told him excitedly. "Thank you very much. I'm glad you changed your mind." She thanked him again and hung up the phone to call her superiors.

A short while later, a helicopter landed on the campus of Johns Hopkins to pick up Alex. Celia and Ethan were sitting inside as he got in, smiling with grateful joy that he had come to his senses. As they lifted off, they both reflected on their luck. Mere minutes ago, their jobs were at risk. Now, everything would be all right. Or so they hoped. 

The helicopter soon arrived at the improvised command centre on a knoll in front of the factory. It was teeming with agents who were monitoring the situation, looking for any signs of new developments or opportunities to make a move. As Alex got out of the helicopter, he was met by dignified and determined expressions. It looked as if they were in a war zone.

Celia and Ethan brought Alex to Gavin, who was standing in the thick of things, giving instructions. When he saw them coming, he frowned and immediately went back to his work. His mood had lightened significantly since their last meeting because he had found a way to compensate for Alex's unwillingness to help. He had enlisted the help of Ash Thornton.

Ash was from a prominent Baltimore family, and he was famous for his martial arts skills. During the Blood Brothers crisis, he had been going through a period of deep training and contemplation. These periods were essential for him to maintain his prowess, but this latest one had made him unable to help against the Blood Brothers. While it irked him that he had missed the opportunity to kill Tyson himself, he had no regrets.

Alex noticed him immediately, and he could tell at a glance that he was different from the other agents. He was around fifty years old, with a long beard and sharp eyes. His frame was slender, and his breath was calm and focused. When he saw that Alex was observing him, he met his gaze. He looked him over intently and seemed to be sizing him up.

Whoever this man is, he must be a great fighter, Alex thought. But where was he when we were attacked by the Blood Brothers?

Celia and Ethan saw that Gavin wasn't interested in their arrival. Ethan was angered, but he knew that he must try to keep a lid on it. As arrogant as the director was, their animosity needed not to turn into outright hostility. The resolution of the crisis depended on it.

"Mr. Thornton, it's a great honor to have you here," they heard the director saying as they came closer. "I have no doubt that your participation will ensure our success."

"I consider it my duty, director," Ash responded, still keeping his eyes on Alex. "But it seems I'm not the only one who's here to help."

Gavin looked at Alex and sneered. "As long as you're here," he said, "we won't have need for any more help." He smiled grimly. It was an obvious message to Alex to go away.

Celia stepped forward. "Mr. Thornton, this is Mr. Ambrose," she said. "He's a great martial artist, just like yourself. We're blessed to have the two of you working together."

Ash's face betrayed no visible reaction to this introduction. "And how is this kid supposed to compare with me?" he said in a cold and prideful tone. 

Celia couldn't help but be embarrassed at his response. "I have invited Mr. Ambrose here to help."

Ash's face didn't change. He put his arms behind his back and stared philosophically up toward the sky. "I suppose in a world such as this, you have to scrape the bottom of the barrel for heroes."

Alex, Ethan, and Celia stood speechless. They had all hoped for a different reception, but none of them was very surprised. Ash was the kind of man whose pride would not allow the offer of help to be seen as anything but an insult to his capabilities. And Gavin's animosity toward Alex had most likely contributed.

Celia looked at him and frowned. "Mr. Thornton, what exactly are you trying to say?"