Chapter 37.1

 Jason stood outside in the rain, his eyes watching every movement Alice made from the other side of the road. She was in a KFC restaurant with Alina and Ava and her watched her cheerfully eat a drumstick while making a face at Alina who tried convincing her to try some coleslaw salad. Rain swept down his hair and slid down his face like tears while he blankly gazed at her without blinking his eyes.

Alice … Blood dripped from Jason's clenched fists and his knuckles whitened as he tried to steady his breathing. He gritted his teeth and bit his lips till they bled. It's all my fault … if only …

He wanted to walk into the restaurant, cradle her in his arms, beg her for forgiveness, and give her everything in the entire world. But he didn't take a step, he couldn't take a step. Because he agreed with Katelyn: he didn't deserve Alice. He never would.

You don't deserve her ...

He closed his eyes even as Katelyn's words echoed in his ears. He could imagine what happened, how Alice was created as a Homunculus from the remains of the fetus after Katelyn's miscarriage. How after she was created, Katelyn devoted herself to this mysterious organization while Alice's growth was accelerated and she lived for years in a laboratory, isolated from the outside world.

Wait, Jason paused and opened his eyes, confusion etched on his face. Why would she tell me all this? Why would she tell me that she's taking Alice away?

Jason closed his eyes and thought about what happened. He shut the tumultuous feelings he had and observed the earlier events apathetically as a third person would. The choice of Katelyn's words, the sniper that shot at him when he was distracted …

She wasn't just stating that she's taking Alice away … Jason realized.

"She's warning me," Jason whispered, finishing his thoughts out loud with narrowed eyes.

Katelyn helped Alice escape and the latter went to Jason due to her instructions, meaning the organization was worse than even him. From this, Jason was able to deduce that Katelyn was warning him that the organization wanted Alice back. However, she couldn't tell him openly, most likely because she was being monitored. So, the only way to inform him was to become emotional and pretend to blurt it out with spite. Of course, this was only Jason's speculation, but he believed it sincerely. He had to.

So that means they'll take Alice tomorrow, Jason grimaced. What concerns me more is that I don't know who 'they' are. I need more information … but from who?

Jason furrowed his brows together and crossed his arms while leaning against a wall. He started organizing all the information he had so far.

So far, my only two direct leads are the mercenaries and the Asāsiyyūn, but I can't travel halfway across the earth to interrogate the latter. I'd be leaving Alice and Alina vulnerable and there's no way I'd take them with me to the middle east, that place is too volatile, Jason thought while his fingers tapped his crossed arms. AEM is after Katelyn for being an assassin and Practitioner. Melanie came after her as Viperess since the Council sanctioned a bounty mission to capture her … meaning other Phantoms will probably join the manhunt.

But why? What does the Council want from Katelyn? It can't be because of her being a Practitioner, they'd just set AEM after her. So that means they're after bigger fish … they're after the organization that controls her, Jason frowned and grimaced again. I could ask Silvie to look into it, but that could alert the Council instead. And considering that they sent the bounty mission to another Phantom, it's clearly apparent that they don't trust me. Damn, wish Lizzy was here. I sure could use her advice.

Suddenly Jason paused and straightened himself with a jolt as he recalled what Elizabeth said to Melanie.

"I need to ask her about the … weather. So I'll be taking her first."

Of course, Jason thought. Lizzy would know about this organization … why didn't I think of her earlier?

Jason now needed to choose which would be best from the three leads he had: Find and interrogate the cells of mercenaries that had infiltrated Atlantis, try and convince Silvia to help him as a Council member, or visit Elizabeth and see what she knew about this mysterious organization.

Hnuh, can't visit Elizabeth after leaving her like that previously, Jason thought as he groaned and crossed out the third option. She would shoot me on sight, especially since I told her how I've been using my powers to amplify her body's ... during … lovemaking.

I also won't rely on Silvy just yet, Jason thought while rubbing his chin. That should be a last resort as I can't trust the Council.

" … Then that just leaves the mercenaries," Jason muttered.

Right now, they were hiding from any and all prying eyes. However, Jason was a mercenary himself, and he knew how they thought. The grunt level mercenaries would do exactly what the bad guys on TV would do: use abandoned warehouses and buildings that were relatively distant from drones and satellite scans. The more prudent ones would blend in with the Sumps. They would rent out a place for cheap and hunker down for a while, keeping a low profile so no one would suspect a thing. And the top-notch mercenaries would be relaxing in five-star hotels, waiting for a signal from their employers while studying the city from their luxurious rooms.

I can't aim for those staying in hotels, that's too high profile, Jason thought. And that's probably what they're counting on. The ones staying in the Sumps would also be hard to flush out, it's in complete control by the criminal gangs there, so I won't be able to identify the mercenaries so easily. Not to mention, that could attract the wrong attention.

So that just leaves the c-class mercenaries, Jason nodded as a plan began forming in his head.

"A.V.A," Jason said. His voice was hoarse from not speaking for a long time and he cleared his throat as he called out to A.V.A.

His four-wheeled motorcycle raced down the road and stopped in front of him. The echo of gears sounded out as the motorcycle lowered itself, transforming from a cruiser format to a forward-leaning sportbike.

"Won't you say goodbye first?" A.V.A asked as Jason sat down on the bike.

Jason hesitated and looked back at the restaurant. Alina was using a tissue to wipe Alice's grease coated face while Ava looked straight at Jason. A hollow feeling of emptiness filled Jason's chest and he drove away without replying to A.V.A.

"A.V.A, give me a list of abandoned and unused warehouses that had their utilities and water activated for the past two weeks," Jason finally said after two whole minutes of silence as he drove through a partially empty highway. "Also, cross-reference them with areas that are sparsely patrolled and observed by drones and satellites."

"Again?" A.V.A asked blithely. "I don't understand why they would choose such an obvious choice as their base of operations."

"Well, you know us bad guys and our warehouses," Jason joked. "We just can't stay away from abandoned places."