Chapter 125: Finding Clues

William put on sunglasses and a hat. After getting off the train, he went straight to where Ginny and Amanda lived. He bought some bread and vegetables, packed them in a large paper bag, and waited outside the building's electronic door. The door had a code lock, so William couldn't pick it open.

After waiting for about ten minutes, he saw a resident leaving the building. William hurriedly carried the paper bag and acted like he was a resident, slipping inside before the electronic door closed. He found the apartment Brian had mentioned and used his tools to unlock the door.

Once inside, William carefully used his mental powers to search the room. He quickly found a smashed phone, picked it up, and removed the storage card. He then headed downstairs, found a laptop store, and spent $500 on a laptop and a card reader to check the storage card.

The card contained photos of Ginny and Amanda. William examined each photo closely, enlarging them until he found a young man staring at Ginny and Amanda in one of their pictures. Zooming in further, a handsome young face came into view. This must be Pete, the man Ginny mentioned.

Got you, William thought as he left the store, stashing the laptop in his storage space at a corner. He took a taxi to the airport.

After paying the fare, William searched the airport for Pete but couldn't find him. When he asked an airport staff member, he learned that many flights had been canceled due to the White Palace incident in the USA.

The earliest flight would arrive at 4 AM the next morning. William checked his watch—it was 7 PM. He decided to grab something to eat.

He found a hotel near the airport and took a nap. At 3:30 AM, his phone alarm woke him up. After freshening up and grabbing the breakfast prepared by the hotel, he headed to the airport.

Sitting in the arrivals hall, William finally saw Pete with a backpack around 5 AM. Pete sat nearby, flipping through a magazine while watching the arrivals gate.

By 6 AM, with no suitable targets appearing, Pete hadn't moved from his seat. William considered knocking Pete out and dragging him away, but the airport was full of heavily armed police and surveillance due to the White Palace incident, making it impossible to act.

Half an hour later, an announcement informed that a flight from Australia was landing. Ten minutes later, a young blonde girl with a large backpack walked out of the arrivals gate.

Traveling alone, she was the perfect target for Pete and his gang. Pete immediately put away his magazine and followed her out of the airport.

At the taxi stand, Pete approached the girl and said, "Hi."

The girl turned around and smiled at the handsome stranger, "Hi."

"My name is Pete. Are you here for a vacation?"

"Yes, are you traveling too?" she asked.

Pete shook his head, "I'm on a business trip back to Paris. May I ask, taxi fares from the airport to the city are quite expensive. Can we share a ride?"

Based on his experience, Pete knew the girl was probably traveling on a budget. Hearing his suggestion, she immediately agreed, "That's a great idea, no problem."

"Great! Every time I return to Paris, finding a taxi is a headache. The fares are too high. As someone who just started working, I always hope to find someone to share the cost. The car's here; you get in first, I'll help with your luggage."

Meeting a handsome and gentlemanly guy in an unfamiliar place made the girl happy, hoping for a romantic foreign encounter. She handed her large backpack to Pete, smiling, "Thank you, I'm so lucky to have met such a kind person right after landing."

As the taxi pulled up, Pete opened the door for the girl, smiling as he intended to let her in first. But just as he opened the door, he felt a powerful force from behind, shoving him into the taxi.

William had forcefully pushed Pete into the taxi. The confined space would make it easier to control Pete and minimize the number of witnesses.

William got in after him, closed the door, and immediately punched Pete in the abdomen, causing him to cry out in pain. Gripping Pete's right hand and pressing it against his neck, William demanded, "Where are the two American girls you shared a taxi with yesterday afternoon?"

Pete was stunned, clearly understanding who William was talking about. But he couldn't dare tell William. He struggled and shouted, "Who are you? I don't know what you're talking about."

William punched him again, this time using 50% of his strength, causing Pete to retch. The taxi driver shouted, "Hey, what are you doing?"

"$10,000 to drive, another $10,000 when we leave the airport," William said, throwing a stack of $10,000 bills onto the passenger seat. He punched Pete again, "Where are the American girls?"

The driver hesitated, tempted by the money.

"If you don't talk, I'll break your ribs and stab them into your stomach," William threatened.

As William prepared to punch again, a big black man grabbed his leg, trying to drag him out of the taxi. William kicked the man in the face. Despite the kick, the black man stubbornly tried to pull William out.

Outside the taxi, William saw two more men running towards him, pulling out knives as they charged.

William dodged a knife aimed at his abdomen and pushed the attacker into the taxi, where he hit it with a thud. The third man lunged at William, slashing at his neck with a knife.

William ducked and punched the man in the abdomen with full force, aiming to rupture his spleen as a punishment for the deadly attack. The man collapsed, clutching his stomach and writhing in pain.

William turned and kicked another man trying to stand up, breaking his ankle with a crack. Grabbing the man's head, William smashed it against the taxi's rear light, shattering it and knocking the man out.

Looking back at the taxi, William saw the left door open. Turning around, he saw Pete, clutching his stomach, desperately running towards the highway overpass.

Seeing the keys still in the taxi, William quickly closed the door and threw two punches at the black man's face, knocking him senseless. He then grabbed the man's head and slammed it against the taxi's hood, knocking him out cold.

William got into the taxi and started it, driving after Pete.

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter