Without witnesses.

During this period, the only people who had access to the house were occasional strippers from the Savoy club, which he wore to spend the night with them. No one else was allowed to enter or stay there, so the answer came faster than expected.Proctor looked away from Rebecca and said directly to Burton.— Find each of the women you have brought home. Do it discreetly and make sure you don't leave any loose ends. It is understood?Burton raised his hand calmly and, using the fingertips of his fingers, precisely adjusted the glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose, an almost ritual gesture in the Then, he nodded silently, with a cold expression that characterized him.At noon, in the quiet suburbs of Banshee, Ethan was leading his patrol with his gaze fixed on the road. The sun's heat seeped through the windshield, making the air inside the vehicle feel denser.Suddenly, a bicycle emerged without warning from the sidewalk, crossing the street just in front of him. Ethan barely had time to react, his reflexes activated and he pressed the brake hard. The screeching of the tires resonated in the environment as the vehicle stopped a few meters from the rider.— Hell! —exclaimed. His gaze stuck into the figure that was reeling on the bicycle, a carefree-looking teenager, wearing a upside-down visor cap and headphones that blocked all the noise around him.Ethan rolled down the window and leaned slightly out.— Hey boy, be more careful! —screamed, trying to stay calm.The boy raised a hand in an apology gesture, but did not stop his departure, quickly disappearing into a curve. — Sorry, officer! —said a boy from the bicycle.The boy, realizing the problem he had caused, shyly scratched his head and apologized.—Okay, be careful when you cross the street in the future. — Ethan replied, with no intention of reprimanding a child of about eight or nine years old. He gestured with his hand to indicate that he was on his way.The boy, he nodded quickly, took his bicycle and ran away. Ethan shook his head and smiled, but just as he was about to leave, he noticed a flash hitting his head and an idea came up in his head when he saw the African American boy on the bike go, and he quickly turned the wheel.— Damn!Ethan mumbled a curse in a low voice. Something important had completely escaped them. Proctor would not need much to deduce who the informants were; it was enough to tie loose ends from the details in the search warrant. He wouldn't need hard evidence to think about getting rid of a couple of strippers, which wouldn't be a challenge for someone like him.The memory of a children's bicycle next to Juliet's lawn emerged in Ethan's mind. He immediately stepped on the gas, determined to warn her, or perhaps save her.The police car quickly arrived near Juliet's residence. From afar, Ethan could see her leaving the house with a garbage bag in hand. At the same time, a white van was approaching at high speed from the opposite direction of the street, a bad premonition arose in his heart.Juliet walked to the sidewalk and threw the bag in a nearby trash can. He shook his hands and took the keys out of his pocket.The roar of the engine made her look up, and as she saw the van approaching her, her face paled. His fingers trembled, dropping the keys to the ground.The driver was terribly familiar to him. He was wearing black saddles and a bow tie. Juliet recognized him immediately: it was Burton, the man who followed Proctor and did all the dirty work for him. I had seen him hit people without remorse more than once.Yesterday, upon learning of Proctor's arrest, the other strippers took it as a joke. No one thought he would be incarcerated for long. However, Juliet sensed that her arrest was related to her.Although she was relieved, she was also concerned. He had considered applying for sick leave that day, but feared that would raise suspicions. So, building up his courage, he decided to go to work tonight. But now, seeing Burton, he felt his body freeze.Just as despair invaded her, a shrill siren sound broke the air.Seeing the truck, Ethan quickly realized immediately that Proctor had sent someone to silence Juliet. The distance was too great to be on time if Burton attacked. Without thinking, he activated the siren to get his attention.The noise caused Burton to take his eyes off Juliet. He looked at the police car approaching from the opposite direction. He clenched his teeth and accelerated, without stopping.The vehicles crossed slowly, and in that brief moment, Ethan and Burton's gazes met. Burton's eyes, hidden behind the reflection of his glasses, emanated a haunting void. Ethan frowned, unable to imagine what kind of experiences could have taken away all spark of humanity. The van turned a corner and disappeared at the end of the street.When Ethan stopped the car with Juliet, she dropped to the ground, her legs trembling and her body drenched in sweat.Ethan came out quickly and helped her up.—You're fine — Why did you come for me? Did you say something to him? How did you find out? They told me they wouldn't use my name! —exclaimed Juliet, getting up with difficulty. His horrifying eyes stuck into Ethan.—No, I think I was just guessing. There are not many people who can enter Proctor's house —Ethan replied calmly. — They just wanted to silence everyone who was there and who could have spoken, but with your reaction you just confirmed it.— So what do I do now? —Juliet grabbed him by the arm with force, his despair palpable in every word —. You can't leave me alone!Ethan looked at the house.— Where's your son?—In the nursery.— Does anyone else know about the club?—I have not told anyone.—Okay, we'll go for it right now. —Ethan agreed, thoughtful —. But you can't stay in Banshee for now, bring some things we'll get you out of here safely.Juliet pressed her lips, visibly tense, and nodded silently. Without adding anything else, he turned around and headed towards the house.—I'll be back three minutes —he said before disappearing out the door.Ethan took advantage of that moment to get out his phone and make a call. Juliet had risked a lot to help them, and he was not planning to leave her at this time, he knew he had a sense of justice.Minutes later, Juliet came out with a suitcase in her hand. Ethan helped her load it into the car.— What about your house? —he asked.—It is for rent.Juliet looked sadly at the place she had called home for years, but was not allowed to falter. He got in the car without looking back with a couple of small suitcases.Ethan accompanied her to pick up her son, and then drove to safety. At an intersection, a blue truck was waiting for them. Hood was leaning against the vehicle, with a paper bag in hand.Ethan honked his horn and parked next to him.— Do you know where you are going? —Ethan asked Juliet while handing her the bag.—I have a cousin in Chicago, I think I can keep him.—Perfect. Never come back. Here you have twenty thousand dollars. It will be enough to start again in Chicago, don't let anyone see it.—Thank you, you are a good person —Juliet said, accepting the money after a moment of doubt — Promise me that you will end Proctor.Juliet got into her car once again, turned the wheel, and plunged into traffic until she disappeared between the lights and the hustle and bustle of the city. Ethan, leaning against a wall, lit a cigarette. He exhaled a puff of smoke, relieved, though persistent restlessness continued to haunt his mind.Hood approached him and crossed his arms.— Do you think Alex will be able to hit Proctor definitively? —Ethan asked, kicking a stone. — We must make sure we finish him off forever.Hood looked at him seriously.—Don't worry —Hood said, patting him on the shoulder — Alex recovered quite a bit of evidence from Proctor's blackmail. I spoke to him on the phone today, he will appear in court to testify against him.Juliet was unwilling to testify at first, and her departure had nothing to do with the general situation. Now that Alex has come forward, along with the witnesses and evidence available, Proctor has no escape.Ethan nodded and continued his patrol job for the day.In the afternoon, at the Proctor slaughterhouse, the business was still going on, even though Proctor was incarcerated.Rebecca organized the financial statements in the office, keeping the information in her bag. Exiting through the side door, he stopped. Next to his Mercedes-Benz were two cars parked.The presence of a car was not unusual, but what caught his attention were the bodyguards surrounding one of the Lincoln vehicles.The Lincoln's back door opened. Seeing who was leaving, Rebecca sighed with relief. Although he did not know what Alex was doing there, he greeted him with courtesy:—Chief Longshadow—Please call me Alex.Dressed in a black shirt under the suit, Alex wore the top two buttons unbuttoned, exposing his chest muscles. His bodyguards remained around him, adding to his air of importance.Rebecca looked at him with a frown.— What brings you here, Mr. Longshadow? If it's my uncle, don't worry. The charges against him will be dropped soon —he said, ignoring his request and getting straight to the point.Alex, putting his hands in his pockets, smiled calmly.—You are wrong. I am very worried.—I have never doubted your uncle's ability ... or, rather, his ability to get out of trouble —continued as he walked in circles around him —. I am sure your attorneys will win the case and save you from the charges of illegal possession of weapons.Rebecca felt Alex's eyes run through her body. She squeezed her bag, suppressing the anger that grew inside her.—When you get out, my uncle will talk to you about any problems. Alex took two steps back and looked at her arrogantly.—Maybe yes, or maybe no. But I think your uncle's luck is over —he said with a disturbing coldness.Rebecca felt a chill run down her back. The man in front of her, whom her uncle had underestimated over and over again, projected an authority that went far beyond what it appeared.— Why are you telling me this? —he asked, striving to keep his composure and hide his nervousness —. Aren't you afraid I will tell my uncle?— What can he do from where he is? —Alex replied as he got closer, reducing the distance between the two. Her fingers slipped through a lock of her golden hair, which she slowly carried up her nose, inhaling her scent of jasmine and sweet vanilla — Also, I'm giving you a chance to choose. An intelligent person does not stay on a sinking ship.Rebecca felt her face burn with indignation, but kept her composure. —I need time to think about it.—Of course. You know where to find me when you decide.Alex said goodbye with a carefree gesture, enjoying the moment. As her car disappeared into the distance, Rebecca dropped to the ground, heartbroken.He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, but stopped before the call connected. Ethan was involved in the arrest of his uncle. What could he do for her?Squeezing his teeth, he dialed his uncle's lawyer number.Banshee Police Station / Interrogation RoomRebecca told Proctor what Alex had said, omitting any details that might involve her. Proctor, hearing how Alex planned to attack him, remained silent for a moment. Finally, he asked:— What is the progress of the case?The lawyer, Jackson, loosened his tie and replied:—I have reviewed the search warrant. The scope of the search was limited to the basement and did not include other rooms in the house. We can argue that the secret room does not belong to the basement, thus invalidating the evidence obtained and the charges for possession of illegal.Proctor hit the table hard.— Is it viable?—We have a fifty percent chance, but it will all be up to the judge. I will also reapply for bail. The district attorney will surely object, but we can distract your attention.Jackson paused, looking at Rebecca.—The subject you mentioned adds many variables. Are you sure Alex will do what he said?Rebecca nodded her teeth clenched.—He seems very confident.—Be that as it may, the main thing is to get you out of here.- added the lawyer.-Proctor nodded slowly, his face gloomy, many things would be easier to handle. —Do your job, and whatever you need, just ask.—Okay, no problem.Jackson packed his things, knowing Rebecca and Proctor still had something to say, so he left the room alone. Rebecca took the financial statement out of her bag and handed it to her. Proctor glanced at him before eagerly throwing him aside.After the lawyer left, he stopped hiding the expression on his face. He did not believe that illegal possession of weapons was a big problem; the important thing was to pay a fine, something trivial for him.But when Alex appeared to rebel, that was really unexpected and would cause him big trouble.Rebecca asked quietly:— Are you worried about Alex?—When your enemies perceive blood, they will not hesitate to attack in your weakness —Proctor showed a glimpse of tiredness in his eyes — I underestimated Alex, it seems that he is not as cowardly as I thought.Rebecca put her hand around her neck and tugged at him slightly:— Can't you ask Burton to do something?—Since Alex dares to reveal his plan to you, he must be prepared for any attack on my part. I'm afraid Burton won't even have a chance to get close.Proctor shook his head and hit the table with his fingers.—Come back first and let Burton try. If we don't find an opportunity, we'll find another way to get rid of it.Rebecca had never seen Proctor so down. He clenched his teeth, got up, and left.At night, after Ethan left work, he went to Davis Bar.After a few glasses of whiskey, he looked around.— Didn't Job come tonight?Sugar, behind the bar, dried a cup with a towel and replied:—He left to return to New York yesterday afternoon, said he had something urgent to attend to.According to Hood, Job had been investigating Rabbit's whereabouts, indicating that something serious must be happening if he had disappeared without warning. Ethan pulled out his cell phone and dialed Job's number, but no one answered.I keep the phone in his pocket and he asked worriedly:— Did he tell you something?—You know how it is, he always keeps his things. —Sugar shrugged, leaving the one of the glasses he was cleaning aside.Job probably didn't tell Sugar anything.— How are you and Carrie? —she asked.—Anyway, I keep thinking the same way.—Please don't do this. We need you on the team.Sugar left what he was doing, dragged a chair, and sat across from Ethan.—She did it for her children and she also apologized.In previous operations, Ethan always led the attack, with his combat prowess, from the rescue of Hood to when the Proctor drug lab was blown up, it was unmatched. If he left the team, his effectiveness would be significantly reduced.Ethan raised the corners of his mouth, took his glass of whiskey, and replied:—That is too easy. Your apologies are not worth a damn to me.—She made mistakes. —She just doesn't regret it, and if she did it again.Sugar took off his hat and scratched his gray hair.—I heard you hit Carrie pretty hard.—This is what happens when you do not inform your partner. You should be grateful that I didn't shoot him in the face, instead of bothering with me.Sugar didn't know what to say for a moment, so she went back to her homework.Ethan paid quickly and left.That night, at home, Ethan was in his underwear, lying on the sofa, enjoying a beer. On television, a fight caught his attention. Just as he was enjoying his leisure time, he heard an alarm beep.He got up and looked at the monitor. Outside, a blue truck was parked, and Hood greeted the camera.Ethan went out onto the porch with his beer as the car approached. Hood lowered the window when he parked next to him and yelled,— Come on, we find where Rabbit is hiding!Ethan did not move immediately. He took another sip of his beer, thoughtful. He had no interest in helping, especially after what happened with Carrie.Hood, noticing his resistance, insisted:—Job is hurt. It was Rabbit who attacked him. While escaping, he was hit by a car. He is now at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York, and may be in danger at any time. We must find him before Rabbit does. Please, Ethan, it's not because of Carrie, it's because of Job!Ethan sighed. Leaving the bottle, he returned inside.—Give me a minute.In his bedroom, he dressed quickly. He took the black pistol that Job had given him and a silver Desert Eagle. He prepared his Uzi submachine gun, hung it on his shoulder, and covered everything with a baseball jacket.Standing at the entrance, Hood watched him in amazement.— Where are we going? —Ethan asked when he got in the car.—First, we will go for Sugar.—No — Ethan shook his head —. You have to be fast. Are you sure?Hood hesitated, but then turned the wheel to another destination.After picking up a man at the Valley Motel, they arrived at Mayor Gordon's residence.Hood, with a serious face, went down quickly to knock on the door. Ethan stayed in the car, lighting a cigarette.He had a strange feeling, as if something important was about to begin.