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M: TSIA Chapter 20: Ethan
🕑 Added 2024-12-12 13:20:12 +0000 UTCAfter that, they got back into the car. Lance sat in the driver's seat, Vivi in the passenger seat, and Ethan in the back. Ethan couldn't help but ask, "Who do you work for?"
Lance casually replied, "I'm just a bounty hunter, working for myself."
In the United States, bounty hunting is a legitimate profession. Like police officers, to become a bounty hunter, one only needs to undergo a short training and obtain a legal certificate.
Lance's recorded job at the CIA was as the greatest bounty hunter.
"Bounty hunter?" Ethan was surprised, thinking he might have guessed wrong.
"I'm the one who found Lance," Vivi replied, turning around with a mysterious smile. "I work for the CIA director."
Ethan scoffed. "I don't know much about senior CIA executives."
Lance drove his car onto the highway and then asked Vivi, "Where are we going this time?"
"117 Mulberry Street," Vivi answered, giving the address firmly. Then Vivi turned and continued, "In Serbia, I was in charge of the operation. At that time, I was tracking Wolf. We thought Wolf was at a hotel then. I also thought you might have seen him. If you see Wolf again, you should be able to recognize him... I want you to work for me."
"Not a chance, I already have plans," Ethan replied quickly, without hesitation. Ethan was like this—just wanting to spend the remaining time with his family before it ran out.
Vivi looked at Ethan sharply. "Don't you want to spend more time with Zooey, rather than just a few more months?" Vivi extended a luxurious-looking wooden box, a confident smile spreading across her face. "As a gift, I will give you this experimental drug. A drug that can extend your life... Ethan, are you interested?"
Ethan paused for a moment, then opened the wooden box. Inside was a syringe. Ethan held it, stopping for a few seconds. "Where's the paperwork? The test results?"
"Here." Vivi handed over a neatly prepared stack of information by Glenn.
Ethan flipped through the information with a serious expression, frowning, and asked, "Why didn't anyone tell me about this before?"
"Because you weren't worth saving," Vivi replied without hesitation, her words touching Ethan's emotional side. "You weren't worth it before. But now, you are."
"Why?" Ethan asked, his voice softer.
Vivi looked at Ethan sharply. "Because you're sick, Ethan. A seriously ill person doesn't care about anything; they just want to survive. I have the ability to do many things, but only you can help me find Wolf. You need to find and kill Wolf. Lance will help you."
Ethan's voice was filled with self-mockery: "Kill Wolf to redeem my own life?"
"Yes," Vivi replied, a beautiful smile etched on her face. But to Ethan, that smile resembled a beautiful snake ready to bite.
"We've arrived." Lance parked the car by the roadside and stared at the building outside. Vivi then said to Ethan, who looked hesitant: "There's someone inside, that person works for Wolf's accountant. I want you to go in immediately, capture that person, and find out where Wolf is."
Ethan licked his dry lips, recalling the task just given: "I’m still in a hurry to get home and fry some fish..."
Vivi remained still, only pulling out a Beretta pistol, attaching a silencer, and handing it to Ethan: "If you're quick enough, you can still have lunch."
Ethan couldn't suppress his desire to live. Reluctantly, he sighed and finally accepted the pistol: "How many people do you want me to kill?"
"One," Vivi replied with a calm expression.
"Alright," Ethan said resignedly, then got out of the car and walked toward the building.
"It seems there’s more than one person in there." Lance, with his keen senses, could detect more than what was visible. Like Daredevil with his extraordinary hearing, Lance could hear more than what was apparent. From the sounds, it was clear there was more than one person inside, coupled with the sharp smell of gun oil in the air. If Ethan wanted to capture someone for interrogation, there would likely be resistance.
Vivi took out a cigarette designed for women, lit it casually, and then said in a flat tone: "The man has become soft since retiring... Perhaps because of his daughter. That’s not a good thing for an agent, especially when facing terrorists. When the time comes, I’ll have to ask Ethan to recall his past memories... Moreover, I need to test how much the illness affects Ethan. Otherwise, it could hinder him during action."
The sea breeze blew gently, caressing Vivi's cheeks and making her silver bell earrings jingle softly, like a little soothing melody.
Several minutes passed before Vivi flicked the remains of her cigarette, sending the last ashes flying away with the wind. A faint smile adorned Vivi's face, while her gaze reflected a hint of satisfaction. In a calm yet meaningful tone, Vivi said, "The good news is that this deadly disease hasn't completely weakened Ethan's physical skills. But the bad news..." Vivi paused for a moment, staring far ahead, "... Ethan's heart has softened too much. Not all the guards inside were killed by him."
The building where Ethan was located was no ordinary place. As part of Vivi's plan to test Ethan's abilities, the CIA had installed advanced surveillance devices throughout the area. Every step Ethan took after entering the building was perfectly recorded, allowing Vivi to receive the latest reports at any time from the monitoring agents.
Lance, who stood not far from Vivi, touched his nose with a slight smile. "I think there's nothing wrong with that. People who are too hard-hearted are often difficult to approach."
Vivi glanced at Lance with an arched eyebrow. Her eyes sparkled with mischief before narrowing into a teasing smile. "Darling, is that a subtle jab at me?"
Lance merely shrugged and said playfully, "You always know what I'm thinking, Vivi."
Vivi chuckled softly, her tone relaxed yet sharp. "Of course I know. But knowing your thoughts doesn't mean I'm going to change my own."
