The Royal Contract

"Think! Think! Think!"

He already suspected that his identity might be compromised. There was a high possibility that he had blown his cover.

However, he was surprised that the organization had not acted on it. Was he wrong about his assumption? Or they were planning something to deal with him later.

"Think!" He repeated, believing he needed a backup plan if things went south regarding his situation.

The last thing he needed was to find himself in the middle of an execution where he would not even get a trial.

He checked his room, ensuring he had no other company. He also had his security run a spot scan of his entire house, guaranteeing that his enemies had not planted any bugs to spy on him.

"I have to make a call." He mumbled to himself, remembering the phone call he received earlier.

He was sure his friend had been expecting him to call after he had failed to answer him earlier. In his defense, he was with the boss when he called. He could not answer him.

"Mike, how..." But before Gerald could say more, he interrupted his friend, knowing he had to tell him before it was too late.

"Gerald, we have a big problem." He immediately announced to him, hoping to catch his attention, not that his friend was not anxious enough.

He took a deep breath, deciding what to tell his friend first. Or how he should break the news to him?

It was not like his friend just won the Nobel prize. On the contrary, it was the worst news he could receive.

"What problem?" He could hear the uncertainty in his voice. A rare occasion he had experienced with his friend after the long years they had been together.

"Are you in trouble?" His friend automatically concluded on the other line.

Although that was possibly true, his life might be in danger. It was not his immediate concern at that very moment. The urgency of their situation was not about him.

"I might be." He still admitted, giving his friend a heads-up of his situation. "But that is not the reason I called."

He knew he had to tell him what he had learned so they could find an immediate solution before it became too late for them to do anything.

"What do you mean? Are Don's men hunting you? Are you running for your life?" Mike could hear the calmness in his friend's voice. But he could also tell that Gerald was anything but calm.

"I just suspect that they are on to me. But they had not acted on their suspicion." He tried to explain to his friend so Gerald would not overreact and come to his rescue with guns blazing.

However, once he said what he had to say next. He doubted if his friend would sit tight in whatever hellhole he was hiding his ass.

He believed that once he learned of his news, it would take a tank to stop him from rampaging and charging behind the enemy lines.

"I still have time to get out of here if the heat on me intensifies." He quickly assured him. "But..."

That was the problem.

He had no idea how to tell his friend about his other news without agitating him. He knew his friend was a ticking time bomb when it came to the people he cared about.

"But what?" Gerald shouted on the line, clearly not happy with his stalling. "What are you not saying?" He impatiently demanded on the line.

Mike could already imagine his friend drumming his feet on the floor or pacing the room as he waited for him to speak up.

"Ok. I will tell you, but I need you to promise that you will calm down. You will listen first, and we will think of the best course of action."

He hoped his friend would agree with him, but at the state of his friend, who knew how he would react to the information?

He guessed if he was in the same shoes. He might also go berserk. He had killed a man for a lesser reason, but still a valid one.

"I don't like where you are going with this." Gerald probably foretold where he was going with his statement.

He would not have been the leader of one of the biggest illegal syndicates and one of the most honorable litigators in the city if he was not quick on his feet.

"Promise me that you will not rush into a decision. And that you will let me help you with this." He did not want his friend to leave him behind, as he charged to their enemy's territory.

"Just tell me what it is and stop going in circles." He shouted again, sounding slightly desperate to hear what he had to say. "Mike, spill it out."

This time, he knew he had no choice, remembering that despite Gerald's reputation as a good guy in the public's eyes.

Gerald also had his other side. He could also be the man who could be as hard as a stone. He could kill a man with his bare hands without mercy if he believed he deserved it.

"All I am just saying is..." Mike paused as he attempted to calm him one more time. "...to use your head. Think rationally and not emotionally."

He needed his friend to be level-headed, especially when he was not at his side, to stop him from doing anything stupid.

"And yes, this has something to do with Haley and your baby." He finally answered his unspoken question.

"I was supposed to meet with Alfred this morning about a case. I knew it was urgent, but he canceled at the last minute." Mike informed him of an earlier event.

He believed Alfred would not cancel a meeting just like that, especially if important unless his other commitment could be more urgent.

He did not want to think much about it, concluding that it could be about the organization.

"But then again, I received a phone call. Someone took Haley. And from their description, it could be her father, Alfred."

It made sense.

Alfred must have put two and two together and somehow had found a way to track her down. Or it could be a coincidence that someone saw her and told Alfred about it.

There could be several possible reasons and combinations. But the bottom line was. Somebody took Haley. And he suspected it was Alfred.

"But you are not a hundred percent sure." Gerald appeared calm, but he could sense the underlying anger in his voice.

"I have no concrete proof yet, but my instinct told me it was him."  And more often than not, in his underground line of work, evidence was not usually necessary before taking action.

He just needed his instinct to judge a situation. And in this case, he did not doubt his findings.

"Do you believe you might think of a clue where her father would have taken Haley and my child?" Gerald asked, but Mike could already see his eyes turning. It was like a spinning wheel, not stopping until he had an answer.

"Alfred could have taken her home. You know his house is like a fortress." Mike suggested, believing it was well-guarded and almost impenetrable.

Even he or Gerald would have a hard time passing through their security. Although, he was not discounting that it might be difficult but not impossible.

"Any other place that you might think of," Gerald asked again, probably covering all their grounds.

He could think of other safehouses, but nothing compared to Alfred's family home.

"I doubt if Alfred would take her to Don's home. Besides, Don is still in his room in the hospital, recuperating from his injuries." He reminded his friend that his other boss was not an option.

His safer bet would be Alfred's mansion.

"If you give me a few hours, I can know more and get more details," Mike recommended since he knew a source to help him gather information.

There was a long silence in the other line, but he could still hear his friend breathing. Gerald must be contemplating his suggestion before answering.

"I will only give you a couple of hours," Gerald said, hissing on the other line with a barely controlled temper.

He could tell it was taking his friend every patience in his guts to stop himself from running to save Haley and their baby.

But they needed to plan their next move before taking action. That was the only way to guarantee their success.

"That is all I need," Mike said as he hung up the phone. He did not want to waste another minute as he searched for his other contacts.

His friend needed him more to do his part with precision than to worry about him and what he would do.
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He also hated he could not be there for his friend, especially when he needed him the most.

But he knew they had different roles to act and play in this elaborate scheme if they wished to save Haley and his child from their adversaries.