Keifer Watson was many things: a billionaire, a martial artist, and a genius. But above all, he was a human lie detector when it came to his wife.
The moment Jay-jay hung up the phone, Keifer didn't call her back. Instead, he opened a tracking app on his private laptop. He saw five GPS dots—belonging to Edrix, Felix, Josh, and Ci-N—all clustered in a condemned warehouse district.
"Vintage thrift shop, huh?" Keifer whispered to the empty office, his eyes flashing with a dangerous, golden glint. "Let's see what's on sale."
The Kidnapping (Section E Style)
Ten minutes later, Ci-N was lagging behind the group, trying to take a "stealthy" selfie in his camouflage suit, when a black SUV screeched to a halt beside him. Two massive men in suits—Keifer's personal "Cleanup Crew"—hoisted Ci-N off the ground by his armpits.
"HEY! UNHAND THE NINJA! I AM BORN OF THE SHADOWS—"
"Get in the car, Ci-N," a cold, familiar voice commanded from the tinted windows.
Ci-N froze. "Oh. Hi, King. Lovely weather for a drive?"
The "Interview"
Instead of a torture chamber, Keifer took Ci-N to a high-end, 5-star steakhouse. He sat Ci-N down in a private booth and ordered the most expensive, massive Tomahawk steak on the menu.
"Eat," Keifer said simply.
"I... I'm not hungry," Ci-N squeaked, sweating buckets.
Keifer slammed a folder on the table. It was a catalog for a limited-edition, gold-plated gaming console. "Eat the steak, tell me what Jay-jay is planning, and this console arrives at your house in an hour. With the secret 'Section E' skin."
Ci-N's eyes bugged out. He looked at the steak. He looked at the gold console. He looked at Keifer's terrifyingly calm face.
"I CAN'T BE BOUGHT, KEIFER! WE ARE A BROTHERHOOD! BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT!" Ci-N shouted, standing up and accidentally knocking over his water.
Keifer sighed and pulled out a second item: A lifetime supply coupon for the "Super Spicy Ramen" place Ci-N loved.
Ci-N sat back down. His lip trembled. "You... you are a demon, King."
"Five seconds, Ci-N. Or I tell the guards to drop you off at the mall dressed as a giant chicken."
"OKAY, OKAY! STOP!" Ci-N crumbled instantly. "Jay-jay called a war council! She's going to raid the Vanguard warehouse at Pier 13! She thinks she's Batman! She even made us do a secret handshake! Please don't kill me!"
While Ci-N was busy crying and eating steak at the same time ("This meat is so tender but my soul is so guilty!"), the restaurant doors swung open.
Jay-jay stood there, flanked by Felix and Edrix. They had tracked Ci-N's phone.
"MARK KEIFER WATSON!" Jay-jay marched to the table, slamming her hands down. "Are you 'interrogating' my team with expensive food?!"
Keifer didn't even flinch. He wiped his mouth with a silk napkin. "I'm not interrogating. I'm hosting. Though your 'Special Ops' leader here traded your entire plan for a gold Playstation and a bowl of noodles."
Jay-jay looked at Ci-N.
Ci-N looked at his steak, then at Jay-jay. "In my defense, Jay... it's the gold edition. With the controller that vibrates in three different languages."
"Ci-N! You traitor!" Felix yelled, reaching for a piece of Ci-N's steak. "At least give me a bite if you're going to sell us out!"
"Enough!" Keifer stood up, his height looming over them all. The hilarity vanished, replaced by the aura of the King. He looked at Jay-jay, his expression a mix of fury and intense worry.
"You went behind my back to hunt a Hanamitchi? Do you have any idea what Ryuuichi does to people who interfere?"
"I know exactly what he does," Jay-jay snapped back, not backing down. "That's why I'm not letting you go alone. You're not the only one who can protect this family, Keifer. I'm the Mutya. I'm the one who kept Section E from killing each other for years. If you think I'm staying home while you play hero, you married the wrong girl."
The restaurant went dead silent. Even the waiters stopped moving.
Keifer stared at her for a long beat. Then, to everyone's shock, he let out a short, dry laugh. He walked closer, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Jay-jay's ear.
"You're a headache, Mrs. Watson."
"I'm your headache," she smirked.
Keifer turned to the rest of the boys, who were now all trying to steal Ci-N's fries. "Fine. If we're doing this the Section E way... then we do it right. Get in the cars. We're going to Pier 13. And Ci-N?"
"Yes, King?" Ci-N asked with a mouthful of potato.
"You're going in first. As the distraction. Dressed as a giant chicken."