Meanwhile, Eryx and Braylon quietly slipped out of their place and began searching the village. Everything seemed normal. When they reached the village head's house and were about to sneak inside, they were interrupted—not by one person, but by a group of people entering. They quickly decided to stay outside and listen to the conversation through the window.
"Who are they? And why are they here? They look like businessmen," Eryx whispered, surprised, while Braylon nodded in agreement. They remained outside, listening closely to the exchange between the men and the village head.
"Why are you here, Sir? If you needed me, I could have met you at the motel," the village head spoke respectfully to the group, in stark contrast to the way he usually treated Eryx and Braylon.
Bootlicker, Eryx thought, rolling his eyes in annoyance. Braylon glanced at him, noticing the anger simmering within Eryx.
"Forget about the motel... They shut it down because of that stupid woman. Now we don't have a place to meet, which is why we're here to see you in person," one of the men said, leaving Eryx and Braylon confused.
"Who are they talking about?" Braylon muttered.
"Probably just some random girl," Eryx replied casually, though it made Braylon think deeply. He snapped his fingers as if he realized something, but their conversation was interrupted.
"Now... What's the reason for your visit?" the village head asked as the men smirked maliciously.
"As I mentioned earlier, half of your payment was sent to your daughter. Now, regarding your agreement... You won't see us for the next few months," one of the men said, leaving them all in complete shock.
The village head took the bag of money from them and bowed repeatedly.
"It's a good thing you came when Braylon thought he must have misheard.
"Do I need to repeat myself?" Eryx's tone was sharp, shattering any remnants of Braylon's pride. This wasn't how things were supposed to unfold. Hearing such words for the first time, Braylon bit his lower lip, struggling to keep it from trembling.
Eryx's patience was wearing thin, and he began to rise from the bed, but he froze mid-motion when Braylon unexpectedly dropped to his knees.
The chill of the floor sent a unique sensation through Braylon's body as he slowly crawled toward Eryx. A satisfied smirk spread across Eryx's face, clearly pleased by the sight. Braylon soon found himself kneeling between Eryx's legs, his fists tightening against the cold, hard surface beneath him. did… I don't know what might have happened otherwise," the village head sighed, causing the man to furrow his brow.
"What do you mean?" the man asked, emphasizing each word.
"That new teacher, James, filed a complaint about a missing girl. So, some police officers were here investigating. I didn't know what to do. But they didn't find any information about the girl, except for some talk about the devil's curse," he added proudly.
"Don't underestimate them. They're capable of anything. Just keep an eye on them. With the investigation going on, we had to delay the medical camp. Damn... those idiots... How am I supposed to collect samples if they're hanging around?" the man said.
Eryx and Braylon overheard the conversation. Hearing those words made Eryx furious. How could they refer to the police as "dogs" and "bastards"? He clenched his fist in anger, but soon relaxed when he felt a warm touch—it was Braylon, calming him down.
Eryx looked at Braylon, who nodded reassuringly. After picking up something random, the men left the village head's house, and Eryx and Braylon followed soon after.
As soon as they returned to their room, Eryx began venting his frustration over what had been said.
"Those bastards... How dare they call us that! I just want to kill them..." Eryx paced back and forth, fuming with rage, as Braylon let out a sigh.
"Stop it, Eryx... Calm down," Braylon said, giving him a push that sent Eryx onto the sofa. Despite sitting down, Eryx was still burning with anger—his temper was notoriously bad.
"We need to deal with this situation as quickly as possible. Did you hear what they said... about the motel? If I'm right, they were referring to the same motel where we found that boy's body," Braylon explained, pulling Eryx out of his rage and back to reality.
"How can you be so sure about the motel?" Eryx asked, starting to think more clearly.
"Just basic logic… There's no other motel or hotel near this village besides that one, and we sealed it because of the crime scene. So, something's definitely off about that boy's death. I'm starting to think those people were involved in the murder," Braylon said, leaning back on the sofa.
"We came here for one case, but I didn't expect these two would be connected," Eryx remarked.
"Yeah..." Braylon sighed, then straightened up.
"Tell Franklyn to investigate the surgeon who operated on that boy. We have a photo of him post-surgery, right? Every hospital keeps records of surgeries and patient information," Braylon instructed, and Eryx nodded in agreement.
Eryx called Franklyn immediately, surprised to realize it was already midnight. Still, he didn't hesitate—Braylon's words were enough to prompt the call without second thoughts. Franklyn answered, his voice groggy from sleep.
"Hello..." Franklyn mumbled.
"Franklyn, it's me, Eryx," Eryx said, keeping his tone casual.
"Yes, Senior... Do you need something?" Franklyn asked, already aware of Eryx's usual straightforward nature.
"Yeah, I need some information about the boy found dead in the motel," Eryx replied. Hearing that, Franklyn snapped out of his sleepy state, sitting up.
"But, Senior... We aren't here for that case, right?" Franklyn asked, scratching the back of his neck in confusion.
"Yes, but I need it as soon as possible. Leave the village and find out where the boy had his surgery, and get the details of the doctor who operated on him," Eryx instructed, though Franklyn took a moment to respond.
"Okay... Senior... I'll leave right now," Franklyn replied hesitantly.
"Good. I'm hanging up," Eryx said before ending the call.
"What did he say?" Braylon asked, his curiosity piqued.
"He's leaving immediately," Eryx replied, which left Braylon in shock.
"Eryx, are you serious? It's the middle of the night, and you're sending him out? What if something happens to him?" Braylon shouted, concerned, while Eryx just rolled his eyes.
"Stop acting like a mother, Braylon. He's a cop, so he has to do his job even if it's midnight. Nothing's going to happen to him—he's a grown man, okay?" Eryx said casually, but Braylon's expression shifted.
"Am I acting like a mother? Maybe... I'm just worried about him. Do women feel this way after giving birth? Is that what maternal love is? It actually feels good to care about others…" Braylon pondered, lost in thought.
Eryx shook him to bring him back to reality.
"Back to earth, Braylon… Don't zone out," Eryx said.
"Sorry…" Braylon apologized, but he was still distracted. He missed his son deeply. Suddenly, he felt a rush of emotion and was about to scream, but something stopped him.
"Eryx... What the hell are you doing? Put me down!" Braylon struggled as Eryx lifted him effortlessly. He walked over to the bed and tossed Braylon onto it. When his back hit the soft mattress, Braylon let out a small sound that could almost be considered a moan.
"What—" Braylon started to say, but Eryx interrupted him.
"Just sleep... I won't do anything. I just want to cuddle," Eryx said, nuzzling against Braylon's neck. Braylon fought to suppress any sounds, but his body reacted to Eryx's touch. He shivered as warmth spread through him.
Eryx wrapped them both in the blanket, a small smile forming on his lips. Soon, they both drifted into a deep slumber.