After watching the show unfold, William stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the execution chamber.
He hadn't gone far when he heard someone shouting behind him, "Wait, wait!"
Turning around, he saw Nick Reese standing at the doorway of the execution room, pointing at him and shouting to the prison guards, "Check that gentleman's invitation and verify his identity!"
This was the first time anyone had pointed at him like that, but William understood the reason for the suspicion. He was the only one at the scene wearing a mask.
With a death having occurred, no matter how influential he was, the guards had sufficient reason to check his invitation. Losing his temper in such a situation would only make things worse, potentially leading to the humiliation of being held at gunpoint by the guards.
Still, how to retaliate afterward was another matter.
Squinting slightly, William took out his invitation from his jacket pocket. Nick Reese, who had walked up to him, took the invitation and examined it. He found that not only was it unnamed, but it was also issued by the General Prosecutor's Office in Washington, not by the Bilton Prison or the New York Prosecutor's Office.
After double-checking the invitation and even making a call to confirm its authenticity, Nick Reese still seemed reluctant to let it go. However, since the invitation came from the Department of Justice, his tone softened significantly.
"I'm sorry, sir. Given the circumstances, a murder has occurred. We must ask you to remove your mask."
William was not known for being accommodating to strangers or those who irritated him. Smirking, he retorted sarcastically, "At least you're not completely stupid. If I were you, I'd start by investigating the drugs and equipment used to execute Rupert Meek."
Although William's face was concealed by the mask, the smirk at the corner of his mouth was obvious enough for Nick Reese to see, only making him angrier.
"How we handle this is our business," Reese countered. "For all we know, the murderer might be here to personally witness their handiwork."
As soon as he said that, the surrounding marshals and guards turned their attention to William, making it clear that if he didn't remove his mask voluntarily, they would restrain him by force.
"Heh, it seems you truly are an idiot," William chuckled before pulling off his mask.
His unmasked face immediately stunned everyone. "Only an idiot like you would think the murderer would be dumb enough to attend a public execution while wearing a mask."
"Wi-William Devonshire?" Nick Reese stammered in shock, unable to comprehend why someone of William's stature would come to witness the execution of a convicted murderer. "Why are you here?"
"I don't have to answer your questions. If you're curious, ask your Justice Department," William replied coldly as he put his mask back on and prepared to leave.
At that moment, a somewhat overweight man hurried over with a bag in hand. "Hey, guys, you need to take a look at this."
Nick Reese took the bag and glanced inside. "Where did you find this?" he asked.
"In the medical supply room. Looks like it held the drugs used in the execution."
Nick Reese frowned in thought.
After a few seconds of silence, someone nearby urged impatiently, "Come on, Nick, just tell us what you found!"
Reese held up the bag for everyone to see. On it, someone had deliberately written: "You can't fight fate."
"What the hell does that mean?"
Reese's face darkened. "I've heard this before. Ten years ago, Clarence Darby—who collaborated with Rupert Meek in the same case—turned state's evidence. When identifying Meek as the murderer of that mother and daughter, Darby said those exact words to me."
After a brief pause, Reese suddenly realized something. "Wait! We need to find Clarence Darby immediately. He could be the next target!"
The others came to the same realization and rushed to the parking lot to drive away.
Meanwhile, William followed them at a leisurely pace in his car. Watching Meek's gruesome death had triggered his memory. Now, he was curious to see if Clyde Shelton would be as ruthless as he remembered in taking out Clarence Darby, the man responsible for the death of his wife and daughter.
A few days earlier, Clarence Darby had been secretly captured, bypassing all his security. Miraculously escaping, he was now hiding alone in a decrepit building in Brooklyn's slums.
The image of the two kidnappers—who had been crushed into pulp by a falling billboard—still haunted him, making him anxious. But since nothing had happened in the past few days, he started to believe he was in the clear. Just as he was preparing to investigate who might be targeting him, his phone suddenly rang.
"Clarence Darby?" A mechanical, altered voice greeted him when he answered.
"Who the hell are you? How do you have my number?" Darby barked, attempting to mask his fear with bluster.
"A swarm of cops will be at your building in thirty seconds. If I were you, I'd grab the revolver hidden in your couch, put on some clothes, and escape through the roof. You've got twenty seconds. Move."
"Dammit!" Darby grabbed the revolver, ran to the window, and peered outside. Sure enough, a convoy of police cars was speeding toward his building.
"How the hell did they find me? Did you sell me out?"
"If I were you, I wouldn't waste time. And maybe next time, don't stiff the kind of woman you called over. You've got ten seconds left, idiot."
"Crap!" Darby threw on his coat and, heeding the advice, escaped through the roof. After dashing across the rooftops of several buildings, the voice returned.
"Watch your back."
Turning around, Darby spotted several officers scanning his building through its windows. Without hesitation, he raised his revolver and fired, emptying all six rounds. Miraculously, one bullet hit an officer. Snickering, Darby tossed the gun aside and continued to flee.
Although he didn't know the mysterious caller's identity, they had saved him twice now. In desperation, he shouted, "What do I do next?"
"There's an abandoned factory ahead with a police car parked inside. The officer in the car is unconscious, but you'd better hurry—he could wake up at any moment."
Elated by the idea, Darby made his way to the factory, avoiding several police patrols along the way.
Sure enough, he found a police car in the factory. Peering inside cautiously, he saw the officer slumped over the steering wheel, seemingly unconscious. Ecstatic, Darby crept to the passenger door, opened it, and spotted the officer's gun.
Grabbing it, he chambered a round and grinned maliciously before punching the officer in the head. Pointing the gun at him, he shouted, "Wake up, pal! Drive, unless you want your brains blown out!"
"Okay, okay! I'm starting the car!" the officer stammered, raising his hands in panic. Just as he started the engine, the back door of the car opened, and a masked man climbed in.
"Who the hell are you?" Darby exclaimed, turning his gun on the stranger.
"Have you already forgotten who helped you escape?"
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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