"Shouldn't we get another car?" Reacher got out and glanced at the people getting out. Negley's Range Rover was a five-seater, and with the five of them, it was perfectly packed.
"Who's the guy in the passenger seat to complain about being too cramped?" O'Donnell, sitting in the back, muttered unhappily.
"Let's get back to New York. They're definitely coming for you. This means everything you own could be exposed, including your family." Jack pointed out the key point.
Scarface was likely a professional killer. While his information on Reacher and the others was rudimentary, that didn't mean the information held by those behind him was equally rudimentary.
Jack also saw his own information. Of course, it wasn't his FBI identity, but Jubal's fake private investigator identity based on his current disguise.
This information was marked, and anyone attempting to access it would be recorded. Even though Jack was leisurely following Reacher and the others to Atlantic City to beat up someone, the most wanted criminals behind him were busy and happy.
The Lucky Bar, as its name suggests, had a green four-leaf clover on its sign.
A three-leaf clover is a type of clover, and seeing a clover with four leaves is often considered a sign of good luck, hence the name "lucky clover. "
Reacher turned and frowned at O'Donnell and Dixon. "You two stay here, we'll go in."
"Why?" O'Donnell looked down at himself, puzzled, thinking his clothes were soiled from the fight.
"You look too much like cops." Reacher was about to step forward when Jack stopped him. "No, you stay too, Negley and I will go in."
"Do I look like a cop?" Reacher glared, somewhat annoyed.
"Jack, I guess you don't look like a good guy." Black Sister happily stabbed her old boss in the heart again and snatched the photo of Sanchez hugging a bar girl from his hand.
Jack politely pushed the door open and let Negley in. It was only one in the morning, but business looked rather dismal, with only seven or eight customers in total.
A black bartender wearing a New York Giants jersey was standing behind the bar, idly polishing glasses. Seeing the two approaching, he smiled. "What would you like to drink? We have the best Sunday brunch in town."
"Sunday brunch" wasn't a food item, but a local New Jersey craft beer with a creamy aroma, a bit like eggnog.
"No rush. We want to check on this girl," Negley placed his photo on the bar. "Is she working today?"
"Who are you?" the black bartender's eyes suddenly grew wary. "What do you want her for?"
"We're friends of Sanchez and Orozco." Jack sensed something was amiss and was about to explain further, but the bartender suddenly became more approachable and waved to a large man behind them.
"Hey, Dulc, these two say they're friends of Sanchez and want to talk to Milena. Take them to the back, where she keeps the accounts."
"Thank you." Negley was surprised by the other man's friendliness.
As the two men rounded the bar and followed the burly man named Durs into the hallway, a waitress wearing a small green apron emerged from the restroom. It was the girl Jack and his companions were looking for.
"Milena," the black bartender quickly waved to her, pulling her phone and wallet from under the counter and handing them over. "Grab your things and get going!"
Meanwhile, Jack and Negley, unaware of the situation, were trapped in the hallway. The burly man leading the way turned and glared at them coldly. Behind them, another equally tall and muscular figure appeared.
"What's going on, man?" Negley also noticed something was amiss.
"Stop harassing our friends," the burly man named Douls warned.
Jack rubbed his brow. "Listen, man, I don't want to fight anymore today. You must have misunderstood something. We're not here..."
Before he could finish his words, the other man swung a punch at his face.
"Pah!" Jack caught his right fist with his left hand, then his left fist with his right palm, twisting them together forcefully, explaining, "We're really Sanchez's friends."
"Ah!" Douls screamed as his hands were twisted, his legs giving way and nearly collapsing on the spot.
"Don't touch me." Meanwhile, Negley had also engaged in a fight with the large, muscular man behind her.
"Try not to hurt anyone," Jack warned, kicking open the bar's back door and pushing the still-screaming Douls out.
The bar was already struggling, so it was best not to make things too awkward. After all, the other man was defending a friend, and there was definitely some misunderstanding.
"Stop fighting, we surrender," Negley punched the other man out, and both men pleaded for mercy.
"Looks like someone here's been mistaken for a villain." Reacher, clutching a Latino girl's arm, stood at the entrance of the alley with a smug look on his face, flanked by the helpless O'Donnell and Dixon.
"I'm sorry, I wouldn't have run away if I'd seen you first. Sanchez showed me your pictures, and my friend was just trying to protect me." Inside the bar, Milena apologized profusely to everyone, then turned and gave the two burly men watching over the place an apologetic look.
The black bartender served beer to everyone and helped to explain, "Last week a fierce-looking bastard came to her and said that he used to do security work with Sanchez and Orozco."
Jack casually took out a few $20 bills and put them on the tray, and smiled at the two burly men who were still rubbing their arms and faces, "Get those two guys two bottles of good whiskey, I hope the alcohol can help them forget the pain.
Does the bastard you are talking about have a scar on his face?"
"Yes, it's him. He asked me if Sanchez had given me anything, like a USB flash drive or something.
I had no idea what he was talking about. As soon as he left, I called Jose (Sanchez), but he never answered the phone.
The two of them often lost contact because of work, but this time I had a bad feeling."
Everyone looked at each other and realized a problem at the same time. The girl might still not know that Sanchez and Orozco were in trouble.
Seeing everyone's grim expressions, Milena couldn't help but get nervous. "Do you know where they are now?"
"Uh," Negli was trying to figure out how to put it tactfully, but Reacher spoke before her. "Someone threw them out of the helicopter."
"Reacher?!" Dixon stretched out his words.
"Oh my God!" The girl was stunned. As everyone stared at Reacher with accusing eyes, she burst into tears.
(End of this chapter)