“What's that?” Alice asked. She moved her focus from the seat to rest on John. John smiled and gestured for her to come over. "Come and look at this," he said, pulling the high-backed chair back. Alice had a curious expression on her face but approached him regardless. John motioned for her to sit, and she took the seat. "What's this about?" Alice inquired. "I know you would have done a great job leading the company. Richard would be proud, but you gave that away. I can see the look in your eyes; you wanted this position," John said. Alice held her silence for a moment. She turned the chair until it faced John. "I may have been able to hold down the fort, but the best decision I've made is to give it up to the rightful owner. I have no doubt you'll do far better than I ever could, and I'll be here by your side if you'll let me," Alice said, locking gazes with John. John moved and sat on the table as a slight smile broke out on his face. "Okay, in that case, I'll be counting on

John had ridden the elevator down in total silence, not that there was anyone with him, he just didn't feel like there was anything outside the mental comfort of his mind. When he came out of the elevator, he moved inattentively through the hospital's bustling environment. Nurses walked by, and some doctors rushed to an unknown emergency. He reached the receptionist, who greeted him with a wide smile. John nodded absently to her and stepped out of the building into the coolness of the night. The air felt refreshing, and he allowed it to soothe the turmoil of his thoughts. He took in a deep breath and exhaled, his mind filled with the last conversation he had with Richard. "John Draken, our son, I hand over everything to you. All that I have is yours, and everything is in your care. You may not be strong enough, but we'll start somewhere. Take care of them, John," Richard had said. At the same time, he'd given John a bear hug. In that moment, John had felt his father's longing and pai

In the hotel room booked by Elijah. John stretched and yawned. There was a persistent beeping sound coming from the door to his hotel room. He found himself under a double blanket in a king-sized bed, the room shrouded in darkness, and two large A.C. units were running at maximum power. On the bedside counter, there was a single lit lamp, an open notepad with visible scribbles, a pen with its cap beside it, and at the far end, a landline telephone. The room was chilled, but underneath the blankets, John felt the warmth trapped by the bedding. He grunted when the beeping started again, determined not to get out of bed. After what felt like ten minutes, the beeping stopped, and John breathed a sigh of relief. He had begun to drift, his eyes heavy with sleep, and he welcomed the comfort that washed over him as he recognized the feeling. Then, the telephone by the bedside started to vibrate and ring. The sound made John sit up on the bed, the chill rushing over him, making his teeth ch

Alice's gaze chilled as she glanced at the men holding Jones at gunpoint. She observed the cars and the men surrounding them with a cool intensity. There was something in her eyes that cut Viper's laughter short.Viper felt there was more to the lady standing in front of him. He watched her assess them like a pack of lost wolf puppies. In his line of work, ladies didn't give that stare; he preferred his ladies screaming. He took a moment to glance at the guy behind her, John. He looked familiar, but that was it—a familiar John Doe. He ran his free hand through his balding head and turned the gun towards Alice. He left his boys to hold down Jones, trusting they'd shoot if he tried anything funny. He was aware of Vanessa now sobbing on the floor, but he wanted this one, the one with cold eyes, wanted her at his feet so bad he felt his throat dry."I think the pretty lady and her boyfriend don't understand the situation they're in," Viper half-laughed to himself, yet he received the same

A sleek black Maserati with Tony at the driver's seat approached a Villa with people moving around, exchanging greetings and flattery. There was a security guard in front of the gate directing cars to the parking space which was a wide lawn beside the villa. “That's him,” John called. He leaned forward at the back of the maserati and pointed at a man who held the waist of two blond ladies. Alice was seated beside Tony. Her legs were crossed and her left elbow rested on her doorside, looking out into the distance. Hearing John's statement, she turned her gaze to focus on the man as he entered the villa. Tony nodded. “I've been trailing him according to your request and found out that his resting place changes every night. It's like Spectre is careful that he does not remain in one place more than once.” “So why are we here?” Alice asked. The car pulled into a designated parking spot behind a dodge challenger. “This is an art auction that attracts those with deep pockets. I believe