The plan was to first eliminate the guards at the main gate of the villa, extract the keys to the CCTV room, poison the wild dogs and move straight to the CCTV compartment to disconnect the installation.

If they were lucky to meet no other guard, some of them would climb the building via a rope already provided for them to Alfie’s room.

Whoever gets the chance to do so takes him unaware, battles with him and kill him. For now, Claribel was not in the picture, the moment Alfie is gone she will be easier to capture.

The pressure and the silence in the van was so heavy that one could literally hear a pin drop. Everyone was lost in his own dilemma of thoughts.

Everybody’s fate was going to be decided tonight. It was a do or die situation and the probability of getting the wrong side of the coin was very high.

The only thing that kept their hopes up was the fact that they felt they had a plan and Alfie was unaware of their coming so they will catch him off guard without his weapons;

not even like his weapons was useful anyway, but they were optimistic that their plans would work.

Their thoughts were interrupted by Frederic making a call. He himself looked scared but tried as much as possible not to show it.

He ended the call with a sigh and said “Everything is set. We have the go-ahead. Just make sure you act exactly according to plan” he informed.

It sounded more like he was talking to himself than he was to the gentlemen. Everyone nodded and focused on the journey ahead. It was going to be a tough night, no two ways.

~ ~

Alfie had gone to bed after having a long conversation with Claribel.

For some reason, they hadn’t been sleeping together which was Claribel’s idea. Initially, she was suffering from post-traumatic stress and most at times needed Alfie by her side.

But these few days had been better and she decided to sleep alone to see whether could handle it. It took a lot of convincing for Alfie to eventually understand.

Alfie went to see Patrick before he gone bed and he had not liked his reaction. It looked like something was off about him.

They discussed the way to get rid off Frederic. Alfie preferred Frederic died a slow painful death whiles on the other hand, Patrick wanted

Alfie to investigate him first; or better still concentrate on the other motive why they came there: seeking revenge for his family’s death.

Claribel was found and that was enough. Alfie reluctantly agreed and carry on the investigations with him and kill whoever seemed to carry his family’s blood on his hands.

Patrick couldn’t meet his eyes the whole time, but he brushed it off and left for his room. He did his usual evening workout and lied on his bed.

He has been suffering from insomnia these past days since the pressure kept getting worseand upon all his begging, Claribel has refused to sleep by his side.

So he just laid there and kept staring at the ceiling. It was going to be a tough night, no two ways.

~ ~

“Boss we’re here” Mark blurted out the driver seat of the Mercedes.

Frederic quickly pulled out his phone to send another text for the millionth time as he signaled Mark to pull over at the farthest corner away from the villa.

The villa looked fascinating and intimidating at the same time; an exact representation of their feelings at that moment.

“Just like how we’ve planned. Poison, you and Zayn should get to the main gate and tackle the guards and the dogs there.

Marcus and I are going straight to Alfie’s room via the rope, it’s already pulled out. Mark, you and the others should surround the building and alert us in case of any emergency.

Wishing everyone good luck. If you make it alive, we shall meet again”.

With that, each of them quickly dispersed and ran to their position. Frederic and Marcus located the rope and started climbing it as fast aa they could.

Poison and Zayn made their way to the gate whiles Mark and the others did exactly as they were instructed.

At the gate, two guards were already there. They were dozing their lives off which made it pretty easier for them to bypass but the dogs were present and started to bark.

Poison knew better, he had really prepared. “Hey doggie, time for a little meal huh?” he said amidst a wicked smirk on his face and served them dog poison.

They hurriedly diverted their attention to the food and the two men headed straight for the house. This was easier than they thought.

~ ~

Alfie was just drifting off to sleep when he heard a loud bark from Hope; his oldest dog. It was also the smartest.

He had purchased it when he first joined the military and named him Hope.

How he named that dog was his symbolisation of the fact that he had hope that eventually he would come back stronger and come to avenge his family’s death.

He therefore trained the dog in both wit and strength, hence Hope was his favorite and oldest dog.

Hearing him bark was something unusual. Hope only barked when the situation was out of his control. In many of their operations together, Hope fought himself even before Alfie reached the scene.

Like a flash of lightning Alfie hurriedly rushed downstairs withhis gun loaded. He didn’t see anything.

He contemplated going outside to check the guards and the dogs.

With eagerness, he headed towards the main door that leads outside until he felt he wasn’t taking the right actions. Claribel.

Yes Claribel. At the moment his attackers are likely to be the ones who need Claribel back: Frederic and his family.

He hurriedly resigned his decision to check the outside and started trotting the stairs to Claribel’s room.

Claribel woke up from her sleep and gasped “You think you just barge into someone’s room like that.

You’ve scared the hell out of me Alfie” she complained mildly.

Alfie was content and surprised at the same time that no one was invading his girlfriend’s room but he felt adamant to leave her at the same time.

“Let’s go sleep in my room” he told her. She wasn’t having it “Alfie I thought I was finally able to convince you to go sleep alone. I’m not going anywhere with you” she declined.

“For all you know we have invaders in this house and all I’m doing is to protect you. Follow me to my room. I won’t say it twice”.

Claribel realized Alfie was serious and hurriedly him to his room. She was scared but she trusted Alfie with her life.

As soonas they opened the door to the room, a familiar voice Claribel hated with her whole life echoed in the walls of Alfie’s room; “Hello Dragon General, do you miss me?”.

Alfie stood rooted to the spot and for a second he seemed to be at lost at to what to do until like a flash of lightning he dashed for a gun he always hid under his pillow and pointed it Frederic.

“I’m shooting this right through your skull if you don’t leave exactly the way you came” he said. Frederic laughed and said “Poor Alfie.

You’ve bitten more than you can chew this time around” the same time Poison and Zayn entered, seized Claribel, whiles Poison wrapped his arms around her neck and pointed his gun at her head.

Alfie looked like he was about to explode any moment, he wanted to beg but his arrogant nature would never allow him.

Nevertheless, part of him felt he could take them all by himself. He was deliberately fast. His actions were swift.

He took a sharp little knife from his pajamas and stabbed Zayn on the side of his stomach. Claribel screamed and wondered how and why Alfie has a knife.

Though part of her was happy and grateful he had a solid weapon, another part of her felt that Alfie had just made the situation worse.

Zayn groaned loudly in pain and held his bossom which was now covered in blood.

The same moment, Poison who had a gun pointed directly to Claribel’s head threw the gun to Frederic quickly, pulled a sharp knife and placed it around Claribel’s neck.

“You’re really playing with fire but you seem to have no idea Dragon General” he spat. “You look lost dear Alfie.

Anyway any action you take again now will cost you not only your life, but the life of your sweet girlfriend here as well” that was Frederic.

He was so happy that his actions were going directly to plan. He had ambushed Alfie and has threatened him with the only thing that made him weak: Claribel.

Alfie was confused. It was not as if he could not beat them all in one take, but there’s no doubt that any stupid move he makes is definitely going to cost Claribel’s life.

He looked at her and she was pleading solidly with her eyes for Alfie to do something to save her. She kept looking at Zayn who was lying cold-blooded dead on the floor.

It wasn’t as if Frederic or Poison cared, but she felt that they would either murder her or Alfie or even both of them to compensate themselves.

She knew Alfie was never going to surrender and neither is he going to watch her die. So she felt Alfie’s confusion but yet she kept pleading with him to do something.

The room was totally quiet expect for the heavy cries of Claribel. Alfie had planned his next move in the next 10 seconds.

“Come on man, just surrender your self to us. That’s not much. You’re overpowered now Alfie, don’t even think of a strategy” that was Frederic.

To Alfie, his first move will be hurriedly knock Poison out. Knowing Claribel, she can defend herself from him the moment he’s knocked out and the knife is released from his grip.

Whiles Claribel is taking care of Poison, Frederic will easily be a dead meat. His plan was formulated and he was just about to catch them off guard until boom!.

Poison was shot from behind and he landed hard on the floor; dead. Frederic shook and gasped as he whispered in a question-like manner, “David?”

An hour ago

Mr. Ninson was beyond angry. “Do you mean he’s trying to go kill Dragon General with those boys of his?”.

“Yes Sir” Patrick replied. He had ran to Frederic’s father immediately after he let the rope down.

He had been working for him for years and had been the one chosen to investigate Alfie.

“What the hell?! ” Mr. Ninson shouted. “David can you take cover there for me?”

David shook his head and replied “I’m sorry but I can’t. I have an emergency to return to now”.

Without waiting for any response from either of them, he stood up and left. Mr Ninson and both Patrick stared at him with their mouths drop open. Nobody speaks to a member of the Great Five family like that.

PRESENT TIME

“Please let me go. Don’t kill me Alfie. I was doing all this because my father told me to. If you have any grudge, it should be against my father” Frederic pleaded earnestly.

“Your father know nothing about this, shut up you asshole”David commanded him.

He had grown the trust of Alfie the moment he stabbed Frederic in his leg and shot Poison dead right in front of him.

Alfie wanted to kill Frederic straight away but David told him to wait and torture him. David was continuing his statement until they heard the windows from the glasses shatter.

Frederic had jumped out of the window and had sped off in his car outside with his other two guards who were placed there. It all happened within a second and Alfie banged hard on the door that he had lost him.

David had told Alfie all about Frederic and his family and what was really going, his connection to them and what they really wanted from Claribel.

At the moment Frederic and his family had gone away from the country. Alfie was amused as he wondered how Frederic thought he wouldn’t find him.

He flew to that country within a few days with the assurance that Frederic and all his family was going to suffer the same fate as his. Patrick was going to get worse.

He found Frederic sitting by his desk in his office when he reached there. “Hello cousin, look who has rather bitten more than he can chew?”