Pedro was watching the interrogation room when, suddenly, gunshots rang out.

    He jumped up. "What is going on?"

    There was no response.

    He was rmed, and the officer inside the interrogation room stopped punching.

    Lying on the ground, Joe turned his head and looked over.

    The door burst open, revealing a masked man holding a gun.

    Pedro instinctively reached for his pistol, but the masked man was faster. One shot, and Pedro dropped.

    The masked man stepped forward and pushed open the door to the holding area.

    The officer who had been roughing up Joe froze in fear, but the intruder had no intention of sparing his life. Without hesitation, he raised his gun and fired a shot straight into the officer''s chest.

    Joe pushed himself up from the floor. His voice trembled with hope. "Did our master send you to save me?"

    The masked man didn''t answer. He simply grabbed Joe and turned to leave.

    Joe whispered, "Why did you kill them? What if this causes an uproar?"

    "Mere cops don''t matter," replied the man, his voice distorted by a voice changer.

    Joe nodded. "That''s true. Our master will take care of it."

    As the masked man stayed silent, he continued, "Debra and Marion came to see me today, but I didn''t say a word. Mr. Nichols is murdered by them. ll need our master''s help to win back Juan and reorganize the Nichols Group. That''s the only way I can pay back Mr. Nichols?"

    They stepped outside into the thick fog. Ahead, a group of figures stood in formation, all wearing ck cloaks and white masks.

    "Our master is here for that very cause," replied the masked man. "What did Debra and Marion ask you?"

    "They

    was backing Mr. Nichols," Joe said sincerely, almost devout. "I told them

    Sined to know if someone

    nothing. I''d never betray od

    master."

    The masked man tilted his head. "And how do I know you''re telling the truth?"

    "Mr. Nichols and I are the most devoted followers. We made a blood sacrifice at the church. We would never break our oaths."

    "Is that so? Then you should remember the church''s doctrine."

    "Of course. The Illuminati''s doctrine

    is clear. We sacrifice for human

    progress. We forgo our wealth,

    health, and even lives to cleanse the worldof filth. And in return, the

    Master will grant us a glorious afterlife."

    The masked man chuckled, "An afterlife?"

    Something about the way he said it made Joe''s stomach drop. The man slowly reached up and removed his mask.

    Joe''s eyes widened in shock, and his voice shook. "Marion Houston?"

    The figures behind him began stepping away, while Debra emerged from the shadows.

    She crossed her arms and smirked. "Surprise. The Master can''t send you to the afterlife, but I can send you to hell."

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!