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Ace nods, “I’m just going to pick a random file since there doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to it.”
“Fair enough,” Trick replies as we all watch curiously.
He clicks on a file, and lots of photographs of people come up. He picks one at random, and as soon as it loads, it becomes even less clear what they mean.
“They’re employees, maybe?” I ask, unsure but aware that the level of knowledge on each person as Ace starts to click through more is extensive and more than a boss should have. This is something else.
“I think it’s training, or how to train them?” Jensen suggests, “I mean, it lists their weaknesses, how to control them, what can be gained by employing them, how to ensure their loyalty. Some of them are incredibly well-trained ex-soldiers, some of them are hackers, and some seem to just work in the offices of extremely powerful people.”
“It’s almost like he’s trying to create an army, people who will blindly follow what he wants, and judging from some of the comments, if they don’t do what he wants them to, then he kills them,” Rage adds, his voice dark with the realisation.
"Gauld said that Hunt said that he was training people, so that would make sense," I point out.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“So he researches them and then exploits them so that they do the dirty work for him, gathering information and things like that. I mean, some of those people seem to be employed under extremely powerful people. Hunt could have been manipulating and controlling some of the country’s most powerful people for years,” Luc adds horror setting in as the depth of the situation truly begins to sink in.
“Fuck,” I say harshly. It seems to be the only phrase that will work right now.
“It makes things a lot more complicated.” Creed points out.
Everyone murmurs in agreement as Ace carries on flicking through, and he says, “All the ones that haven’t done what he’s requested or that he’s run out of use for have dead written in big red letters over their picture, so he’s definitely taking them out if them don’t get him what he wants.”
“Go back!” Jonah suddenly exclaims as he jumps up from his seat, his eyes frantic.
What the fuck is going on?
Ace doesn’t question him and simply goes back one picture.
“Another one?” Jonah asks, a desperation in his voice that has me confused until the photo goes back, and I find myself staring at someone vaguely familiar, although I can’t place where I recognize him from.
“What the fuck,” Ezra exclaims loudly.
“Isn’t that Quinn?” Atty asks, sounding like he’s in complete and utter disbelief.
“Quinn, as in the one that ran away and didn’t come back?” Peter questions as he pulls his eyes away from the screen and then jumps up immediately.
I follow his gaze and immediately do the same, rushing over to where Lyric is staring at the screen, tears streaming down her face. Her men are in just as much disbelief as she is, so Pete, Jynx, and I try to console her before realising that it’s useless and she needs them.
“Guys!” I say harshly, “Lyric needs you. Snap out of it; we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
My words seem to have the desired effect as the three of us back up so that they can surround her and comfort her. Once they seem to have Lyric calmer and they themselves are a bit calmer, we all turn to look at Ace.
“Alright, tell us what you can. Why is Quinn there? How is he there?” Trick asks Ace, who nods.
“First, he’s alive, all of the ones who were dead have the stamp across their photographs. He’s alive, and I read through while everyone was in shock, and this is what I know: he’s been there for four years.”
“That coincides with when we thought he left. He didn’t leave he was fucking captured,” Ezra curses as he jumps up and starts pacing.
Ace nods. We’re all aware of the Quinn situation. It’s one of those things that we don’t talk about because of how much it still hurts them, and I can’t even begin to imagine what they must be feeling right now.
Ace glances at Trick to see if he should continue and when Trick nods he says, “Hunt wanted him for his training, and skillset, he’s incredibly well fucking trained and because he has links with Mr Rising.”
“What?” I ask.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” Dominic adds, “he never said anything.”
“He wouldn’t. We didn’t know of Mr R when he was still with us.” Lyric adds, her voice sad but strong.
