Chương 97: Soaring Reputation

While Lucas was thinking of a solution for his problem, Silver Ridge Town, where the gathering of hunters was situated, was full of people. Although the ones responsible for the cleanup were supposed to stay silent, nothing can be kept a secret for a long time. In a corner of the underground bar, two men were drinking. One of them, who was obviously drunk, kept spilling out everything he knew.

"Listen…" He glanced around, then decided to continue.

"I hear that the Calaveras sent about 20 men after him, and none of them returned." The other man, called Mike, was visibly surprised by this revelation. He just came to have a beer in silence and this drunken fool came to spoil his mood. The man paid no mind to his silence and leaned into the table.

"The worst of all…" His eyes closed for a moment. Mike looked at him in doubt.

"The worst…?" The man woke up, took another shot from the table, and continued talking: "The worst of all…" Mike was ready to curse him, but this time the man continued speaking.

"…I heard…that… they found bodies ripped apart! They said that Lucas Ashford was so angry that he chopped his enemies' bodies, packed them, and sent them to the Calavera family… Gulp!" Mike's eyes widened, but he was sceptical about these rumors. This guy was just a drunken gossiper, not even active in their business anymore. As if seeing his doubts, the man glared at him angrily and gestured towards the bar.

"You think I'm lying?! Why do you think that everybody is so silent?!" Mike's eyes scanned all the people around and saw many who were like them. Whispering as if this were a gossip group, but the biggest difference was their attitude. A couple of days ago, they were all fearless, not caring about the change in leadership. But now they looked like domesticated cats. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

•••• Inside a luxurious room of the bar, Steven was having a conversation with his granddaughter Mary.

"Did you do what he asked?" Steven spoke in a rough tone as he gulped some beer.

"I did it discreetly, not overdoing it." Mary straightened her back, then relaxed. Steven glanced at his granddaughter and sighed. He didn't know if his family of Hunters would continue its legacy.

'If that didn't happen… we could have been…' Steven quickly shook that thought out of his mind and focused on the present.

"Did you find anything for him yet?" Although he didn't know why Lucas was so passionate about continuously hunting shapeshifters, he obeyed the order.

"Uh? Ah yes!" Mary quickly grabbed some files from her bag, then explained: "I think we found something solid. I already sent some people to make sure that the info is reliable. But…"

"But what?" Steven raised an eyebrow at her sudden hesitation. She paused for a moment, then continued: "The one who provided the information is asking for $200, 000." Steven was taking a sip from his beer; the moment he heard the amount, he sprayed all the beer in his mouth outside, barely missing Mary's face.

"Cough! Cough! How much?!" Mary glared at him as she wiped her arm on the sofa.

"$200, 000. He said he worked hard to obtain this information." Steven glanced at her apologetically, then spoke:"He's deliberately raising the price. I don't know if he's brave or stupid. Just tell Lucas, and he'll worry about this." Mary nodded then turned and walked towards the door, before stopping and glaring at him.

"You need to clean all that!" She then slammed the door behind her. Steven looked at the sofa, then at the door, and sighed. •••• Not being aware of the debt that has fallen on his head, Lucas was now close to the edge of the forest with a stake in his hand.

"Come here… be a good girl… come… please…?" Although the sounds were disturbing, Lucas was not doing anything illegal. He was waving the steak as he stared at Malia, who was growling at him and retreating with every step he took. Lucas had been doing this for the past 2 hours; his patience was already worn out.

"Come here, you ungrateful ***!" Malia suddenly snapped at his outburst and lunged at his arm, biting it without hesitation. Lucas was thrown to the ground and started fighting the coyote. The two rolled through the leaves, while Malia was still clinging to his arm. Lucas smiled as he grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up just like a kitten.

"I got you!" Malia kept snarling at his face, as if wanting to take a piece. Lucas smiled, then put her down in front of the house and started to gently stroke her head.

"I need your help, will you help me?" He gazed sincerely into her eyes. Malia seemed to analyze his face for a moment, then turned her back and laid down. He smiled brightly at this sight. The only question remaining was whether he could get in with her help.