Chapter 44: Turf Disputes, Again.

Liam and Yaela made their way back into the lobby after completing Yaela’s tier evaluation. As they entered, Director Grey caught sight of them from the upper level. He had been pacing near the railing, his head moving from side to side as he surveyed the lobby below. When his eyes locked onto Liam, he stopped abruptly. “Just the guy I was looking for,” he muttered under his breath, then gestured with his hand for Liam to come upstairs to his office.

Without waiting for a response, Grey turned and walked back into his office. Liam noticed the director’s summons and immediately turned to Yaela with an apologetic expression. “Uhm, Yae… stay here. I don’t know, just do whatever, but stay in sight.”

Yaela simply nodded. “Alright.”

Liam climbed the stairs toward the Director’s office. The door had been left slightly ajar for him, so he didn’t bother knocking as he entered. Walking toward the desk, he noticed Kent standing beside Director Grey, the two had apparently just finished a discussion. Liam also noticed Lucien’s absence, though it wasn’t his concern, so he said nothing about it.

Grey wasted no time getting to the point. “Liam, you’ll go with Kent right now to resolve a dispute between Visors of the White Hunters and Weeping Dragons. It’s some argument about who gets what part of the monster.”

Liam frowned. “Isn’t Miss Selene there?”

“If Selene or President Nacht were even in the country, there wouldn’t be a dispute at all,” Kent interjected sharply.

Director Grey nodded in agreement. “Yeah, most of the White Hunters’ main team left Michigan this morning on a special mission.” He leaned forward slightly. “Now you both, be on your way before it gets ugly out there.”

Both agents nodded and left the office, with Liam following directly behind Kent.

…

Less than two minutes after Liam had gone upstairs to answer the director’s call, Team C returned from their mission. It had been their first assignment as a team of four, mostly evacuation though, but they were in good spirits as they entered the lobby.

Elaine was the first to notice the unfamiliar girl in the checkered shirt who seemed to be observing everything around her with curious eyes. “Hey there,” Elaine said with a friendly wave, drawing Yaela’s attention as she and the rest of Team C approached.

“Hi, I came with Liam,” Yaela replied directly. She didn’t know who she was talking to, and being new to the place, referencing Liam seemed like the fastest way to establish her purpose for being there.

“Ooh, you’re the sister he told me about?” Elaine said, her face lighting up as she finally put a face to the name.

At that moment, Kent and Liam emerged from the director’s office and Liam immediately noticed that Yaela had somehow ended up in the midst of Team C’s return. When Yaela spotted Liam making his way toward the exit, she stared at him intently while raising her arm—the combination of her facial expression and gesture clearly asking where he was going and why he was leaving her there.

Seeing Yaela’s reaction, the rest of Team C turned to look at Liam as well. Liam responded by making a subtle motion with his fingers while mouthing the words “I’ll be back,” hoping his hand gesture and lip movement would convey the message properly.

The agents, seeing that he was walking behind Kent, already understood that Liam had been assigned to a mission.

“So what brings Hotshot’s sister here?” Sarah asked with a grin.

Yaela tried to stifle her laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. “Hotshot? Liam?” she said, genuinely surprised by the nickname.

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” Sarah said, draping her arm over Yaela’s shoulders in a friendly gesture. “Come on, let’s head to the field agents’ room. We’ll tell you all about your brother’s reputation around here.” As Team C led Yaela away, continuing their conversation, Liam and Kent were already heading toward their destination.

…

The two agents traveled in a single SUV with two other USOV personnel. The driver and passenger were both C-tier agents, while Kent and Liam shared the back seat. The atmosphere in the vehicle was tense, filled with an uncomfortable silence that stretched on for several minutes.

Finally, Kent broke the quiet. “I know you’re important to USOV, but do not mistake that as access to do as you please.” The death of Ray, an S-tier agent, at Liam’s hands still gnawed at Kent’s mind. It wasn’t that he particularly cared about Ray, but perhaps it was an insecurity on Kent’s part.

He hated the thought that Liam could act without consequences and felt compelled to remind him of his place. Liam said nothing in response, simply shaking his head and sighing slightly, wondering what had prompted that particular lecture. No further conversation passed between them until they reached the breach location where the disputing factions were waiting.

…

“Good, they’re here,” said Tim, one of the Visors from the White Hunters, as he watched the SUV slowly pull into the designated area. Tim was a tall, slightly muscular man with flowing grey hair and striking golden eyes. Visible tattoos decorated his arms, and he wore a dark polo shirt with black gloves while gripping a steel baseball bat. As an S-tier Visor, he commanded respect, and behind him stood two other Visors who were A-tier.

The SUV came to a halt and the USOV agents stepped out of the vehicle. The two in the front seats remained by the SUV, as they were C-tier Visors who weren’t authorized to interfere in the turf disputes. However, Liam and Kent moved forward, and at that moment, the members of the Weeping Dragons faction stepped closer to meet the USOV agents.

Leading them was a broad-shouldered, muscular man with short spiky black hair and a wide, confident grin that showed his teeth. Facial scars added to his physically imposing presence, and he wore a khaki-colored military-style uniform jacket with dark straps across his chest and matching dark pants. A large broadsword with glowing blue edges and dried blood crusted on its blade was secured in a strap across his back. Behind him stood three other Visors: two S-tiers and one A-tier.

“Hello, President Clive,” Kent said, extending his hand toward the Guild Master of the Weeping Dragons. Clive shook back with an even firmer grip and turned to his subordinates. “These pussies called USOV on us, boys,” he said, prompting his team to laugh in unison.

Kent said nothing in response to the taunt, instead turning to extend his hand toward Tim. “Hello, Tim.”

Tim shook Kent’s hand firmly. “We’ve been waiting,” he said, completely ignoring Clive’s provocative comments. The tension in the air was palpable as both factions sized each other up, with the USOV agents caught in the middle of what felt like more than just a simple dispute over monster parts.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep