The Vixen's Protégé

Chapter 9

As they finally reached the hideout, Jack carefully parked his car, mindful of the traps they had set up to protect themselves from possible enemies. After ensuring their safety, Jack turned to face Victor, removing the duct tape from his mouth. Victor's eyes scanned the surroundings, a mix of stupor and anxiety evident in his complexion.

"Did you catch Elvira inside the Museum?"

Jack's eyebrows furrowed as he responded, "No, and I've decided to keep you here for questioning," Jack informs him as he guides him toward the door of the house.

"Interrogation, you say? Why? You'll never learn anything about me that will gratify you! As your number one adversary, shouldn't you have some knowledge about me, being an agent?" Victor chuckled with an unsettling tone.

Victor Juarez was unsatisfied with Jack holding him captive, as he was unable to obtain any information about Elvira, no matter what he tried, until his men would eventually track them down.

When Victor Juarez and Elvira managed to escape from the clutches of the authorities, the Director of the Zion Federal Bureau, Watson, placed the blame solely on one person.

"Retired Agent Jack Bradley. It was Jack's doing! Who else would have a grudge against that syndicate leader?" Watson fumed, still furious about their unexpected escape from his custody.

"Are you talking about Jack, the one who killed his friend? His former boss?" another agent questioned, trying to make sense of Watson's accusations.

"Exactly. Who else? I'm convinced that Jack had something to do with Elvira Galman breaking my arm. It was a perfect diversion for whatever they're truly planning." Watson pondered, trying to unravel the unexpected twists in Jack's resignation from the very beginning.

"But why would he help them? To get Juarez? Everyone, not just the authorities in Zion City, is on the lookout for them. I doubt we're the only ones tracking their every move," Agent Rhoades chimed in, glancing at his boss for validation.

"No, we're not the only ones, Agent Rhoades. This goes beyond us. This goes beyond Zion City." Watson muttered, his mind racing with thoughts as he tried to piece together the puzzle.

Director Watson ensured the swift apprehension of all three of them, including Jack, who had a substantial bounty on his head. However, the intense situation took an unanticipated turn when Jack woke up to find Victor no longer bound to his chair. As he listened intently, he soon heard disturbing sounds coming from the nearby bathroom, resembling someone gasping for air.

"Elvira!!" Jack cried out in sheer disbelief, his heart racing with fear and bafflement.

"Leave me alone, Jack! It's my turn to deal with this old man!" Elvira's voice echoed through the room, filled with an anger that had been long suppressed. "I'll kill you, Victor, you despicable beast!"

Reacting quickly, Jack took a step forward, desperately preventing Elvira to do her dangerous course of action. "You can't kill him yet! I still need him – I still need his help to find my daughter!" Ignoring Jack's request, Elvira's rage consumed her. Her voice quivered with unyielding grit as she lashed out at Victor, "You think you can get away with everything, but not this time! I'll make you pay for what you've done!" Weak and gasping for breath, Victor managed to assert through strained words, "Stop her, Jack! That conniving woman... I'll make her regret this!"

Jack realized he had to make a choice. "Enough, Elvira! We must find another way to make him talk!" Elvira's eyes narrowed with a mix of anger and betrayal. "Ah? Is that how it is? Fine. In that case, I won't let you get away this time, Victor!" With her resolve unshaken, Elvira pushed forward, resuming her attempts to drown their captive. Seeing their disagreement escalating into something far more dangerous, Jack lunged forward, grabbing hold of Elvira's arm, and pulling her away from Victor. Their struggle intensified, with each of them driven by their own beliefs and motives.

Jack's intervention ultimately prevented Elvira from carrying out her plan, but it also sparked a misunderstanding, deepening the strain on their already fragile alliance. The room was filled with tension, with trust hanging by a thread.

"What are you doing? You can't just drown Victor! I still need him, to find my daughter," Jack called out angrily, his voice filled with desperation.

Elvira paused for a moment, regret washing over her. She looked at Jack with remorse in her eyes. "Trust me, we can't rely on Victor. He has betrayed me before, and he might do it again. We need to find another way."

"Can I even trust you?" Jack questioned his mind in doubt. He was unsure about putting his faith in anyone at this point. Elvira met his gaze, her face showing conclusion. "No one will help you find your daughter but me. I've made mistakes in the past, but I'll do whatever it takes to make things right."

Jack wasn't surprised upon hearing Elvira's confession. He had thought about her true motives, but now he questioned everything. Sensing his confusion, Elvira continued, "I didn't get the stones, the jewels."

Jack's mind reeled with uncertainty. He didn't know what to make of Elvira's words. With their worst enemy at their mercy, all he could do was watch her reaction to this trouble. Her every move would hold a clue to her true intentions. "I have a plan, Jack. And I promise you, it won't be easy," Elvira declared, her voice steady and determined.

"I'm done with those plans. I don't know if I have much time left to be with my daughter," Jack mulled over, his voice filled with a mix of weariness and sadness. The weight of the problem was already taking its toll on him.

"I understand your hesitation, Jack," Elvira said, "But working together is our best chance at finding your daughter quickly. Trust me on this," she added. Jack darted at Elvira, his disappointment was visible in his eyes. "It's hard to trust anyone anymore," he confessed, his voice choked with emotion. "Maybe once we get my daughter back, then I can start to believe in trusting you again."

As Elvira's plan unfolded, she waited for Victor's buyers to unknowingly acquire the stolen stones and jewelry through the auction at the Weston Museum. Victor Juarez himself cleverly kept the authorities in the dark about his true intention: the opportunity to reclaim his ill-gotten gains once he was acquitted of all his crimes. Deep down, Jack couldn't help but feel troubled by Victor's sinister plan, but he agreed to be part of Elvira's plans anyway.

"Should we specify and target these people?" Jack questioned, gazing at the names listed as their new targets listed on some crumpled paper. "There are too many of them, and I'm sure there is surveillance ready to charge at us," Jack added, expressing concern.

"We're not going to pursue them, Jack. We simply need to gather information about what's happening here. Once we locate the jewels, the police will apprehend the culprits. This way, you'll be proven innocent of the charges Watson thinks you're guilty of," Elvira explained while pacing restlessly. Jack considered Elvira's words and then suggested, "Perhaps we should just bring Victor back to the Bureau. He might become a disadvantage."

"No, we can't do that now," she replied, visibly confounded. "If we take him back, our entire plan will go to waste."

Just as they contemplated their next move, Victor, who had recovered from Elvira's attempt to drown him seemed uneasy to provide any information he had regarding the people involved in the buying of his stolen jewels and stones. "Do you want to be freed? — I believe now is the right moment for you to carry out your necessary actions," Jack confronted Victor, who remained tied.

"I don't even know the identities of these people— and even if I were, Elvira is acquainted that I would never engage in conversation with someone of your profession!" Victor truthfully insisted.

"I am yet to encounter any of them. There is no proof implying their participation in your dealings, not even within your circle," Elvira stated whilst attempting to interrogate her former boss. "That's because you never listen to a word I say! You're too blinded by your faith in Bob!" Victor attempted to lecture Elvira, exasperated by her unwillingness to trust him.

Elvira's anger heightened as Victor expressed his deep-seated hatred for her deceased boyfriend, Bob. The memories of the pain inflicted upon her and Bob by Victor flooded her mind, fueling her vexation. "And is that why you had Bob killed? Is that why?" Elvira's voice trembled with rage as she confronted Victor. "You know what, Victor? You don't deserve to rot in jail. You deserve to die and have your decaying body fed to the sharks!"

Victor laughed mockingly, trying to maintain his composed facade. "Fine, be furious, Elvira. But know this, I'm not afraid of you, even if both you and Jack are against me. If you're as brave as you claim, then let's settle things fairly. Criminal against criminal!"

Elvira's eyes narrowed, her face contorted with rage. "You're the only criminal here, Victor! Laugh now, for the next time you won't be able to smirk when you're six feet underground." She made her exit from the room, leaving Victor to contemplate her words.