Chapter 578
“Quick… pull me up…”
For a moment, it felt as if all the strength had drained from Sebastian’s body. He collapsed onto the ground, weak and unsteady.
“What happened?”
Zeke hauled him to his feet. Sebastian snatched his phone back, his face dark and taut with tension. “They found a woman’s body in the reservoir… I have to see it for myself.”
The words sent a chill through Zeke. He immediately fell in step behind Sebastian.
Sebastian’s hands were shaking so badly from the tension that he couldn’t even get the car started
after several tries.
“Let me drive. Get in the passenger seat.”
Switching places, Zeke had the engine roaring within seconds and the car speeding away from the temporary command post.
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The hour–long drive to East Reservoir felt like it stretched on for a century. Sebastian’s fists remained clenched the entire way, knuckles white, jaw locked, as if holding himself together was the only thing keeping him from shattering. His chest felt tight, and his mind had gone blank, drowning out even Zeke’s attempts at conversation.
When they finally neared the reservoir, the yellow police tape and flashing lights of patrol cars came
into view.
Sebastian wasn’t even sure how he got out of the car. His body moved on autopilot, but inside, his soul felt like it was drifting somewhere outside himself. His entire frame was cold, trembling, afraid of
the truth he was about to face.
“Come on. Let’s go,” Zeke urged, striding toward the cordon with Sebastian right behind him.
No matter what they were about to see, they had to confirm it with their own eyes.
“Felix!”
Hearing his name, Felix turned, spotted them, and gestured for the officers to let them through.
They joined Felix, and Sebastian’s face was already pale as paper when he asked, “What’s the situation? Who is it?”
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Felix’s expression was grim. “A fisherman hooked a woven sack while casting in the reservoir. When he pulled it in, he found it contained dismembered female remains–not a complete body. The medical examiner is checking now. Identity still needs confirmation.”
Sebastian’s ears roared. It was as if someone had swung a sledgehammer into his skull, splitting it
open.
A body. Cut in half.
The thought turned his blood to ice.
Zeke, equally stunned, felt his stomach knot. Could it really be Caitlin?
They exchanged a glance and decided to see for themselves. But the moment they stepped close enough to glimpse the scene, the sight was nearly unbearable.
Sebastian doubled over, his empty stomach convulsing, bile and acid burning his throat. Zeke, despite all the violent scenes he’d witnessed before, turned his head away, his skin crawling.
Half a corpse, marked by dozens of knife wounds, as if sliced apart piece by piece.
“No… no… That’s not Caitlin…”
Sebastian’s voice was hoarse, his reddened eyes glistening with tears.
Felix placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “Step aside for now. We’ll run a DNA test to confirm. Sebastian, we’ll need one of her samples.”
“I’ll handle it,” Zeke said quickly. “I still have one of Caitlin’s hairs.”
He ordered one of his men to bring the framed art piece containing her hair to the station.
Once the medical examiner finished the initial on–site assessment, the remains were transported back
for further forensic work. Sebastian and Zeke followed Felix to the station, where Zeke handed over
the sample for testing.
“Go get some rest,” Felix urged, watching Sebastian’s hollow, lifeless expression. “If there’s any update, I’ll contact you immediately. We’ll do everything possible to find Caitlin.”
“I’ll take him,” Zeke said, steadying Sebastian and steering him toward the car.
On the drive toward the Vanderbilt estate, Sebastian finally slumped into a half–doze from sheer exhaustion. When they arrived, Zeke tried to quietly open his own door to step out and make a call, but the sound roused Sebastian instantly.
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“Caitlin!”
His eyes flew open, panic–stricken. Then reality hit–she wasn’t there.
“We’re at your place. Go inside and rest,” Zeke told him.
Sebastian rubbed at his tired eyes, shaking his head. “No. Back to the command center. Caitlin’s not
dead… she’s not dead…”
It was like he was chanting a spell, trying to force himself to believe it.
Zeke exhaled heavily and turned the car around.
The ship kept cutting across the waves.
Inside the cramped cabin bathroom, Caitlin had locked herself in, desperately trying to figure out how
to break free of the cuffs on her wrists.
There was nothing useful around her. She twisted and pulled until her skin burned, but she couldn’t
slip her hands out.
A pounding came at the door.
“Time’s up!” Phantom’s deep voice called.
“Just a second!” she replied, abandoning her efforts for now.
When she emerged, she looked pale and unsteady, as if seasickness had hit her hard.
Phantom’s gaze swept over her. “Don’t try anything stupid.”
“I’m not… I think I’m seasick. Dizzy. Weak. Nauseous…” she murmured, then gagged and spat a
mouthful of water in his direction.
He recoiled in disgust, his guard slipping slightly.
Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen, stepped outside, and locked the cabin door
behind him.
Caitlin pressed her ear to the gap, straining to listen.
“I’ve got Caitlín,” Phantom’s voice was low. “Heading back toward the city now.”
On the other end, Raze–the boss of Black Wolf Fortress–sounded pleased. “Good, Keep her under
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lock and key. Don’t let her escape. With Caitlin in our hands, Sebastian won’t be far behind.”
“Understood.”
The call ended.
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Caitlin scrambled back to her spot as the door opened. Phantom looked in, saw her lying on the floor
as if asleep, then shut and locked the door again.
The cabin dimmed once more.
Her eyes snapped open, sharp and unwavering.
Now she knew exactly who was behind this.
Black Wolf Fortress.
And if they had gone through all this trouble to take her, their real target was Sebastian.
Her jaw tightened. She had to find a way to escape.
But how could she take down the man outside?