Chapter 7: The Terrified Mark

As Mark was making his way towards the area designated for the estate officers, he started screaming for help, hoping Officer Chris would hear him and come to his rescue. "Help! Officer Chris! Please help me!" Mark's voice echoed through the area, his desperation growing with each step.

His scream caught the attention of the kids passing by who didn't go to school, and they started looking at him with curiosity, wondering what was wrong. One of them, a tall, lanky boy with a messy mop of hair, took a step forward, "Hey, what's going on? Why are you screaming?"

Mark didn't stop to explain, he just kept moving, his eyes fixed on the door to Officer Chris's office. "Officer Chris! Please help me!" he yelled again, his voice became hoarse from screaming.

But the door remained shut, and Officer Chris didn't come out. Mark's heart sank, fear gripping him tighter. Where was Officer Chris? Why wasn't he coming to help?

The kids started to murmur among themselves, unsure of what to do. The tall boy took another step forward, "Dude, calm down, what's happening?" But Mark just shook his head, his eyes welling up with tears, and kept banging on the door, "Officer Chris! Please! Please help me!"

The sound of laughter suddenly echoed, followed by an angry voice that made Mark's blood run cold. "You piece of trash, where did you think you're going after betraying the boss?" The voice was like a knife twisting in Mark's heart.

That was the voice of Leo the person that called him and carried him to Alex room this morning. Tears started streaming from Mark's eyes as he realized he was in a big mess. When he heard the voice and saw the door to officer chris office shut, he became hopeless. 

When Leo approached him, he just looked at him with disgust and shook his head before lifting him up, put him over on his shoulder and started walking towards the direction of Alex's building. Mark struggled and kicked, but the boy's grip was too strong.

As Mark was being carried away, he shouted and screamed for help, his voice hoarse from desperation. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an officer standing at the Estate gate. But instead of helping him, the officer just folded his arms and looked at them with a small smile on his face.

Mark's heart sank.

"Is this going to be my end?, I don't know what would my fate be if I was brought before Alex?. Despite all the warnings Alex gave me I still betrayed him." Mark mind was in turmoil, he regretted reporting Alex plan to officer chris who later turn his back on him.

As Leo jumped to the third floor, Mark's stomach lurched with a mix of fear and disorientation. He couldn't believe how easily Leo had carried him, like a rag doll, up the stairs and now into Alex's room. The door swung open, and Mark's eyes adjusted slowly to the dimly lit space.

That's when he saw them - over thirty people both men and women, their faces a blur, their eyes fixed on him with a mixture of curiosity and hostility. Mark's gaze swept the room, his mind racing to process the scene before him.

And then, he saw Alex.

Sitting on his plush couch, his eyes fixed intently on Mark, his face twisted in a venomous snarl. Mark felt a chill running down his spine as their eyes met, the air became thick with tension.

"Welcome back again, Mark," Alex spat, his voice dripping with malice. "I've been waiting for you."

Mark's eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape, but Leo's grip remained tight, holding him in place. He was trapped.

Leo tossed Mark forward, and he stumbled, landing awkwardly on the floor in front of Alex. Alex's smile grew wider as he gazed down at Mark, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Ah, Mark," Alex said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I must say, I loved the way you were shouting for help. I could hear you all the way from my room. You have a very... distinctive voice."

Mark's face burned with shame and anger as he scrambled to his feet, his eyes fixed on Alex.

"But," Alex continued, his smile faltering for a moment, "I must say, I'm disappointed. I was testing you, Mark. I wanted to see if you had what it takes to be loyal. And you failed. Miserably."

Alex's gaze turned cold, his eyes narrowing as he took a step closer to Mark.

"You see, Mark, when I told you about my plans, I was testing your loyalty. I wanted to see if you would report back to me at the exact time, or if you would try to betray me. And you chose the latter."

Mark's heart sank, realizing too late that he had walked right into Alex's trap. He had thought he had outsmarted Alex, but now he saw that he had played right into Alex's hands.

Alex laugh, his laughter echoed through the room, a maniacal glint in his eye. "Oh, Mark, you seem to have forgotten what today is," he said, his voice dripping with amusement.

Mark's mind raced, trying to remember what Alex was talking about. And then, it hit him - the birthday party.

Mr. Fang's granddaughter's birthday party he had heard about it in school the previous day.

"Today is a special day, Mark," Alex continued, his smile growing wider. "It's the birthday of Mr. Fang's precious granddaughter. And, as you know, Mr. Fang is the manager of this central gate. The local government's golden boy."

Mark's heart sank as he realized the implications. Officer Chris and many of the other officers would be attending the party, leaving the central gate devoid of most of the officers.

"And, of course, Officer Chris and many of the other officers are attending the party," Alex said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "They're all busy protecting Mr. Fang's precious family, leaving the central gate wide open for me and the others."

Mark's eyes widened as he realized the extent of Alex's plan. He had been played, and now all the kids in central gate might be at risk .

Alex's gaze turned cold as he looked at Mark, shaking his head. "You're a goner, Mark," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

He turned to the room, addressing the thirty-plus people gathered. "You are all members of different gangs in Central Gate. And today we were supposed to be preparing for a mission that will change everything."

Alex's eyes gleamed with excitement as he continued. "There are powerful criminal gangs and factions outside Central Gate involved in this plan. But," he turned back to Mark, his voice rising in anger, "you wanted to expose us! If I hadn't tested you, hacked your comms, you would have reported our plan to Officer Chris, and our entire operation would have been compromised!"

With a sudden burst of rage, Alex slapped Mark with incredible force. Mark flew across the room, his back slamming into the wall before he bounced off and crashed to the ground, his hand twisted at an unnatural angle. He screamed in agony, clutching his broken hand.

"You fool!" Alex spat, standing over Mark. "You should have kept your mouth shut!"

The room fell silent, the only sound Mark's labored breathing and the quiet murmur of the gang members, their eyes fixed on Mark with a mixture of curiosity and contempt.

Alex's smile grew even wider as he gazed down at Mark, his eyes gleaming with a sadistic light. "You think your legs are the only thing that's disabled, Mark?" he sneered. "You think you can just use crutches and still cause problems for me?"

Alex's laughter sent chills down Mark's spine. "Oh no, Mark. I'm going to make sure you're completely useless. Not just your legs, but your hands too."

Mark's eyes widened in horror as Alex's words sank in. "I'll break your hands, Mark. And not just break them, but make sure they become useless, even if they heal."

Alex's gaze seemed to bore into Mark's very soul, his voice dripping with malice. "You'll be a helpless, useless shell of a person. And no one will be able to help you. Not Officer Chris, not anyone hahaha...."