Ozone

O3? I never ever heard that name. It's surprising because I do have knowledge of many criminal groups and organizations…..yet, I never heard about this one.

"O3? That is not a name I ever heard", Lucian replied slowly.

"Exactly! You're not supposed to. It is a secret organization, hiding in the shadows. As far as I can understand, it's a criminal group with an extremely rich leader, otherwise, how would they have that much resources?", Elias explained.

"What kind of resource? Are you talking about the building and stuff you saw?", Lucian asked Elias, and his answer came, "Yes!"

But what could be the reason that they spared Elias? Why kill his wife only and with that kind of torture? It's almost as if their intention wasn't to make him pay his debt, but rather to punish him this way. But why would they want to punish him this way?

Lucian immediately asked another question, "Elias, I'm not blaming you or anything, but why did you take your wife with you there?"

Elias also answered rapidly, "It's because that's what that bastard told me. Zeph. My wife was an witness and a secondary person who signed that paper, so he told me that he will solve things, but I'll need to come with my wife.", Elias paused for a brief moment and continued, "And that's why I took my wife with me, with the hope of getting things solved….But…"

"I understand. They are truly horrible.", Lucian answered in a calm and quiet voice.

So giving that trauma by using his wife, was all a part of their plan. But only one question rises up in my mind, why?

Lucian thought for another second, and maybe, he understood something. Maybe. 

"So Elias, can you answer another question? Is it possible that other people are connected with the organization? Like people we see everyday? I….see everyday?", Lucian asked curiously, trying to make Elias think about this sharply.

"I didn't give it much thought. But it is definitely possible. But who is the person you are talking about?", Elias asked.

"You got to know him recently…", Lucian said.

In a mall, near Harper Street,

"So, Sir, what are you going to do next?", Nicolo was sitting on a chair, in that small, half-dark room. 

Ralph was sitting on top of the table placed in the corner of the room. The corner was almost fully dark, only leaving Ralph's legs visible, as they were hanging from the table, still.

At first, it seemed like Nicolo's words didn't even reach him. But Ralph proved it wrong by answering after around 15 seconds.

"I don't know", that's all he said.

Nicolo stood up and said quietly, "Bu-But what about your sister? What about your freedom? What about my mission? What would happen to all of those?"

All of a sudden Ralph's face became visible too, just as his legs were. He immediately jumped off the table and ran towards Nicolo.

"Just shut up okay? I'm aware of all of those things! More than you at least. Be at my position and you will understand how much I'm tired of all of this bullshit. Can't you see it? No matter what we do, no matter how much we try, I..try, I can never catch the Ghost!", Ralph's voice was dynamic at that moment, sometimes loud with rage, sometimes whispering trying to control himself.

Nicolo just stared at Ralph and gave no further reply.

A few seconds after, Ralph closed his eyes for a moment and opened his mouth again, "I'm sorry, Nicolo. I'm truly a failure. So much for a prodigy."

Nicolo didn't skip a millisecond and replied with a slight smile, "No. I understand completely. You're the only one who could be this relentless about this and not surrender quickly. You deserve rest."

Ralph smiled for a moment, then went and sat on the table again, in the same position, in the dark.

There were 2 light bulbs in the room, and Nicolo was sitting under one of them. But suddenly, that one turned off.

"Oh, it seems like there is some problem with the electricity.", Nicolo was about to stand up but his phone rang at the same time as the light turned off.

"An unsaved number?", Nicolo clicked on the green button.

"Hello? Is this Nicolo?", a voice came from the phone.

"Yes, who are you?", Nicolo's eyebrows narrowed.

"Listen, I'm Lucian Cole. I want to talk with you personally, can you come to my house, please?", Lucian requested.

Nicolo tried to look at Ralph after hearing this, but then he answered on his own, "Yes I can. But can I ask you the reason?"

"I'll tell you that later. But in short, I just wanted to thank you for not letting Ralph know anything about my mother.", Lucian told Nicolo.

Nicolo freezed all of a sudden. Maybe the burden of lying was too much for him.

"No no, I'm glad I was of help. I'll surely come.", Nicolo assured and cut the call.

"Who was it, something personal?", Ralph spoke from the dark.

"Y-Yeah.", Nicolo stuttered but answered quickly.

"Don't tell them yet. They'll kill me if I'm useless.", Ralph's voice was tired.

"Of Course I won't. But, what I'm fearing is what if they call me themselves? I hope they don't", Nicolo said.

No reply from Ralph came.

The next day,

"Just stay here, don't try to do anything, and I'll spare your life.", Elias spoke roughly, as he looked down on the floor.

It was Gary, all tied up and on the floor. He was struggling, trying to untie the rope surrounding him.

"It's important for me to keep you away from the public, you know way too much.", Elias spoke, looking away from Gary. Then he looked at Luther and said, "Your guards are really efficient, I'll have to admit that. They sneakily kidnapped Gary, without letting those investigators know, that's truly I didn't think was possible, at least not after witnessing how dedicated that investigator, Ralph, was."

"I know right. But I had to send around 6 guards to truly overpower this guy. He is really strong.", Luther held his bandaged hand again.

"You motherfu*kers! Untie me right now. How the hell do you assume I would let you go after you killed my father, you monster!", Gary was trying to speak through the rope, but his words were understandable anyways.

"Monster huh? You think we are monsters?", Elias looked at Gary, and continued with a whispering voice, "Then what do you think you yourself are? You killed one of those guys outside, and, and tried to kill me too! Look there! What you did with my assistant's hands!"

Elias pointed towards Luther's hand.

"And you call us monsters? You caused all of these casualties based on a single assumption only! That I killed your father. What proof do you have huh?", Elias's voice got louder as he went on.

Gary stared at Elias's eyes with disbelief, or maybe disgust?

At Lucian's house

Lucian and another person were sitting opposite to each other, surrounding a table.

Lucian took his cup of coffee in his hands and said, "So, you DID come here. I wanted to thank you, Nicolo….