The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 276: I'm on Team Sean]

Inside a warehouse cluttered with costumes and props, it felt a bit chaotic. Hawke and Edward followed Campos as they navigated through, arriving at a hidden basement entrance.

Fiona was keeping watch there.

Hawke nodded at her and descended the stairs.

The three of them donned black hoods.

Campos said, "Only I, Juan, and Fiona know she's here."

Edward remarked casually, "This place is pretty discreet."

Campos replied, "Juan used to work here as a mover. The warehouse originally belonged to a Hollywood rental studio that went bankrupt. The owners took sleeping pills together. Last month, the warehouse went on auction, so I purchased it."

He rounded the corner of the stairs and continued, "The soundproofing here is excellent; you could blast metal music, and nobody would hear it."

The three reached the bottom and entered a twenty-by-twenty-foot basement.

...

In the corner, there was a heavy metal cage, about five square feet. Melissa Ackerman, the daughter of a billionaire, was curled up in one corner.

Her face was swollen, and a wound running from her forehead to earlobe had already scabbed over; it hadn't been treated properly, leaving an ugly scar.

When she heard footsteps, Melissa looked towards the entrance.

Three hooded figures emerged.

From their build, one appeared to be the lead from that night.

Melissa took a couple of steps forward and gripped the bars of the cage, asking, "What do you want? Money? Or me?"

She had been knocked out in Mexico and disoriented; now she didn't even know where she was. The woman who previously brought her meals and medicine only spoke Spanish, and seemed not to understand English.

Melissa remained calm, "Just give me a phone and a bank account, and you'll immediately receive five million dollars."

Hawke, using an East Coast accent, said, "We're not in it for the money."

Melissa wracked her brain, trying to place the voice, "What do you want? Just tell me."

Hawke said, "You've been running the film company and charity for Buck. You've held many secrets. Share some hidden things and the related people."

Melissa's expression didn't change, but she suddenly recalled something. "You're Sean's people?"

Caught off guard by her guess, Hawke was surprised; he knew about Sean -- Melissa Ackerman's brother.

Was there a sharp conflict between the siblings? Otherwise, Melissa wouldn't have said that.

Hawke refrained from responding.

Melissa assumed this was tacit acceptance. "You can tell Sean that even if something happens to me, the Ackerman family's estate won't pass to him. His enemy has never been me."

Hawke understood immediately; this was the typical narrative of family feuds in wealthy families -- inheritance wars.

He thought it over. "If you tell me the secrets, you have a chance to live; if not, it's a dead end."

"Kill me, and you'll die too," Melissa shot back, meeting his gaze. "Don't forget, I'm an Ackerman. As Sean's sister, if something happens to me, the family will need a scapegoat to quiet the masses, and he is the perfect candidate."

That made sense, but unfortunately, Hawke had never met Sean Ackerman.

After waking up in confinement, Melissa had pondered the attack.

It had happened too suddenly. Just half a day after arriving in Rosario, she was ambushed by a well-armed elite force who seemed to know her every move and captured her effortlessly.

If Sean was the mastermind behind this, it all made sense.

Just as she had bought off Sean's insiders, there must be people close to her who he had also bribed.

Hawke interjected, "A scapegoat can be found anytime, anywhere."

"Sean can offer you money; I can double it... tenfold," Melissa insisted, believing cash could resolve conflicts. "If Sean sent you to handle this, you must be close to him, you understand his situation. My father never liked Sean; even without me, he'd pass shares to the family as a whole and hire professionals to manage, not leaving it to some fool."

Hawke understood the truth in 'the more one speaks, the more one risks', so he chose to hold back because Melissa was revealing a lot of valuable information.

Seeing Hawke silent, Melissa pressed on, "I'm the first heir of the Ackerman family. My promises and offerings are nothing Sean can compete with."

Hawke's gaze drifted to the scar on her face.

"You needn't worry," Melissa thought she sensed his hesitations. "Beverly has the best plastic surgeons in the world, and this particular scar can easily be repaired; it's just a matter of money."

Once again, Hawke discerned a pushy nature; he turned and said, "We're done here."

He led the way outside, with Campos and Edward following closely behind.

Melissa called from behind, "You might not care for yourself, but consider your subordinates!"

Hawke's steps paused momentarily.

Edward, always in sync with him, glanced back at Melissa.

Hawke resumed his pace, leaving the basement.

...

As the figures vanished, Melissa retreated and sat on the floor.

Even with the hideous scar, she managed to maintain a confident demeanor.

In the face of adversity, she wasn't panicking. Instead, she had taken her biggest asset and turned it into her survival plan.

Reflecting on the conversation, especially how engaged her captors were, she was convinced they had listened attentively.

As long as it sunk in, it could take root and sprout later.

...

The three emerged from the basement.

Campos told Fiona that he had found someone to be the warehouse manager here and asked her to hold on for a few more days.

Hierro's sister was deaf and mute and didn't understand English but was strong enough to safeguard the warehouse without issues.

They would just need to keep supplying her with food every few days.

As long as she didn't die, they were good.

Edward said, "Boss, that woman thinks we're Sean Ackerman's people."

Campos noted, "Seems the Ackerman family feud runs deep."

"Buddy Ackerman nearly died last year and survived only through an organ transplant," Hawke said as they moved outside. "The Ackerman family sits on over two billion dollars in assets, and it looks like everyone wants to be the first heir."

Edward had researched public information on the Ackerman family and reminded him, "Melissa and Sean don't have the same mother."

Hawke nodded. "From Melissa's words, it's evident -- the battle between the siblings is fierce."

Campos agreed. "Her first instinct upon seeing us was to think we were sent by her brother."

While Hawke had previously investigated the Ackerman charity and the family, he had never uncovered details about sibling rivalry.

Clearly, such discussions lived only among the upper echelons of the Ackerman family and charity, far out of reach for those at lower ranks.

Hawke instructed Campos, "Gather as much information as you can on Sean Ackerman, and stay alert to any movements from the charity side."

"Yes, sir," Campos replied.

As they reached the warehouse door, before stepping out, Hawke said, "Set up some trades through Twitter. I'm transferring the reward for this operation to you; distribute the bonuses promptly -- there should be no delays."

The promised money would definitely flow.

Campos affirmed, "Once the cash arrives, I'll allocate it to everyone who participated in the operation."

Hawke had no further comments. He hopped into the Cadillac while Edward drove them away.

...

On the way, Edward remarked, "This Ackerman family doesn't know how many lives they've drained."

Hawke didn't need to make excuses or rationalizations. Between him and the Ackerman family, it was personal vendetta.

Everything he did in Los Angeles was solely to reach the top and eradicate this family.

'You want my life; I want yours.'

Edward continued, "This Mexico mission was a big success."

Hawke added, "The only shame is we didn't catch Barak Bernanke."

Even someone as blunt as Edward could now grasp there was substantial friction between Hawke and the Ackerman family.

He tentatively asked, "Boss, what's our ultimate goal?"

Hawke glanced at the driver before responding, "I have a vendetta against the Ackerman family that won't end until one of us is gone."

Edward might not be worth much else, but his loyalty was unwavering. "Boss, your enemies are mine too -- I won't rest until the Ackerman family is gone."

Hawke merely reminded him, "Stay safe out there. As long as we outlast Ackerman, luxurious living awaits us."

"Ha ha..." Edward laughed, even daydreaming about the future, "By then, I will date a divorced woman whose daughter is 18 years old."

He was ambitious in this regard: "A few years back, I saw in the tabloids that Angelina Jolie stole her mother's boyfriend when she was 16. I'd like to experience that kind of thrill."

Hawke noticed that compared to the savior figure, he felt downright conservative.

But Erica was the girlfriend he had actively chosen, and he had no regrets.

...

Back at the office, Hawke checked the time and called Erica. "I'm all wrapped up here and should be able to leave on time tonight -- heading to Silver Lake."

Erica responded cheerfully, "I can end my day on time too."

After wrapping up his work and leaving the office early, Hawke went to Silver Lake.

When Erica returned, they worked together to prepare dinner.

While eating, Erica asked, "Do you have time this weekend?"

Hawke sensed she had something in mind and replied, "Of course I do."

Erica added, "My mom and dad want to invite you over for the weekend." She thought for a moment and added, "Just the four of us, none of the extended family."

That was inevitable; Hawke smiled and said, "Sure."

Erica exhaled in relief and launched into persuasion mode. "Actually, they've brought it up several times. I've just brushed it off."

Hawke teased, "Not confident in me?"

"A little -- worried you might refuse," Erica admitted, finally relaxing, her act toughening up. "But mainly because you've been busy lately."

Hawke suggested, "How about we go out after dinner and pick up a gift?"

Erica was already prepared, "I have everything sorted!"

*****

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