The next morning, Darnell sent Callum and the boy, whose wounds had been treated, back to the Apex’s headquarters.
The headquarters consisted of a series of five-story circular buildings, with vantage points, watchtowers, and long walls.
There were four gates in the east, south, west, and north that could accommodate vehicles, but they were heavily guarded. Darnell scanned the area and estimated that there were at least three hundred guards.
The building was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Without a thousand elite soldiers, it would be difficult to breach. It seemed that Luca valued his life after all.
“Callum, you’re finally back.”
As Darnell walked in with Callum and the young boy, Gisselle, accompanied by several young members of the Apex, greeted them with a relaxed expression on her face.
“We knew you were ambushed by the Axe. We were worried all night. Your phone was turned off. We asked Cedric, but he didn’t know your whereabouts.”
“Dozens of our brothers searched every corner of Clove Lane but couldn’t find any trace of you. We were almost driven crazy.”
Gisselle’s face carried a hint of reproach. It was clear that they had suffered through a torturous night. “If we didn’t know that you were sensible and that the Axe was watching closely, we would have sent two teams to find you.”
“Boss couldn’t sleep well either. He kept mentioning you for most of the night and only managed to fall asleep around six o’clock.”
Then she nodded towards Darnell. “Good morning, Mr. Halford.”
Darnell smiled and nodded back. “Good morning.”
Callum coughed lightly and spoke, “I lost my phone halfway there. I think someone picked it up.”
“I was seriously injured last night. Mr. Halford found a secluded place to treat me, but I accidentally fell asleep. When I woke up, it was already morning, so I didn’t contact you.”
Only then did Gisselle realize what had happened. She asked eagerly, “How are your injuries?”
Callum stretched his arms and smiled, “Just superficial wounds. I can handle it.”
“And Mr. Halford worked wonders. He treated my wounds, and now they’re mostly healed. I can walk freely! That means there’s no major problem. I just need a few days to recover fully.”
Gisselle sighed in relief, “That’s good to hear.” Then she looked at Darnell gratefully. “Thank you, Mr. Halford.”
Darnell waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing.”
Callum interjected, “By the way, did Cedric take care of everything?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve taken care of everything.”
Gisselle no longer dwelled on Callum’s injuries from last night and said in a low voice, “The police have turned a blind eye to the battles between the Apex and the Axe, so even though dozens of the Axe members died last night, they didn’t pay much attention. They closed the case quickly with a few scapegoats.”
“They just warned us not to fight on the streets. If it gets too out of hand, they’ll punish both sides severely.”
She turned her gaze towards Darnell. “Don’t worry, Mr. Halford. The police won’t come looking for you.”
She then sighed. “Our situation is becoming increasingly difficult. The Axe is suppressing us relentlessly. Even when transferring the young master, we were still ambushed by them. It seems like they have us under constant surveillance.”
“And with Mr. Dane’s condition not improving, this battle doesn’t look optimistic at all.”
“It’s alright. We’ll take it step by step. There’s always a way when there’s a will.”
Callum comforted Gisselle in a soft voice before handing over the young boy to two young members of the Apex. “Take the young master to the backyard and take care of him.”
“Without my orders, don’t let the young master leave the headquarters temporarily or bring him to see the boss for now. Boss is not good enough for any surprises.”
Both of them responded in unison, “Yes!” Then they led the young boy away.
Watching their fading figures, Callum let out a long breath and squinted his eyes.
“The Axe is resourceful. They actually managed to find Boss’s illegitimate son and set up an ambush, anticipating that we would come to transfer him early on. I underestimated Rex.”
Darnell chuckled, “Mr. Dane’s son? No wonder they resemble each other somewhat.”
Callum and Gisselle considered Darnell as one of their own people as they discussed these matters without any reservations.
“Owen is the son of Mr. Dane’s mistress, born under tragic circumstances-his mother died during childbirth. He was bright and perceptive, displaying a maturity beyond his years. Boss was worried about him facing mistreatment upon returning, so he had kept him away from the gang’s affairs for so long.”
“In this intense battle between the Apex and the Axe, where extreme measures are being used on both sides, Mr. Dane was afraid something might happen to the young master, so he had us take him back.”
“Who knew we would still fall into their ambush? If it weren’t for Mr. Halford’s intervention last night, we would have all died.”
“Mr. Halford, we will definitely repay your kindness.”
Darnell waved his hand lightly. “We’re friends. Talking about this is meaningless. Besides, Callum helped me at the club last time too-no need to mention it again.”
Then he changed the subject abruptly. “Callum mentioned that Luca is ill. When we had dinner together last time, I checked his pulse for him.”
“He is perfectly healthy. How could he suddenly fall seriously ill for no reason?”
Gisselle let out a sigh and replied, without hiding anything from Darnell, “Last week, when Mr. Dane was eating crabs, his face suddenly turned blue.”
“Then he vomited everything out. Doctors came to check on him, saying it was food poisoning but nothing serious.”
“The doctor pumped his stomach and gave him injections and medication, which made him feel better at that time, but on the second day, he started vomiting again.”
“He vomited whatever he ate, completely drained of energy. He lay in bed for two days just to regain some strength, but since then, he hasn’t been able to keep any food down.”
“He’s relying on IV drips to keep his body functioning. We’ve consulted several specialists, but none have been able to diagnose Mr. Dane’s condition.”
Callum’s brow furrowed with worry. “It’s been over a week, and there’s still no improvement.”
“Boss spends most of his time in bed. Forget about commanding the crew against the Axe. Even casual conversations are a struggle for him. This has left the entire gang feeling anxious and demoralized.
With formidable enemies pressing in on them while their leader was bedridden-how could the Apex maintain morale?
Darnell narrowed his eyes slightly. “Tell Luca that I would like to see him regarding his illness-I might be able to help in some way.”
Callum expressed immense gratitude. “Thank you so much for this offer, Mr. Halford! I’ll go report this right away.”
Although Luca’s illness had stumped top experts in their field, for some reason, Callum believed Darnell could treat their boss.
Gisselle also looked deeply moved. “Mr. Halford, you truly are kind-hearted. We treated you poorly before, yet you not only hold no grudges against us but also help us out.”
“A great favor like this will never be forgotten.”
In between her words of gratitude, Gisselle was about to kneel down, but Darnell quickly reached out to support her with a helpless smile.
“I said we’re friends. There’s no need for such formalities.”
A grateful expression appeared on Gisselle’s face. “Thank you so much, Mr. Halford!”
Before long, Callum rushed out from inside. “Mr. Halford, Boss invites you in.”
Darnell followed them toward the backyard.
They soon entered a room about three hundred square meters in size, softly illuminated by wall lamps, with air purifiers continuously circulating the air.
Inside stood more than a dozen members of the Apex, each looking stocky, as if concealing weapons beneath their clothing. In the center of the room was a large wooden bed, two meters long.
On the bed lay Luca, dressed in a long robe, his eyes closed in apparent rest.
Callum stepped closer to the bed. “Boss, Mr. Halford has arrived.”
He called out once, but Luca showed no reaction, remaining still with his eyes shut. Feeling a bit awkward, Callum leaned down to whisper, “Boss, Mr. Halford is here.”
At that moment, Luca stirred slightly and slowly opened his eyes. “Mr. Halford has arrived?”
“Good morning, Luca,” Darnell said, stepping forward. He smiled at Luca and discreetly assessed his condition, unable to suppress the frown that crept onto his lips.
Now lying in bed, Luca looked significantly more gaunt compared to the fierce leader he had been during the battle in the hall. His eyes were sunken, and his cheeks had lost much of their fullness.
Among his thick black hair, a few thin strands of white stood out, and Darnell sensed a chilling aura, a palpable hint of death lingering around Luca.