Chapter 272: Luke's Fangs (Part II)
A.R.G.U.S. Compromised
Sensing the situation had gone sideways, Amanda Waller snatched the microphone and yelled,
"Elijah! Elijah! Answer me!"
"Answer me!"
After calling out three times with no response, Amanda cursed fiercely. She snapped,
"Restore the communication system! I need to know what happened!"
The computer experts at A.R.G.U.S. didn't dare to be slow. They frantically typed on their keyboards, investigating the cause. Soon, a devastating piece of news appeared on the screen.
Blank, the head of Cyber Security, said with a pale face,
"Boss, we can't get a signal for the Hyder town area. That entire sector has been blacked out. And the satellite—it's refusing our access."
"How is that possible?"
Blank swallowed hard, his face filled with disbelief. "I don't know who did it, but they invaded the satellite's primary control system without our detection and changed the internal password. We've lost control."
Amanda's mouth fell open; she was completely stunned.
Blank continued, "That person is a master, an unbelievably skilled master!"
Amanda quickly snapped back to reality. "Activate the backup satellite!"
Blank gave a bitter smile. "The backup satellite is also out of control."
Silence immediately fell over the room, an eerie quiet.
Everyone looked at each other, seeing pure horror in one another's eyes. The A.R.G.U.S. Cyber Security department recruited the best computer geniuses from across America and was considered a world-class hacking organization. Yet, someone had silently walked through their back door.
Who was that person? Too terrifying.
With the satellite control lost and the signal to Hyder blacked out, their only hope was First Squad.
But Amanda had no confidence. If that person could hack the satellite and derail her operation, they would surely have a way to deal with First Squad.
"This can't continue. We must find out what happened."
Amanda changed into her military uniform and took a helicopter to the scene.
Meanwhile, the sound of short, intense gunfire echoed through Hyder town. After a few sonic booms, all the gunfire ceased. A while later, frightened residents cautiously emerged from their homes and gathered near the motel.
The motel was a ruin. Scattered across the surrounding ground were seven bodies. Judging by their clothing and gear, they belonged to the same organization.
Someone tried to call the police on their mobile phone, but the call wouldn't go through. Everyone then realized that the signal for the entire town had been blocked.
By the time Amanda arrived, the police had already cordoned off the motel. Seeing the seven bodies covered in white sheets, Amanda clenched her fists, the killing intent in her eyes nearly solidifying.
"No matter who you are, I will find you. This is to the death."
The Final Disposal
Fifty miles north of Hyder town was an uninhabited desert.
The sky had darkened. On the edge of the desert, a dark Humvee drove out of the bushes and stopped on the rocky ground.
The car door opened, and Dior, dressed in a black suit, stepped out, followed by a terrified and uneasy Jason Lowe. The whole way, Jason had continuously eyed the extraordinarily handsome, almost androgynous young man next to him with suspicion. The young man's superhuman skill and endless combat techniques had profoundly shocked him.
Who exactly is this guy? What's the purpose of saving me?
Is it to gain leverage over President Joel Nash? Or is he part of a secret unit prepared by the demon Ghast?
Jason Lowe's mind was a mess. After racking his brain for answers, he could only ask bluntly,
"Friend, do you mind if I ask who you are and why you saved me?"
"I didn't save you."
Dior lit a cigarette, took a long drag, then flicked the cigarette butt into the abyss. He pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Jason Lowe's forehead.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. A bloody hole appeared in Jason Lowe's temple. He collapsed slowly to the ground in shock.
"The Young Master said you couldn't die at anyone else's hands. That's why I 'saved' you," Dior clarified his earlier statement. He walked up to the corpse and retrieved a bottle containing a black liquid. He dripped one drop onto Jason Lowe's forehead.
The viscous liquid fell onto the skin and immediately soaked in. The next moment, the head began to shrink and collapse. The black liquid acted like a flesh-eating swarm of insects. In just over ten seconds, it completely consumed the large man weighing over 160 pounds, leaving no trace, not even hair.
The horrific scene was bone-chilling. Even the normally impassive Dior frowned.
After consuming Jason, the black liquid became the size of a fist and shifted its focus toward Dior.
"The Young Master was right. Alien poison shouldn't be used too often."
Dior sneered, pulled out a flamethrower, and blasted a small burst of flame. The black liquid immediately began to burn wildly. The fire blazed high and slowly subsided only after a full five minutes.
The liquid on the ground was gone, leaving only scattered black ash. The wind blew it away, carrying it across the vast, endless sand sea.
The Vanishing Trail
Having completed the task, Dior called Luke.
"Jason Lowe is dead. He's right next to me."
"..."
"Yes, everything went smoothly."
"..."
"Understood. I'll leave now. I'll be back in Metropolis in seven days."
After the call ended, Dior dealt with the remaining work. He opened Jason Lowe's suitcase and incinerated all the cash and documents inside, leaving only a genuine identity document.
He then opened his own suitcase, took out a lifelike skin mask, and put it on. After a quick adjustment, a new Jason Lowe emerged. Except for the vastly different look in the eyes, he was an exact replica.
A day later, Dior, disguised as Jason Lowe, appeared at the London Airport. He staged an accident, ensuring the airport cameras captured his face clearly. Notified of the sighting, the CIA immediately contacted British intelligence and launched a city-wide manhunt. After searching for a day, they found nothing.
Jason Lowe had seemingly vanished into thin air, appearing only once before disappearing again.
Another day later, a tip came from Paris. Someone had spotted a suspicious person resembling Jason Lowe at the airport. The CIA quickly redirected its efforts, making Paris the center of the search, but again found no trace after a day.
Just as everyone was at a loss, Jason Lowe appeared again. This time, the city was Berlin.
The CIA rushed to Berlin. Following the clues provided by intelligence officers, they located the hotel he had rented, only to find an empty room. Jason Lowe had checked out an hour before they arrived and vanished into the crowd.
As these unexpected incidents occurred repeatedly, the heads of the CIA, Amanda Waller, and Sam Lane all realized the bizarre nature of the situation. Their adversary seemed to be anticipating their moves, escaping just before a crisis descended.
Why was this happening? Was there a leak?
Amanda and Sam Lane exchanged glances, seeing suspicion in each other's eyes.
Suspicion remained just suspicion; there was no evidence of an insider.
The two could only suppress their doubts and continue to wait for news. This wait lasted for decades. Sam Lane went to his grave without ever finding a trace of Jason Lowe.
Many legends were left behind regarding his disappearance.
Some said Jason Lowe, like Joel Nash, had been possessed by a demon. Others claimed he was a powerful wizard. The most widely accepted theory was that Jason Lowe commanded a secret force second only to A.R.G.U.S.
Regardless of the rumors, no one in the world ever saw the real Jason Lowe again. He was gone, reduced to ash on a desert plain.
At the Shaw Manor in Coast City, watching An'an and Beibei happily playing at his feet, Luke murmured a message only he could hear:
"I've removed the final obstacle for you, Adam. Don't disappoint me now!"
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