Chapter 53 - Who Are You Working For

At that moment, Sean remembered they were there for serious business.

"Have you made progress?" he asked.

Halia's smiled disappeared and her expression turned serious as she replied, "Pierre Caron asked Jackson to build him a bomb for Remy Durand and Jackson asked me to assist."

"If everything goes to plan, he should be making a deal with Mr. Durand in 4 days."

Sean nodded his head in understanding, "Good job."

"But, what do I do? Do I actually make a proper bomb?" Halia asked.

"Well, you have to. Jackson might not have as much knowledge as you, but he still understands bombs. I'm sure he'll be able to tell the power of what you create," Sean explained.

"However, include a hidden way to remotely defuse the bomb. Find out where and when the deal with Remy is taking place and we will arrest everyone on the scene and defuse the bomb safely. You don't have to be there, so stay out of it if you can," he instructed.

Halia nodded her head, but her heart suddenly felt a little sad. Did that mean Jackson was getting arrested soon? Did she only have 4 days left with him?

He trusted her so much, but she was betraying him by sending him into a trap.

Yet, there was nothing else she could do. Originally, she had hoped to lead him down the correct path, but it was too late now, especially since she suspected him of killing Marcus. In her mind, there was no turning back for Jackson; he was a criminal and she was a police officer. They were never meant to be friends...

...

After leaving the park, Halia arrived at the karaoke bar that Jackson owned. Jackson was waiting outside. As soon as he saw her, he led her inside and walked her straight over to a VVIP room that was down a different corridor to last time. Once again, he typed in a ten digit number and a secret door opened. But, this time, the stairs did not lead to the shooting range. This time, it was a lab!

"This is where Arvin Chen used to experiment with making bombs. He only sold guns, but he was planning to start making bombs. Unfortunately, he was caught before he got the chance. Since the opportunity existed, I thought I'd fill the void here in Beijing."

"So far, I've only sold guns to Marcus and a few other gangsters because I want my first bomb sale in Beijing to go to a big name. When I heard that Remy was looking to get a bomb made, I knew he was the client I had been waiting for. If we succeed with this deal, we are going to hit the jackpot!" Jackson said as his eyes twinkled.

"Haven't you ever considered making money the legal way? Especially after Marcus died, aren't you afraid of your safety?" Halia asked.

"Marcus was unlucky, but I won't be," Jackson replied.

Halia looked into Jackson's eyes. She then asked a question she had been curious about for a long time, "Jackson, tell me the truth, did you kill Marcus?"

Jackson looked a little hurt by Halia's doubt, "Marcus was a good friend of mine. He was almost like my brother. I would never kill him," he said.

Halia sensed the truth in his words. "Then, were you there when he died? Did you really get injured at the club? Do you know who did it?" she asked.

Based on Halia's questions​, Jackson could tell that she already discovered something about Marcus' death, so he told her the truth.

"Yes, I was there when he died. You may not believe me, but I was there to save him. I know who killed him and I don't want to be their next target so I had to lie about my whereabouts. After we're done with this bomb deal, I'm going to get revenge for him," Jackson replied honestly.

Halia stared at the man in front of her, she could see the pain in his eyes; he was telling the truth, Marcus was a good friend of his. She began to feel a little guilty for doubting him. He had saved her in the past and treated her as a true friend, yet she thought so badly of him. So, she began to wonder, if Jackson never killed Marcus, was there still hope for this man? If she could stop him from going to the deal with Remy, could he still turn back?

They were spending the next few days in this lab together. Could she make him change his mind?

"Why are you asking me so much today?" Jackson suddenly asked.

"I...I wanted to know who I'm working for," Halia replied.

Jackson smirked at this response.

At that moment, he grabbed onto Halia's waist and pulled her towards him, "Then tell me...who ARE you working for?"

Halia looked at the man curiously. Why did it seem like there was another meaning to his question?