Chapter 249 - 249: We Can Do This Together

*** XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters ***

"Chief, what's wrong?" Bryan asked Erick immediately.

They could see the grim expression on his face. He was also a little bit shaken as of this moment. It seemed that another trouble just appeared to bother them, most especially Erick.

"What is that phone call all about? That person was not your mother, right?" Bryan said as he walked towards him.

He assumed that Erick was talking to another person based on his tone and the way he spoke a while ago. They wondered what happened that caused Erick to change his mood all of a sudden. Now, his team was anticipating his response. 

"They got my parents." Erick blurted out suddenly. His eyes clouded by rage and fear.

The four of them fell silent as they exchanged glances with one another. They didn't get what he meant by saying that.

"Who got your parents?" Bryan probed as he held his right shoulder.

Erick clenched his fists and gritted his teeth before he responded, "Azumi Twins!"

His colleagues were utterly astounded after hearing that. They were rendered speechless.

'Does it mean Azumi Twins had kidnapped Chief Lee's parents?! But why?' 

Their eyes widened in shock and horror. They were asking themselves why the Azumi Twins were targeting members of the Joint Task Force. First, they hurt Marie and now they captured Erick's parents.

"Chief, do you have any idea why they did that? What did they want from you?" It was Bryan who voiced out their question in mind.

After hearing his question, Erick remembered Elle. Without responding to Bryan's inquiry, Erick immediately grabbed his car keys and his phone then he left the headquarters in a rush.

He needed to see her as soon as possible. He wanted to make sure that nothing bad happened to her. 

'What if they also tried to get her?' Erick became more anxious.

He drove his car and sped up after he left the parking lot. He headed straight at Falcon's Cafe. It only took him fifteen minutes before he arrived at his destination.

He stepped out of the car and ran towards the Cafe. The moment he entered his nervousness doubled since he didn't see anyone inside- no customers and no staff. It was just only 4:00 in the afternoon. 

"Where is she?" His heart started to beat rapidly inside his chest. 

He ran towards the kitchen but he failed to see her. He quickly picked up his phone to dial her number. He tried calling her. Something was off, the Cafe was not locked but no one was present there.

Meanwhile, Elle just succeeded in getting the answer she wanted from the four men when suddenly her phone rang. She checked who the caller was before answering it.

Her expression softened when she saw Erick's caller I.D appear on her screen. She warned them to keep silent as she answered the call.

"Hel-" Elle's word was interrupted midway as Erick's worried voice greeted her ears immediately.

"Elle! Where are you? Please tell me you are safe!"

She was taken aback for a moment. But she recovered quickly as she answered, "I am at the Cafe, why?"

"CAFE??! I am also here! But you are nowhere!"

Elle was surprised again after hearing his words. Of course, Erick wouldn't see her since currently, she was inside the secret bas.e.m.e.nt of the Cafe.

After deliberating in her mind for a few seconds, Elle sighed helplessly.

"Wait for me. I am coming." Elle said as she proceeded to the door of the secret bas.e.m.e.nt.

Erick finally relaxed a little bit after talking to her. Then after a few seconds, Elle came out of the secret door in the kitchen. Erick looked at her confusedly when he saw her. He didn't expect that there was a secret door inside.

But he didn't dwell on it as he ran towards her and engulfed her in a tight hug. Oblivious of the problem regarding his parents' situation, Elle just returned his hug as she wrapped her arms around his body.

"Hey, why are you here? It's too early to pick me up." Elle said to him.

Erick felt helpless. He was worried-sick about his parents and at the same time, there was also fury and guilt in his heart as he failed to protect them. And now, their enemies were using them to threaten him.

The worst thing was they were asking him to bring Elle to them in exchange for his parents' safety. This was another challenge for both of them.

His mind was clouded by worry and fear. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't think of a better solution for this. This kind of feeling was driving him nuts as of this moment.

On the other hand, Elle could sense that something was wrong with Erick. He was unusually very quiet. He didn't even respond to her question. He was just squeezing her tightly in his arms as if he was afraid to let go of her.

"Hubby, you can talk to me. What's troubling you?" Elle asked him softly as she gently rubbed his back.

Erick's heart tightened inside his chest upon hearing her voice.

"I am your wife. You can share with me your burdens." She was encouraging him to speak up.

With those words coming from her, Erick finally gave in and told her everything.

"Mom and Dad… they were captured by the Azumi Twins," he said in a low voice. 

He couldn't hide the gloominess and heaviness he felt as he said those words to her.

A chilly glint flashed through her dark eyes upon hearing that news from him. She cursed inwardly. She also didn't expect that those twins would go after Erick's parents. 

She thought she was the only target. Now, this explained why the Azumi Twins didn't appear in the entrance door of the Cafe. Their targets were Erick's parents while they let those men take care of her.

"Don't worry! We will save them, hubby." Elle tried her best to console Erick.

"I promise I will not let anything happen to them! Erick, I know… I am the one that they want. Then, let's comply with their demands."

"But they will kill you." There was a hint of protest in his voice.

Elle broke away from his hug in order to look at him in the eyes.

"You don't have to worry about me. I can protect myself. Our main priority here is to save your parents. Erick… please trust me with this." she said as she gave him assurance.

"We can do this together. We still have time to plan."

Elle's words were enough to calm his troubled mind. She was right. They could still plan and sort this out together. They would face this problem together as they helped each other.

"Thank you, wifey. I understand." Erick was able to gather himself.

Worrying too much wouldn't help them. They should clear their minds and come up with a better plan to save them. With Elle supporting him, he knew they would be able to overcome this hurdle together.

Then Elle held his arm as she intertwined their hands together.

"Come… I will show you something." Elle gently pulled him towards the secret bas.e.m.e.nt.

Erick followed her as he let her drag him inside. He was startled to see what's inside the hidden room inside the Cafe. He saw several sets of computers and monitors.

On the corner side, he saw lockers and shelves. There were also different types of guns and firearms that were hung and displayed on the wall.

Erick turned to Elle with his questioning look. She just smiled sheepishly before biting her lower lip. She nodded at him to confirm his assumption.

"One of my hideouts," she whispered to him.

Erick frowned and his eyes squinted in disbelief. Then he connected some dots.

"Your Boss Charles is your…" before Erick could complete his sentence Elle bobbed her head as a response.

Erick had not yet recovered from the shock of that revelation when suddenly his attention was caught by some faint sounds nearby. When he turned around he saw the four men sitting on the floor and being tied down with one another.

His expression darkened right away. "Who are they?"

"They were sent by the Azumi Twins to catch me too," Elle answered him truthfully.

Erick became more upset after hearing that.

"Why...you didn't tell me right away?!" He couldn't hide the unhappiness in his voice.

Then he shot those men a death look with his sharp scrutinizing eyes which were fuming in rage.

"Eh… I was about to call you but suddenly you arrived here." Elle told him a lie to pacify him.

Then she gave those four men a warning look telling them to keep their mouth shut or else she would really prick their precious thing using those poisoned needles.

The four of them involuntarily pouted as they closed their mouth shut right away after seeing her dangerous look.