章 774: Ch 774 - A New Partner in Crime
Just as Alex was about to step out of the cave, he heard a woman's voice.
"Sir, would you mind if I came with you?"
He turned around in surprise and saw that one of the young ladies was moving toward him.
"I'm Natasha," she said.
Alex noticed that she was trembling slightly.
"I understand that finding this military base is important to you, and I'd like to help," she said. "I've lived around there for most of my life, so I'm familiar with the landscape and the way things work up there."
"Natasha, this sounds too dangerous," a handsome young man said, coming to stand beside her. "You don't even know who this guy is!"
Some of the others nodded in agreement. Natasha appreciated their concern, but she looked at Alex and waited for an answer.
"Why not?" he said, shrugging. "Follow me."
Natasha took a moment to gather her belongings. The group watched her pack, but nobody dared to say another word. Ron was worried for her safety, but he respected this martial arts expert too much to intervene in his affairs. As Natasha followed Alex out of the cave, her fellow travelers couldn't help but feel like they were watching an innocent rabbit approach a hungry wolf.
Alex smiled faintly and reached out to grab Natasha by the hand. He took a step forward, and an instant later, they were some distance from the entrance to the cave. For a moment, Natasha was shocked. Then she realized that this was how Alex traveled, and he was simply carrying her with him.
They moved at high speed through the desert, while the surrounding woods flew past them in a blur. This was the kind of speed Natasha only felt when she drove her sports car with her foot to the floor.
"I know this is a pretty unusual way to travel," Alex said, "but I need you to focus. Make sure we're following the right path."
"Of course," Natasha said, blushing. She looked around. "We need to hang a left up here, just past that stream." While she knew the way, it looked different when traveling this way. Any tree, mountain, stream, or cliff that happened to get in their way, Alex simply jumped over it.
Natasha felt like she was dreaming. She hadn't really expected Alex to take her up on her offer. After a few minutes, she felt brave enough to ask the question that had been on her mind since they had left the cave.
"I guess it's none of my business, but why are you looking for this base anyway?"
"It belongs to a man called Riley Naysmith," Alex answered without hesitation. "Let's just say that he and I have some unfinished business."
"I see," Natasha said, although she felt no wiser than before. I guess it makes this adventure even more exciting, she thought.
A little over an hour later, they were out of the desert, and a short distance away, Natasha spotted a stretch of buildings.
**
As they got closer to civilization, Alex slowed down, let go of Natasha's hand, and they both began to walk at a relaxed pace. The buildings they had seen from a distance appeared to be a strip of nightclubs and bars.
Alex stopped outside a bar and nodded toward the door, and then they casually stepped inside. Alex went to order drinks while Natasha slipped into the restroom. As she reapplied her lipstick, she asked the lady at the next mirror about the owner.
"That would be Brad," the lady said. "He's in the booth beside the jukebox. Big mustache… you can't miss him."
Two minutes later, Alex and Natasha approached the booth. Brad sat in the middle of his bodyguards, knocking back shots of premium vodka.
At the sight of Natasha, his eyes immediately lit up, but before he could think of something charming to say, he caught sight of Alex. He stared in disbelief and placed his full shot glass back on the table.
"Alex…" he said, gaping at him, "but how?"
Brad was one of Riley's closest allies, so he had known about the attack on the valley the previous year. They hit this guy with the father of all bombs, he thought. How is he still alive? His face turned pale, and he began to tremble.
"Hi, Brad," Alex said, as he picked up a glass of vodka from the table. "Why are you so surprised to see me?"
The bodyguards around Brad looked uneasy, but they sat looking on, not daring to move.
Brad could no longer bear it, and he fell to his knees in front of Alex, tears welling in his eyes.
"Alex, I had nothing to do with the attack," he said. "You have to believe me."
"Oh, I know it wasn't you, Brad," Alex said with a fake smile. "But you might let me in on who was behind it."
Two golden flames danced in Alex's eyes, and he stretched out a hand and snapped his fingers. A red flame shot out from his fingertips and flew right into Brad's chest. "Maybe this will help you remember."
Brad rolled on the floor and screamed in pain. After a few seconds, he could no longer take it. "It was Riley," he gasped. "He planned it from his secret base. It's about thirty miles north of here."
Alex narrowed his eyes. Everything he had suspected was true, but it shocked him to hear it laid out so plainly. When Alex and the rest of the group had set out for the desert, Riley had been plotting to kill them. By the time they had entered the Valley of the Buried Heart, he had had his missiles ready to go. It had all been a trap from the beginning, and a group of innocent people had died. Riley is truly ruthless, Alex thought. He must die!
One minute later, Brad passed out.
Alex grabbed Natasha's hand. "We need to get out of here!" he said. Once they reached the door, Alex moved at high speed, taking them a short distance away, and seconds later, they looked back to see the bar and all the buildings around it buried in flames.
"That was one powerful flame," Alex said as Natasha looked at the burning buildings, lost for words.
"Now you see how it is," he continued. "Riley is dangerous and needs to be stopped. Do you still want to come with me?"
Natasha's eyes sparkled. This adventure was dangerous, but she would not miss it for the world. He's like a superhero, she thought. When will I ever get a chance like this again?
"I get it," she said. "He launched a deadly attack, and he can't get away with that."
**
Three days later, in a deserted area, Alex and Natasha spotted the military base. It was surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, spread out on every side.
As they walked toward the first cordon, the soldiers remained motionless. Alex wore a disguise, and he knew they would not easily recognize him. As he and Natasha continued to walk in the direction of the base, a few soldiers stepped forward.
"Stop! You can't go this way," one soldier said, raising his gun. "If you take another step, I will have to shoot you."
Alex acted as if nothing had happened. Pulling Natasha along with him, he continued to walk through the sand. He wasn't afraid of the hundreds of armed super soldiers.
Seeing that Alex had ignored his command, the soldier fired a shot after them.
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