The Deceitful One

Emma gradually removed her grasp from Bryan's collar as she intently stared at Lara's corpse. A few moments later, she sighed as she turned back to Bryan and stated, "I apologize for my earlier actions."

Bryan shook his head as he smiled faintly, "You need not apologize. If anything, I should be thanking you for believing in me."

Emma looked at Lara's mangled head and replied, "Still, did you really have to do that to her head? You could have restrained yourself a little."

Bryan scoffed, "I've already shown enough restraint. Otherwise, the rest of her body wouldn't be left intact."

Emma knew what had happened to Jamie and how close Bryan was to him. Hence, she could understand why he hated the Blood Path Transcendents so much.

Moreover, she herself did not have an ounce of sympathy for anyone who embarked on this cruel Path. Hence, she simply nodded and didn't say anything further.

Robert looked at Lara's corpse and then at Bryan. He continued to silently stare at him making him feel nervous.

Bryan looked at Robert and hurriedly added, "There's one more thing."

Robert gestured for him to continue. Bryan took out the scroll from his suit's inner pocket and handed it to Robert solemnly, "Captain, I think you'll really like this."

Andrew, Emma, and Olivia curiously looked at the scroll as they wondered what it could possibly be. Robert on the other hand, calmly grabbed the scroll, not really expecting much from it.

However, the moment he started to read the contents of the scroll, his eyes gradually began to widen in disbelief!

Looking at the shocked expression on the face of their usually stoic captain, Andrew, Emma, and Olivia turned to look at Bryan with inquiring looks.

Bryan stated with a serious expression, "I think this is what the Holy Blood Sect is planning to do in Damascus City!"

"What!!?" The three of them shouted at the top of their voice in unison. The Strike Team had been on Holy Blood Sect's tail for quite some time now.

But every time they thought they were closing in on this evil organization, the latter somehow always managed to get away from their grasp.

And now Bryan claimed that he had found something that could very well be what this evil organization was planning. To say that they were shocked would be an understatement.

The trio hurriedly surrounded Robert as they tried to read the contents of the scroll. Robert, after reading the whole thing, handed it to Andrew and the rest to read.

He then looked at Bryan and asked, "Where did you find this?"

Bryan replied, "Captain, please follow me."

He then led Robert to the study room and showed him the hidden compartment, "I found it in there."

Robert looked at the hidden compartment and also at the rest of the study. He then looked at Bryan and patted his shoulder, "I don't know if your finding this woman was a coincidence or not. But you've done an excellent job, Bryan."

Then he came closer to Bryan as his eyes narrowed, "But the fact that no other place inside the study was searched thoroughly, tells me that you already knew where the scroll was hidden."

'Fuck! I fucked up!' Bryan gulped in nervousness and was inwardly shocked at his captain's observation skills in such a short period of time.

"Is there anything more you wish to tell me?" Robert stared into Bryan's eyes, causing the latter to sweat in tension.

"Uh…" Bryan tried to come up with an excuse but couldn't as he replied awkwardly, "Would you believe me if I told you that I read all of Lara's memories?"

Robert scoffed, "You really expect me to believe that a newly advanced Rank 1 Transcendent has the ability to read all of a person's memories?"

However, little did he know that Bryan was actually telling the truth!

Bryan avoided Robert's eye contact as he looked down, "C-Captain, I only want to help. I promise I do not have any ulterior motives."

Robert backed away from Bryan and replied calmly, "I know."

Bryan looked at him incredulously. He was sure that his captain would seriously reprimand him and try to get to the bottom of this.

"If you truly meant harm to the Silver Owls, I would have killed you in a heartbeat," Robert stated without a hint of emotion on his face.

Looking at Robert's expressionless face, Bryan gulped as he knew that Robert was indeed telling the truth.

Robert then added, "I don't know what secrets you're hiding, Bryan. But as long as you don't jeopardize any of the members of the Silver Owls, I can overlook everything."

He then turned around and walked out of the study, leaving behind Bryan who was standing in a daze.

'Fuck! That was close.' He thought inwardly as he wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead. He then exited the study as well as he followed after Robert.

Andrew looked at Bryan with bright eyes as he incessantly patted the latter's shoulder and praised sincerely, "You really hit the jackpot! We'll definitely catch the members of the Holy Blood Sect this time."

Emma and Olivia also praised Bryan's effort. The latter simply smiled and nodded his head as he secretly glanced at Robert a few times.

Robert, however, didn't say much after their private talk in the study. He ordered everyone to search the rest of the house and look for any other clues they might find.

About thirty minutes later, the group found even more evidence that pointed to Lara being a member of the Holy Blood Sect. Moreover, they also found out the whereabouts of a small hideout of this evil organization where new Apprentices were being trained.

Lara herself was the one who trained these new recruits and taught them the ways of the Blood Mystic Arts.

"Good job, everyone." Robert stated, "Go back to your homes now, and do not tell about what happened tonight to anyone else. I want this to only remain amongst the members of the Strike Team. Do you understand?"

Everyone solemnly nodded their heads. Andrew then inquired, "But captain, what about the Church?"

"I'm going there right now to report to Bishop Walls," Robert replied.

Everyone nodded and then exited Lara's house. Someone would come here later and cordon off the entire place and take care of the dead body.