NOVPUB
Chapter 47: Chapter 47 Missing Person
Amanda stood before the police, her hands trembling slightly as she held out her phone, the screen displaying the crucial video footage she had uncovered. The events of the previous night replayed in her mind like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from, each frame burned into her memory—the fight, the destruction, and finally, Liam being dragged away like a lifeless doll. After watching the security footage, she had immediately tried calling him, dialing his number over and over, each ring amplifying her anxiety when it went unanswered. She even ran to his house in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, he had somehow made it back, but the place was eerily silent, his absence more terrifying than any confirmation of his whereabouts.
When she told the police that Liam was missing, they initially dismissed her concerns, citing the standard 24-hour waiting period before filing a missing person’s report. But everything changed the moment she placed her phone on the table and hit play. The air in the station grew tense as officers gathered around, their expressions darkening as they watched the brutal footage unfold. The fight between Liam and the masked man, the sheer destruction of her living room, and then, the sight of Liam being dragged away by the leg like he was nothing more than a discarded piece of trash. One of the officers, a stern-looking man with graying hair, rubbed his chin before exchanging glances with his colleagues.
"This isn’t just a missing person case," he muttered under his breath. "This is a goddamn abduction."
Amanda barely had time to process those words before a female officer approached her and gestured toward a quieter room, her expression softer yet filled with urgency. "Come with me, Miss. We need to gather every bit of information you have. Anything at all that could help us find him."
Meanwhile.
Liam’s body jerked awake with a violent shudder as a sudden splash of ice-cold water hit his face, the freezing liquid shocking his senses and forcing him into harsh consciousness. His drenched clothes clung to his skin, making every movement stiff and uncomfortable as he tried to blink away the disorientation clouding his vision. The dim, flickering light above barely illuminated the space around him, casting eerie shadows on the cold, concrete walls of what appeared to be some sort of basement or underground hideout.
He exhaled sharply, trying to regain his bearings, but before he could take in his surroundings fully, his gaze landed on a familiar figure standing before him. His stomach twisted into a knot.
The Boss.
Liam had seen this man once before, back in Amanda’s office, the day he had gone in to take that stupid test. Even then, there had been something menacing about him—the way he carried himself, the way his eyes bore into people like he could see right through them. He had warned Liam to stay out of their business, to know his place. And now, here they were again, except this time, Liam was bound to a chair, his wrists and ankles secured so tightly with thick rope that he could already feel the circulation beginning to cut off.
The Boss stood there with his arms crossed, his dark eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he let the silence linger for a moment before finally speaking. His voice was low, deliberate, dripping with condescension.
"I tried to warn you, didn’t I?"
Liam didn’t reply. Instead, he lowered his gaze to the restraints, testing them carefully. The ropes were wound expertly, tight and unyielding, the kind that had probably held down people far stronger than him. He clenched his jaw, frustration boiling beneath the surface, but he didn’t let it show. He needed to think. Fast.
The Boss took a step forward, and as he did, the dim light above cast an ominous shadow behind him, stretching long and dark like a specter of doom creeping toward Liam. And then, something glinted in his hand, catching the faint light just enough for Liam to see.
A glove.
But not just any glove. This one was reinforced with metal across the knuckles, designed for one purpose and one purpose only—to inflict maximum pain.
Liam swallowed hard, his pulse quickening. This wasn’t going to be a simple interrogation. This was going to be a beating.
And judging by the smirk curling at the edge of the Boss’s lips, he was going to enjoy every second of it.
A heavy fist slammed into Liam’s stomach with the force of a sledgehammer, driving all the air from his lungs in a violent gasp. His body lurched forward from the impact, but the ropes binding him to the chair held him in place, forcing him to take the full brunt of the blow. A sharp, sickening pain coiled in his gut as he coughed hard, a spray of saliva—maybe even blood—splattering onto the cold concrete floor beneath him.
The Boss cracked his knuckles, the metal studs on his reinforced glove glinting under the dim light. He exhaled slowly, almost like he was savoring the moment, before stepping closer. "You think you’re tough, huh?" he muttered, his voice laced with amusement. "Let’s see how long that attitude of yours lasts."
Liam lifted his head slightly, sucking in a shaky breath as he grinned, despite the pain wracking his body. "I don’t know, man," he rasped. "I’d say my attitude has pretty good stamina. Probably better than your right hook."
The Boss’s eyes darkened. Without another word, he drove another punch into Liam’s ribs. The sound of the impact echoed in the small basement, followed by Liam’s strained grunt as his body jerked against the restraints.
"You killed three of my men," the Boss said, his tone now edged with controlled fury. "Tell me how. Who helped you?"
Liam chuckled weakly, his head lolling back for a moment before he looked at the Boss again, his smirk never wavering. "Oh, that? Yeah, it was wild," he said, acting as if they were discussing some casual street fight. "I actually hired a ghost. Goes by the name Casper. Real professional. Very deadly. You should look him up."
The Boss’s expression remained unreadable for a brief second—then, with a frustrated growl, he landed another devastating punch, this time straight to Liam’s jaw. Liam’s head snapped to the side, the sharp metallic taste of blood flooding his mouth as he let out a low groan. His lip was split open now, but even as the pain pulsed through his skull, he couldn’t stop himself.
"Damn," he muttered, spitting blood onto the floor. "I think you just knocked a tooth loose. You’re gonna pay my dental bills, right?"
The Boss exhaled harshly, clearly trying to keep his patience intact. He crouched slightly so that he was at eye level with Liam, his gaze burning into him with barely restrained rage. "Why are you interfering in our business?" he asked, his voice calm but deadly. "You could’ve stayed out of this. You could’ve minded your own damn business. But no—you had to act like a hero."
Liam rolled his shoulders as much as the restraints allowed, pretending to consider the question seriously. "Well," he began, licking the blood from his lower lip. "Have you ever seen those movies where the main character just can’t resist stepping in when bad guys are being, you know... bad?" He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I think I got that syndrome. It’s called ’Main Character Energy.’ Real problem, honestly. You should see a doctor about yours—might help you work through your anger issues."
The Boss’s patience finally snapped.
He stood up abruptly and delivered a vicious uppercut straight to Liam’s face. Liam’s head whipped back, pain exploding across his skull as his vision blurred for a moment. Before he could even register the hit, another punch crashed into his ribcage, followed by another to his stomach. The force of each strike sent sharp waves of agony through his entire body, his breath coming in ragged, painful gasps.
But still, even as his body begged him to stop provoking the man, Liam let out a weak, breathless chuckle. "Man... you really love this punching thing, huh?" he groaned. "What, did your parents not buy you toys as a kid?"
The Boss wiped the sweat from his forehead, his jaw clenching tightly. He didn’t respond this time—he simply grabbed Liam’s face roughly, forcing him to look up.
"This isn’t a game," he snarled. "I will break every single bone in your body if you don’t start giving me real answers."
Liam blinked lazily, his vision struggling to focus. "Okay, okay," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "You got me."
The Boss narrowed his eyes.
Liam took a deep breath, swallowing down the pain, then smirked. "It was actually Batman," he whispered conspiratorially. "Dude owes me a favor. You know how it is."
That was the final straw.
The Boss let out a furious growl before slamming his fist into Liam’s stomach again, harder than before. The impact sent a searing pain through his entire body, stealing the breath from his lungs. Liam’s head slumped forward, his vision spinning, his body barely able to stay upright in the chair. He tried to laugh, to make another joke, but this time, his voice failed him. His body had reached its limit.
Darkness crept at the edges of his vision, the sounds of the basement fading into a distant hum. The last thing he saw before his eyes shut completely was the Boss, standing over him, his expression unreadable.
And then—nothing.
