He didn't need to lift a finger for the revenge that followed—everyone who survived would move heaven and earth to settle the score.
The cliff drop was two hundred metres, and by the time the Drone tried to fly back for reconnaissance it malfunctioned and crashed into dense forest.
Eddie plunged all the way to the seabed before stopping, barely scratched.
Maria's beautiful eyes, however, flashed with exhilaration; the life-or-death thrill was utterly intoxicating.
Sea wind lifted her bangs, revealing a scar across her right eye—a mark that didn't mar her looks but added a fierce, battle-ready edge that made her all the more compelling.
At the foot of the cliff lay Sarah and Kathy, unconscious but unharmed. Silver Blade Squad's Nadia was badly injured and out cold; only Maria remained awake.
An hour later, beside a cool cliff edge, a Campfire crackled to life.
Maria sat quietly by the flames, turning to Eddie after he'd finished treating Nadia. "My father will die, won't he?"
"I don't know—maybe not, maybe yes. Sorry, I couldn't save him." Eddie handed her a Grilled Fish.
Maria shook her head. "No need. In this line of work you make peace with death long ago. Every extra day is a bonus. Our family carries a Hereditary Illness that slowly strips away every human feeling."
"Sounds like the T-Virus—did you come into contact with something?" Eddie perked up.
"Our ancestors were indigenous; the details are lost. Whatever it was, it's been passed down. You'd better brace yourself: what looks like a bargain might turn into big trouble." Maria smiled lightly.
That explained her calm; if a cure existed, she'd stay with Eddie—if not, it wouldn't matter whom she followed once her emotions faded.
"You underestimate me. I might be able to cure your disease—don't forget, I've treated AIDS, cancer, and leukaemia!" Eddie shrugged it off.
"Perhaps. You're my husband; I believe in you." Maria accepted her role without hesitation.
Back at the wedding venue, Arias staggered to his feet. Seeing his men and friends dead filled him with rage.
He never expected the Western Federation to send Drones to bomb them—no trial, just summary execution, outright illegal!
Elsewhere, rubble shifted until a blood-soaked figure pushed through the debris: Agent Kevin.
"You—Federal Agent!" Arias snarled, pistol aimed.
"Yeah, just a discarded pawn." Kevin didn't flinch; he lay on the wreckage, unable to accept what had happened.
"Pawn?" Arias didn't understand.
"Right. I was days from retirement after this recon job. They implanted a Tracker; the Drones homed in on it. Think of me as the beacon—if you want revenge, take it." Kevin's voice seethed with resentment.
Bang! Arias fired into the rubble beside him. "Want payback?"
"You'd recruit a Federal Agent? You're insane." Kevin stayed on the debris like a salted fish.
"Exactly—insane, and the Federation drove me to it. Since you're a discarded piece, join me. Let's hit the Western Federation together." Arias extended the invitation.
"It was the top brass, not the grunts. I'll make every planner pay!" Kevin suddenly stood, drew a Dagger, and carved a chunk from his arm, revealing a gleaming Tracker.
Supporting each other, they dug out Diago from the ground, sent men to excavate, and hauled the survivors back to base for treatment.
In the Western Federation command room, Kaplan popped a Champagne cork. "Colleagues, another glorious victory! No drinking on duty? Nonsense—a toast to you all!"
Laughter filled the command centre, while in the Special Operations office Helena noticed Kevin's disappearance and immediately reported it.
Simmons was in the lab observing a new C-Virus potency experiment, planning to use the virus for an immortality project—recombining cells to extend life. The problem: the virus was still unstable.
Not every subject injected with the C-Virus would cocoon; sometimes they became obedient, mutated Bio-Organic Weapons—living creatures, not walking corpses.
If they couldn't cocoon, cellular restructuring failed. The process was incomplete; it needed refinement.
This time Simmons learned his lesson: no more women as trusted aides. However loyal, once they met a man as ruthless as Eddie, they'd crumble.
To keep his life's work from being stolen, he picked male confidants. Surely even the shameless bastard wouldn't bed a philosopher for data.
Mid-observation, Simmons took a call—irritated. Kaplan, that waste, had stirred up trouble again.
Three days later Eddie returned to the Western Federation and reached The Pentagon, first order of business: beat Kaplan senseless.
Simmons rushed over. "Stop! This isn't a fight club. Behave yourselves!"
Helena hurried in too, helping the guards pry the two apart.
Eddie, held back by Helena, snarled, "Let go! That idiot dropped a Drone bomb while I was hitting on a girl—what the hell?"
Kaplan sneered. "And why did you buy a truckload of poppies over there?"
"I brew it as tea—none of your damn business. By the way, your wife's amazing." Eddie's mouth never left the gutter.
Kaplan snapped. "I should've nuked you when I had the chance, you animal!"
P.S. If you're out of books
Chapter 561: Harbinger of Revenge
Eddie kicked Kaplan flying again. "Screw you, mongrel. Watch your back—step outside and I'll end you in minutes."
Simmons rubbed his temples. "Mr. Eddie, this is a society of law. Threats aren't allowed. If anything happens to Kaplan, you're the prime suspect."
Eddie threw an arm around Helena, leaving her utterly bewildered—what was this stunt?
Cigarette in mouth, he hugged her. "Hmph, I'm a model citizen. Mountains and rivers meet again; your turn to suffer will come." Then he walked off.
Fuming, Eddie reached the Special Operations Unit; Leon was there too, clocking in, looking haggard—another breakup, probably.
"Leon, what brings you here?" Eddie puffed smoke rings, grinning.
Leon glanced at Eddie and Helena. "You two…?"
Helena slapped Eddie's arm away, cheeks flushed with anger. "Enough with the act. Don't think I don't know your filthy mind."
Eddie looked awkward. "Hey, I'm just avenging Kevin. His last words: someone inside The Pentagon sold him out. The bombing Drone bore Federation markings—and it flew in from the sea."
Helena frowned. "We've been investigating. Kevin's still missing; if we can't find him in two weeks, we'll have to declare him dead."
"Something's definitely off. I'll look into it personally and get answers," Leon vowed.
"My beef with Kaplan isn't over. Nobody talk me out of it," Eddie muttered and left.
Back on Goddess Island, the badly wounded Nadia was still in treatment.
Kathy and Sarah crept cautiously along the shore, awestruck by the paradise—azure ocean stretching to the horizon, heart-soaring beauty.
Maria lay in therapy while Alex studied blood drawn from her, finding traces of a mysterious substance.
The compound could attach to gene segments and pass down generations. Even diluted, it still numbed emotion.