Just as Carlo finished speaking, Ben kicked him to the ground and shouted angrily,
"Is he a god? He wiped out twenty of your so-called 'elites' without a trace?"
Still not satisfied, Ben moved forward, intending to continue the beating, but Rock stopped him and said,
"Ben, punishing him now is meaningless. Think of your family's mission—what matters is what we do next."
At the mention of his family, Ben quickly regained his composure. He crouched down beside Carlo, who was clutching his stomach, and said coldly,
"Find Michael. Kill him. Do it yourself.
If by dawn you don't bring me good news, I guarantee—you'll lose everything."
Carlo's expression changed drastically at that. But Johnny, standing nearby, had a sparkle in his eyes.
Just as he began to fantasize about becoming the new gang leader, Ben looked straight at him and added:
"You go with him."
Watching Ben and Rock leave, both Carlo and Johnny were left with sour faces.
"We never kill people in Lynchburg," Johnny muttered. "Other than the casino, we don't touch anything illegal.
If we kill here, we'll lose our last hiding place completely.
Why don't we just—"
Before he could finish, Carlo cut him off:
"Hiding place? That's only because Rock Meyer covers for us. You really think nobody knows what we've done in the other towns?
And do you even know who that young man was?"
"You know?" Johnny asked.
Carlo shook his head and replied,
"I don't. But I do know this—Rock's never shown that kind of respect even to Mayor Patrick.
We can't afford to mess with him.
Spread the word. We must find Michael—no matter what."
Back at the villa, Ben loosened his tie and asked,
"Could it be Patrick?"
To Ben, only the mayor of Lynchburg could have the insight and resources to strike directly at the heart of his plan.
Rock rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhausted from the night's chaos. He thought for a moment and responded,
"Unlikely. He's used to being a behind-the-scenes judge. He wouldn't get his own hands dirty.
Besides, a seasoned politician like him would know your family background—he wouldn't move against you unless you did something wrong. He's not the type to ruin a good thing just to play the hero."
Ben thought about it, then nodded in agreement.
"Then who else could it be?" he asked.
"Lynchburg's a small town," Rock said slowly. "It was originally founded by the O'Doherty family, represented by Patrick, and the Brown family, represented by Michael.
But under Michael's mismanagement, the Browns declined.
Now the only major influence left is the Seventh-Day Adventists—but the church would never interfere.
Those clever men know who really backs the Lendo Company. During the last gubernatorial election, they supported Governor Clint."
Ben's head ached. He still couldn't figure out who had done this.
He even briefly considered Leo, as Carlo had mentioned, but quickly dismissed it.
After all, how could a broke veteran afford to bribe a gang at the lumberyard and make them disappear without a sound?
In the end, the only explanation was Carlo's incompetence—his failure to choose loyal men and manage them properly.
As sunlight crept through the window, Ben knew Carlo had no chance of finding Michael before dawn.
He walked over to the phone and said to Rock,
"Today probably won't go as planned.
Expecting that moron Carlo to kill Michael is unrealistic.
We still have to deal with that captured assassin.
Damn it. I'll have to give up even more to clean up this mess.
I need to make a call. Time to bring in a professional."
"Who are you calling?" Rock asked with a frown.
He was frustrated too.
Carlo was his recommendation, and Carlo's performance would directly affect how much of the "pie" Rock would receive in the future.
Now that Ben was calling for outside help—help that obviously wouldn't come free—the cost would surely come out of Rock's share.
"Hayman Roth. Ever heard of him?" Ben asked, giving Rock a meaningful glance.
Of course he knew Rock was displeased—but Ben didn't care.
Rock was the weakest at the table. And more importantly, he had already botched things.
Just as Ben expected, Rock's expression shifted the moment he heard the name.
"You mean the one from Miami?" he asked in surprise.
Ben nodded.
"That's right. I need a sharp lawyer to deal with the fallout from the assassin situation.
And I need some real killers—to get rid of Michael.
At the same time, I need to punish those who keep screwing up. What do you think?"
Rock looked at Ben, a chill rising in his chest. He heard the veiled threat in Ben's words.
He knew he'd be paying a heavy price.
"I promised your family full cooperation. So, I have no objections," he said stiffly.
"But Ben, a word of caution—Patrick might sit back and watch Michael go bankrupt, but he won't necessarily want to see him dead.
They've been lifelong friends. Patrick's a complicated man.
I'm going to get some rest."
Ben heard the distance in Rock's tone, but didn't care.
Rock couldn't afford to cross the Roth family—and he certainly couldn't take on Hayman Roth.
Before, Ben had shown him respect because of his local power. But after Carlo's repeated failures, even that was no longer necessary.
Ben had already lost faith in the capabilities of these small-town players.
Meanwhile, Leo walked into his home, dew still clinging to his clothes.
Three pairs of red-rimmed eyes turned to him—Emily, Ricardo, and Maria, all filled with worry.
Their silent, anxious vigil touched Leo deeply.
He looked at Ricardo and said softly,
"Everything went smoothly. What you feared won't happen."
He walked up to Emily and held her close, whispering,
"You can go to the police station. Michael's there. He really wants to see you."
The sadness in Emily's eyes vanished, replaced by joy.
She opened her mouth to ask something, but Leo placed a finger gently on her lips and said,
"Emily, don't ask anything. Just know—everything is okay."
Leo's firm tone and unwavering gaze eased her doubts—for now.
Maria, sensing the moment, brought out the freshly made food and called everyone to breakfast.
While eating, she looked at Leo's exhausted face and said with concern,
"You can rest now, right?"
Leo shook his head, set down his bread, and gently took her hand.
"Mom, there's still a lot to do today. Don't worry—one night without sleep is nothing."
He truly did have a busy day ahead.
First, he went inside and pulled out a notebook from his suitcase.
Then he hurriedly wrote a letter.
Afterward, he took Emily to the police station. Standing at the entrance, he told her:
"Emily, Michael is inside. Go see him.
After that, stay inside the station. Don't go anywhere—no matter what.
Remember: unless I come get you myself, you must not leave the station. No matter what anyone says."