Chapter 1749 Problem With Centrefield (Part 1)

“Why do I have the feeling like I’ve heard this before?” Austin commented, rubbing the back of his neck as unease crept into his voice.

“That’s because you have,” Gary added calmly. “Back then, Midwak wasn’t responding, and he was missing from Notsburg. It turned out he had been taken by Ylva and was with Lupus and his group.”

The memory lingered in the air between them.

The fact that the same thing was happening again was worrying. Last time, Midwak’s disappearance had nearly cost them everything. The information he had carried, what he knew, had put the group at a serious disadvantage. They had walked blindly into danger once before.

And they were still limited by the Vow even now.

If they were to be attacked on a full moon… maybe this was the time limit ticking down in front of them, once again. Unzoku knew about this limit, that was for sure.

“I can check my system again,” Gary said. “But I look at it frequently, and I’m sure I still saw Midwak’s name there.”

He opened his system, the familiar interface appearing before his eyes. Scanning through it carefully, he could see Midwak’s name listed among the others. He could also see the rest of the strike force.

Of course, he didn’t know every member’s name that was part of the strike force. There were too many. But he knew enough of them. And since there hadn’t been any type of notification, no culling, no sudden removals, it meant they were still alive.

“They’re still alive,” Gary said at last. “So there’s that.”

“I don’t know whether that’s good news or bad news,” Kai replied thoughtfully.

Gary looked toward him.

“The issue isn’t just Midwak,” Kai continued. “He’s the type of person that doesn’t answer his phone anyway. When he sees your message, he’ll leave it on read for days. Even if you were dying, I don’t think he would reply sometimes.”

A few of them almost smiled at that. It was true.

“But the strike force are in the city with him,” Kai went on, his expression turning serious again. “And not a single member of them is getting back to me either. One or two? Sure, that’s a coincidence. But all of them? Along with the strike force? Something is clearly happening in Centrefield.”

The room fell quiet at that.

“If they’re alive and not replying… what does that mean?” Marie asked softly.

“Exactly, that’s my point,” Kai said. “The unknown is scarier sometimes. When you don’t know what you’re walking into, you can’t prepare for it. And the only thing we can do is try to find out the truth. We can’t just sit around and wait.”

He folded his arms.

“I suggest someone gets in contact with Blackjack. Before we think about telling the vampires about all of this, we need to know what the general state and feeling of the vampires are. We saw Unzoku working with them in the past. He could be working with them again.”

The name alone brought tension to the group.

“I wanted to go and deal with the strange werewolves in the other areas,” Kai admitted, “but I think our focus needs to be on this and protecting Slough.”

His gaze shifted to each of them.

“Due to how many are involved, I think a strong group and team should head to Centrefield.”

The group looked amongst each other. Of course, there were those who weren’t present who were plenty strong as well. But this wasn’t just about strength. It was about trust.

“I want to go,” Gary said firmly.

Everyone looked at him.

“Hearing about the strike force, and Midwak being involved… I just have a feeling that something bad has come up. And if Unzoku is there, then really, I think there are only a few of us that can take him on.”

They had all felt it before, witnessed even a partial glimpse of Unzoku’s strength. It wasn’t something easily forgotten. The pressure. The overwhelming presence. The way the air itself had seemed heavier around him.

No one argued with Gary.

“Well, I guess if you put it like that, I should head with you as well,” Kai replied. “At the moment, I’m the one with the medallion. We don’t know how to really use it yet, but if it is Unzoku, then we’ll need it to beat him.”

The medallion. Another unknown variable.

“Well, well, well!” Innu said, suddenly standing up with a grin. “If you’re talking about a strong strike force, then don’t you think it should be the original gang? Me, Austin, Marie, and, well, I guess you too, Olivia. Along with you guys, we can kick anyone’s arse and get out of a tough situation.”

Immediately, Olivia shook her head.

“I want to stay,” she replied firmly. “Most of my people are in Burnham Food Street, and they only listen to me.”

It wasn’t just pride in her voice, it was responsibility.

“That’s a shame. Olivia has the better sense of smell,” Kai mumbled under his breath. “Ah, but if we need someone who can help us track, then isn’t Luzen a good match for us? He’s strong as well.”

The group seemed to be in agreement.

Gary.

Kai.

Marie.

Innu.

Austin.

And lastly, they would invite Luzen to head to Centrefield and try to find out what was going on.

It felt like the right balance. Power. Experience. Awareness.

“I’ll stay in Slough and make sure everyone is ready,” Xin said. “If there is an attack, I’ll inform you straight away. And I’ll try to get in contact with Blackjack.”

She paused before adding, “We never know. This could be Unzoku’s plan all along, to get you guys to leave Slough. So it’s important that there’s a strong force that stays behind as well.”

The others nodded. There was no time to waste. If something was happening in Centrefield, then every second they delayed could make things worse.

“Let’s move,” Gary said.

****