The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

In the dead of night, with the lights off and still in the bedroom!

“Damn it, Percival! What have you done to my daughter? She’s still a minor!”

Percival looked into Dorian’s fuming eyes with a hint of resignation, “We were just talking.”

“Talking? Why in the dark? Were you two kissing like Isolde said, right here in the room?”

Thaddeus giggled behind his hand.

Isolde had spilled everything to Thaddeus, including when she overheard Vivienne and

Percival kissing in the bedroom!

Dorian’s eyes seemed to bulge even more.

Cordelia’s cheeks flushed as she pulled Thaddeus away. “Thaddeus, stop making things

up. Vivienne and Percival were just… doing homework. Yeah, that’s it. Now you better

finish yours.”

Thaddeus snickered and scampered off to his room with his backpack.

Percival deliberately avoided Dorian’s gaze and cleared his throat, “Mom, Dad, I should

head out.”

With that, Percival made a beeline for the door.

The more he thought about Thaddeus’s words, the guiltier he felt!

Where the heck was Leopold when he was supposed to be on the lookout?

Leopold and Anna were indeed on duty, standing guard with due diligence.

When Percival emerged from the house, Leopold dropped his guard and approached. “All

sorted out, Percival?”

Percival responded with a swift kick to Leopold’s rear. “Didn’t you see someone go

upstairs?”

Anna and Leopold looked baffled, nodding in unison.

“We saw, we even texted you.”

Especially Leopold, rubbing his backside with a woebegone expression. He had sent

Percival the message the moment he saw Dorian’s family within thirty feet!

Percival glanced at his phone, and sure enough, there was a message, which he had

missed while with Vivienne.

Clearing his throat, Percival pointed at Anna and said, “Continue the mission.”

Then he turned to Leopold. “You’re driving me home.”

Leopold caught on, “Oh, got it. You’re in trouble with your father-in-law because you did

something to Vivienne, right?”

Percival just gave him a look. “After you drop me off, do five hundred push-ups and six

hundred sit-ups outside Griffin’s house. Don’t even think about rejoining the squad until

you’re done!”

Leopold’s face was the picture of shock. Push-ups and sit-ups were one thing, but why

outside Griffin’s house?

As they were about to split up, their communicators pinged simultaneously.

It was a direct mission from HQ to the Vanguard Agency’s special squad, demanding

immediate readiness.

[White Tiger sighting in Weststart City. Wolf leads the team. Depart immediately!]

The playful expressions vanished from their faces. Anna wanted to speak, but Percival cut

her off. “You stick with Vivienne!”

Anna saluted crisply, “Yes, sir!”

Percival and Leopold set out at once.

Percival’s brow furrowed deeply, his expression grim.

Why was White Tiger in Weststart City, a place known for its abandoned coal mines, far

from urban planning?

Anna returned home and relayed the sudden mission details to Vivienne, “It was all very

abrupt; I don’t know the specifics. But Ms. Vivienne, something doesn’t feel right.”

Vivienne nodded in agreement. “I agree.”

Setting aside the puzzling appearance of White Tiger in Weststart City, the mission itself

was riddled with irregularities.

Usually, the Vanguard Agency would arrange all the details before a mission, including the

command structure, snipers, and such. They would disseminate maps to squad leaders

and decide on roles and strategies.

Even in emergencies, team leaders would have a heads-up to plan within half an hour

before announcing the action.

After all, Vanguard Agency’s missions were life and death; they could not afford to act

rashly for the sake of the safety of their members.

The Vanguard Agency had been tracking CK and White Tiger as its head honcho, a five-

star wanted criminal.

To capture such a high-profile target with no preparation?

Vivienne furrowed her brow, “Anna, let’s go see Griffin.”

Anna asked no questions. She donned her coat, checked her sidearm, and left with

Vivienne.

At Vanguard Agency HQ, Percival and his team geared up in combat attire and boarded

the transport to Weststart City. Only en route did the team receive a brief terrain map,

lacking detailed danger zones.

“Satellite imagery hasn’t come through yet. Familiarize yourself with the basic layout,”

Percival commanded from the lead vehicle.

The HQ would be commanding this operation through satellite. Micah would be in the field,

in charge of the vehicles, while Percival would lead the team.

Leopold’s squad was on point, scouting the terrain. Thomas’s second squad covered the

perimeter, and Soren joined Percival to head straight for the heart of enemy territory.

Soren was already throwing a fit in the car, and it was not because they were heading

deep into enemy territory—it was because Percival was with him.

“Captain, you’re the commander, the head honcho. You shouldn’t be on the front lines!”

Percival was the squad leader, the one supposed to stay back and oversee the safety of all

the team members, commanding from the rear.

Having the squad leader, and to top it off, the deputy director, waltz into the lion’s den

was unheard of.

Their headsets were linked to the command vehicle on-site, and Micah heard everything

loud and clear.

Soren did not care if he heard it all; the whole situation was out of order, a clear sign that

someone had it out for Percival!

And the only person Percival had managed to tick off lately was Micah.

Through the headset, Micah’s voice was steady as he said, “Will you quit your yapping?”

“I’ll yap as much as I need to!” Soren fumed, ripping off his headset.

Percival shot him a glare that could kill. “Put it back on!”

Soren huffed and puffed but reluctantly put the headset back on, sulking in his seat.

Percival stood up and walked to the center. After issuing orders to the team, he locked

eyes with Soren. “Follow orders, understand?”

“Understood!” Soren barked back.

Percival nudged him with his foot, “Do you understand?”

“Understood!” Soren shouted, dropping the whole downtrodden act.

As dawn began to break, Vanguard Agency’s special squad arrived near their destination,

disembarking from the vehicles in a crisp, controlled manner, each heading to their

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Leopold and Thomas stepped out last, following Percival, with Soren trailing behind.

“We still haven’t got the satellite images; what good is a basic map?” Leopold grumbled,

though he had more restraint than Soren.

But now that they had reached their target, the lack of satellite intel could tie their hands

during the mission, a frustration anyone would find unbearable.

Percival slung his arm around Leopold’s shoulder and crooked his other arm around Soren.

Thomas, catching on quickly, leaned in, too.

The four huddled up.

Percival used the tip of his boot to scratch a few letters in the dirt.

When put together, it meant they were to pull out immediately if they heard the word

“run” over the headset.

These letters were like Vanguard Agency’s own Morse code, a shorthand used internally.

The other three nodded in understanding, recognizing that Percival also felt something

was off about this mission.

They wiped the letters away with their feet and headed to their respective mission points.

Micah’s voice came through the headset, “What are you guys up to?”

Percival tapped his headset and chuckled, “Just a bit of ritual for good luck, you know, a

little pre-mission mojo.”

“Cut the crap and move out. I’m about to link up with HQ’s command system,” Micah

snapped, then switched on the central command system.

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