His Devious Rule

At Coastal City,

Harper was on high alert. Although he would love to see things go as per his plan, after his encounter with Anya Owen, he doubted the escape would go smoothly.

However, he wasn't in the state to delay the plan anymore. Hence he repeatedly called his men to confirm that there was no problem.

Harper's secretary tried to calm and assure Harper but the latter didn't give an ear to him. He could only hope for everything to go smoothly.

The taxi driver was getting uneasy with their talk and hearing Harper using curse words repeatedly. He was cautious enough to mind his business by giving a blind eye to them.

"Sir, we have reached the truck parking area." The driver was notified once he halted at the warehouse where the trucks load and unload goods for import and export.

Harper and his secretary looked at each other when they noticed their men walking around, waiting for them. The secretary gave the money more than the fare. Meanwhile, Harper wore a face mask, a cap, and sunglasses making himself unidentifiable.

Secretary just wore a mask and alighted the car after Harper without noticing that the driver was finding them suspicious. However, the driver didn't want to put himself in a mess that wasn't related to him, so he quickly left the premises.

A young man ran up to Harper and spoke, "Boss, we couldn't arrange the whole container for you. You will have to manage with the goods until the ship leaves the country waters."

Every container and its goods will be registered before loading the containers to the ship. So if they use one container, the contents of it can't be exported and the shipping company won't accept it. If they use an extra container, they will have to give the details of the container, which would be risky if it gets to the eyes of port officers.

Harper knew he couldn't ask more. The priority was to leave the country rather than a luxury. He had arranged for a yacht once they entered the international waters.

Without throwing ruckus, Harper started walking. So the man understood Harper had no problem so he started leading the way between the trucks. The secretary was silent as a grave while he looked around to see if anybody was following them or keeping an eye on them.

Before the door of a container could be closed, Harper and his secretary sneaked in the container and hid behind boxes. A man in formal dress, holding a writing pad, took a glance inside and instructed, "Lock the door and shift to the load area."

'Thud… Thud…" The heavy iron doors were closed shut. Darkness filled inside the container, creeping nervousness under the skin.

The eerie silence had amplified their hearing. They couldn't only hear each other's breathing but their irregular heartbeats.

Harper's hand trembled for a smoke but he held back his urge. The secretary felt a cold run down his spine thinking his cruel boss was right next to him. He turned on the torch of his mobile.

"Ahh…" The secretary unintentionally but faintly screamed when the container moved. They could feel the container in the air before it landed on something with a loud noise.

Barely audible engine sound started. Harper stumbled before holding the walls of the container to steady himself when the open truck started moving.

Both loudly sighed, half an hour, they would be leaving the port and reaching their haven.

Instead of relief, Harper gritted his teeth, mumbled under his breath, "F**k wh*re, you will pay for this." The man who traveled and lived in luxury was obviously incensed recalling his night behind the bars and his escape like a criminal.

Well, he was a criminal.

——————

At the capital city,

One end, Zane had taken complete attention of Elder Collins and Madam Collins, wife of Bernard with his politeness, smartness, and his adorable looks.

Alvin felt like he was abandoned by his grandfather. However, there was a hint of satisfaction that he wasn't ready to accept. The satisfaction to see his grandfather liking Zane without distaste towards him having no father.

And Little Brat never gets tired of praising his mother which caused the two elders to crave to meet Anya Owen.

At another end,

Anya got the signatures of the chief justice whose assistant offered her to lend their people to send the letters to all the people who were being summoned.

Assistant Wen and Chief Justice were shocked to know there were more people than they expected. "If the summonses are sent, Officer Owen, should I presume that you have solved the case?" Assistant Wen asked while they were having a coffee in the corridor.

Anya was prompt to the man who always genuinely hoped and wished good for her. "To be honest, I will have to work late at night to gather and arrange the report for tomorrow's session." Just the thought of it was enough to knit her eyebrows.

The assistant shook his head in resignation and sipped his coffee. He was aware she was under a lot of pressure. It was to avoid her creating any fake proof to save Alvin Matthews.

"Chief Justice knows your relationship with Alvin Matthews." He gave her a heads up. So that she won't be shocked if the circumstances change tomorrow. There were also chances Chief Justice might use it if Anya gives any leeway towards Alvin.

The expression Assistant Wen hoped to see on Anya didn't appear. Anya nodded watching the crowd through the one-way see-through glass. "I am sure he got to know the day I was kidnapped."

Her life is very important. If she goes to the wrong hands, the crucial data of the country has the chance of leaking. So Jason will have no choice but to report to the Chief Justice. These weren't the things that needed to be voiced to an officer like her.

Anya turned to the man who always holds a gentle gaze as if looking at his daughter, "I truly hope I will be the one to tell Alvin that he is the father of my baby."

She wanted to tell Alvin personally once the current situation clears out. At the same time, the thought of telling him was making her heart restless. She wasn't sure of the reason behind it.

Assistant Wen smiled at first hearing her drop her distant attitude and voice her wish. His soft smile was replaced with a confident smile to ease her, "I am very sure of it." He was cent percent certain Anya wouldn't try to fool the justice to save Alvin. However, the Chief Justice has to be rational so he could understand the old man too.

'Ring... Ring…'

Anya took her mobile out of the jacket and saw the caller's name. 'Captain David, Coastal'

Assistant Wen who was looking at her got a glimpse of it. So he took the empty cup from her hand, "Go, get one work."

"Thank you for the coffee." Her voice was sweet but the faint smile was distant as she guarded up.

She walked away as she answered the call, "Officer Owen." Captain David greeted her.

"Captain David." She greeted back as she noticed her Chief, Jason exiting a room and entering another one with the lines of seriousness on his face. Their eyes met but they minded their business.

Captain David started reporting the updates from the less priority task, "Officer Owen, there must be someone who has done the work for Mr. Benton or there must be entirely a different person. We aren't finding any clue." The junior officers were glued to the screen, day and night but nothing were fruitful.

'Did we judge wrongly?' Anya thought. We - Anya and Alvin.

Anya exited the building, got in her car, and drove out of the premises under numerous curious gazes. She made a note, never to use that car, especially at work time.

Anya didn't focus on Benton or the 3 men missing case as it was the least important case at the moment. "Let's focus on Harper for today."

Harper had snuck himself in a container that was being shipped to a different country. Harper had no idea that cops had an eye on him from the time he sneakily stepped out of the hotel in a waiter uniform.

Who was he fooling? Himself?

"Officer Owen, as per the plan, Captain Samuel has joined the ship crew with the team. The container which Harper and his secretary are in is loaded to the ship. The ship will leave the port in ten minutes."

Anya hummed. Many Harper's men had entered the coastal city at dawn. So taking Harper under custody might start scuffling or use of firearms by Harper's men and hurt the cops. So Anya didn't want to take the chance. Hence Captain Samuel and his team had joined the crew of the ship.

They planned to shift the container of Harper to a different boat before the ship entered international waters. Then the boat will bring the whole container to a harbor and transport it to the capital by road as Harper also has to attend the private court session.

At the same time, it will be recorded as Harper was escaping and he has been arrested. In other words, Harper has imprisoned himself in the container.

After reporting her a few more things, Captain ended the call and eagerly waited to handle Harper.

——————

A few minutes earlier, at the harbor,

'Thud… Thud… Thud…'

Harper and his secretary were alerted hearing the door lock being smashed to open. The container was still on the open moving truck.

Harper commanded as he crouched down to hide between the boxes, "Turn off the torch and hide," His voice trembled, his mind ran wild thinking they were caught by the cops.

If he was caught while escaping, then he doubted if Anya Owen would let him step out of the prison again. The fear slowly but surely clutched his throat turning his breathing rough. His heart drummed erratically.

The shocked secretary took a few seconds to come to his senses. He turned off the torch in a shaky hand and yet to hide when the door creaked open barely any light entered inside.

The footsteps entering the container could be heard which raised the panic of the two men. Then the blinding light flashed inside in the darkness.

"There." A man's hoarse voice sounded pointing to the half-hidden secretary.

Harper and Secretary froze and didn't dare to breathe, hoping they were caught.

Well, the four men rushed inside. They just took a brief look to get Harper and dragged both the men out.

"How dare you?" Harper immediately struggled, kicking and hitting the boxes and the man.

"What are you doing?" Secretary cried out.

"Let me go."

"Do you know who I am?" Harper tried to scare them.

The two men's struggles were futile. They took the two out of the container without speaking.

Harper roughly shrugged the man who was holding him. "What…" Upon a good look at the four men's serious yet annoyed expression, the rough, tasteless clothing styles, Harper realized those weren't the cops.

"Who are you all?" The secretary asked before Harper could voice.

##### (26 march) #####

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