Before Julien could articulate a response, Sydney's hand shot up. "I want to see them."
She was eager to witness the ordeal Dallin had endured at the hands of Luke's friends.
Julien cast a glance at the eager woman beside him and acquiesced with a slight nod. "Show us then."
"Okay." Zach reached into his suit pocket, fished out his phone, and swiftly navigated to the desired images. He then extended the device toward Sydney and Julien.
They leaned in for a closer look.
Sydney's eyes fell upon the photos displayed on Zach's phone.
The image quality was less than ideal due to enlargement and some frame blur, but it was sufficient for viewing.
The photo depicted Dallin leaning against a crumbling wall. His face was marred by bruises and cuts, and blood trickled from his nose and mouth. One eye was swollen shut, while the other stared out defiantly.
His hair was disheveled, a stark contrast to his usually immaculate appearance.
It was a mess, and he looked no different from a beggar.
His body was partially obscured by a coarse brown sack that hung conspicuously around his lower half.
It was evident that Dallin had been unceremoniously dumped from the sack, with only his head and upper body freed so far.
"What a brutal beating!" Sydney clicked her tongue, leaning back in her seat.
Julien merely raised an eyebrow and followed her to sit back.
Zach put away his phone. "Yeah. His face took quite a beating. I suspect his body is in no better condition. Unfortunately, our people had to maintain their distance to avoid detection, so the photos lacked clarity. Otherwise, they would have been able to see more clearly and specify his injuries."
"Why not find out which hospital Dallin was admitted to and obtain his medical report?" Julien suggested casually.
Zach slapped his thigh in realization. "Good idea. I'll have our people dig into it."
With that, he busied himself with typing out instructions on his phone.
As he dispatched the message, he mused aloud, "I wonder whom Dallin offended to warrant such retribution. Perhaps we can associate with the enemy of our enemy. Maybe he knows something that we don't, which could prove beneficial in our future dealings with Dallin."
Sydney shook her head, indicating her ignorance of any additional information about Dallin.
Her knowledge of him was no more extensive than theirs.
Her reaction was caught by Julien's eyes, only to confirm a speculation in his mind. He chuckled, saying, "Then I'm afraid you're in for a disappointment because the assaulters don't know much about Dallin. You won't find the answers you seek from them."
At his words, both Zach and Sydney fixed their eyes on him.
"Mr. Flint, how can you be so certain?" Zach queried, echoing the question that was foremost in Sydney's mind.
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