After Charles spoke his mind, the corridor descended into silence.
Both Cedrick and Nico fell silent.
Charles pondered and continued, “If Joe Landon, who is still at large, is indeed the mastermind behind the massacre of the Cloud family, then my suspicions would be confirmed. The question that remains is, which influential family will be targeted next after the Cloud family is wiped out?”
Cedrick's expression tensed up.
Nico held his breath. “The Jenson family.”
Both the Jenson and Harris families boasted formidable security measures. The individual responsible for the massacre of the Cloud family demonstrated the ability to eliminate them silently during the night, evading detection. However, breaching the Jenson family's security measures and executing a similar attack would prove an immensely challenging feat for any perpetrator.
Unless...
If the perpetrator's target was the Jenson family and they were unable to initiate their attack directly from the Jenson residence, they might seek out a vulnerable spot. What could that be?
The three men raised their heads in unison as the same idea occurred to them.
At once, Cedrick spun on his heels and strode away. He pulled out his phone to call Gwendolyn.
Nico went after him. “Cedrick, I'll go to the lab to check on Benny.”
The laboratory's security system was top-notch, but there was still a potential vulnerability once Benedict completed his IV drip and departed from the lab.
Cedrick nodded in agreement. “Take care of Benny and don't let him leave the lab. He should wait in the lab until I pick him up.”
“Got it.”
Charles offered, “I'll head to the kindergarten to pick Zendy up and ensure her safety.”
Considering that classes at the kindergarten would conclude one hour later, and with Charles needing approximately half an hour to arrive, it was crucial for him to be present earlier to ensure Zendaya's safety.
Cedrick carefully contemplated the situation and concurred that the perpetrator would find it easiest to target Zendaya. This was because the entrance of the kindergarten would likely have only one or two security guards, while the majority of individuals present would be children and teachers.
“Nico, assign one of your teams to Charles so they can accompany him to the kindergarten.”
Nico expressed surprise at the suggestion. “Cedrick, won't deploying a large number of personnel to the kindergarten during pick-up time cause panic among the parents?”
Cedrick, however, remained resolute in his decision. “We don't have to wait until Zendy's regular dismissal time. Charles, to ensure Zendy's safety, pick her up as soon as you arrive. She can be allowed to leave earlier than usual.”
The three men left the Cloud residence and went on their separate ways.
Upon delegating the responsibility of capturing photos and organizing tasks to Neville, Cedrick made his way back to his armored vehicle.
Determined to reach Gwendolyn, he persistently dialed her number, only to be met with disappointment as his calls couldn't get through. It wasn't a case of her phone being switched off; instead, it appeared that a signal jammer was interfering with the reception in her vicinity.
An ominous feeling occurred to him as he quickly called Swain.
“Find out Gwendolyn's location now.”
“Got it.”
They both didn't disconnect the call.
Swain, who was present at the Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters, frantically typed away at his keyboard, determined to track Gwendolyn's whereabouts.
“Boss, her location is in flux. It appears she is in a moving vehicle, making it difficult to pinpoint her exact location. However, there seems to be an issue with the GPS signal as it keeps flickering. It suggests that the signal strength is weak.”
Cedrick felt his heart tighten with worry. “Retrieve footage from the roadside surveillance cameras and verify Gwendolyn's route. Send it to me as soon as possible.”
“Got it.”
The call ended. Swain typed on his keyboard furiously and called the Department of Transportation to relay Cedrick's order.
Ten minutes later, Cedrick received a message on his phone containing Gwendolyn's real-time route.
The footage captured by the roadside surveillance cameras depicted Gwendolyn driving her luxurious car along the road.
As Cedrick carefully reviewed the message sent by Swain, a thought crossed his mind. This route... She left Harris Group and passed by that bridge. Could it be that she intends to pick up Zendy from the kindergarten? It seems she has anticipated the same course of action as us.
Without hesitation, Cedrick drove to the kindergarten as well.
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