397: 7.87 War Declaration

7.87 War Declaration

Moshe, this paranoid psycho, thought that everyone was as crazy as him to plant a tracker on their men's body — although he had not done it to anyone other than Lu Yizhou — thus as soon as he knew that Zion had regained consciousness, he immediately ordered Hector to be removed from the The Void's basecamp.

"This warehouse was abandoned a few years ago." Moshe's voice echoed in the enclosed space, mixing with the rhythm of his and Lu Yizhou's footsteps. Faint sunlight streamed in through the windows near the ceiling, albeit it did nothing to disperse the chill in the air. "But now it has been turned into nearby farmers and fishermen's storage. It's far from the Cobalt Fang's basecamp too. If Zion were to chase after us here, it would still take time."

Lu Yizhou wrinked his nose. No wonder that the fishy stench was so strong in the air, it reminded him of rotten corpses. The floor was almost slippery and if he looked harder enough, he would be able to see some patches of dried blood and fish scales. 

The deeper they went, the lower the temperature was. Medium sized containers stacked up neatly along the wall and ice frost was exuded from them. So this was why Moshe had fetched him a thick coat before they went out earlier. Looking at the man's side profile, Lu Yizhou couldn't help a smile on his face, his heart all soft and gooey.

"Stop looking at me like that or I will gouge your eyes out," he said without averting his eyes from the front.

"Hmm…" Lu Yizhou pretended to think. "Like what?"

"You—!" Moshe sent him a glare. 

Lu Yizhou chuckled. When would Moshe realize that Lu Yizhou would not stop looking at him even until eternity? Before he could say anything though, Moshe stalked forward with a harrumph, quickly leaving him behind. 

"Boss." Moshe's men had been waiting at the inner area of the warehouse, right in front of a large metal door. The storage freezer, Lu Yizhou realized. "We have been keeping him inside for almost half an hour. He is ready whenever you want."

"Good job, everyone." Moshe took out a pair of leather gloves from his inner pocket but instead of putting it on himself, he turned sideways and beckoned for Lu Yizhou to get closer. "Come here. It will be very cold inside."

Lu Yizhou was stunned when Moshe grabbed his wrist to slip the gloves on him with a serious look on his face. Lu Yizhou did not know whether to laugh or cry. Was he a crippled who couldn't even wear gloves himself? He had no idea whether it was because Moshe had been a leader for too long but sometimes, he just gave off the vibes of a mother hen who fussed over his chicks. Lu Yizhou suspected that Moshe did not even realize what he was doing. Nevertheless, he obediently stayed still and let Moshe do his work.

"Done." He patted Lu Yizhou's palm twice in satisfaction, looking a little too smug for his own good. 

"What about you?" Lu Yizhou frowned when he did not see Moshe taking out another pair for himself.

"Me?" He shrugged. "Just a little cold. Why can't I bear it?"

"No." Lu Yizhou asserted in disapproval. "If you don't wear gloves, then don't think you can follow me in." He knew it sounded presumptous and judging from the incredulous look Moshe's men was giving him, he might even look suicidal with his pompous demand to their Boss. 

However, Lu Yizhou was nothing but persistent. He knew how cold Moshe's hands tended to be sometimes and from the time they slept together last night, he had confirmed that the chill also crept to the soles of his feet. He didn't want Moshe to get sick, as simple as that.

And oh, Moshe was not offended. Not at all. On the contrary, he threw his head back and laughed out loud, his golden eyes crinkled with genuine mirth, much to his men's consternation. He shook his head and then ordered one of the men to fetch another pair of gloves from the car. "I have really spoilt you too much, haven't I?"

Lu Yizhou only nodded in satisfaction after seeing Moshe's palms all wrapped and snuggly. "Let's go."

Moshe took the lead and waved to his men. "All of you, wait outside. Aiden and I will go in by ourselves. If there's a new development, notify me as quickly as possible."

"Yes, sir!"

Cold air mixed with the heavy stench of fish blasted Lu Yizhou's face as soon as the metal door swung open. The space inside was narrow and tall rolling racks were planted on both sides of the wall. Icicles formed on the ceiling and it was so cold that every breath Lu Yizhou exhaled morphed into mist. 

He couldn't help but feel amused. The temperature here must be below zero celsius degrees. To leave Hector here for half an hour, wouldn't that be the same as a slow torture? His lover was so brilliantly vicious.

Tied to a chair in the corner of the storage was a wheezing and half delirious Hector. As Lu Yizhou expected, frostbite had started to form on the man's skin. The blood on his body had solidified into crystals of crimson and his teeth chattered so loud that Lu Yizhou could hear it from meters away. 

Hector did not even lift his head as they approached. "Just… kill me…" he grunted out with difficulty.

Moshe snorted. His nose had started to turn pink due to the cold. Oh how Lu Yizhou wished he could cuddle the man and kiss the cold away from his face. "Do you honestly think we will do that, Mad Dog?" 

When they didn't receive any reaction other than weak chuckles, Moshe suddenly blurted out, "Your Master has regained consciousness last night, you know." 

This time Hector snapped his head up, bloodshot eyes peeking through his dampened mussed up hair. Moshe continued as if he did not see that."What a pity... You would have met him if you had just postponed your silly plan for a night. Do you know what your Master's reaction was when he found out you're missing?"

A growl was rising from Hector's throat but it was just akin to gasoline poured into Moshe's flame of delight. Foolish, Lu Yizhou mused, did he not know that Moshe took pleasure from other people's misery? The more Hector reacted, the more Moshe was visibly glowing. 

Moshe bent down to his waist so he could be eye-to-eye with Hector. He then whispered with an ever growing smile on his face. "He did not do anything. As soon as he knew you had sent yourself into my hands, he abandoned you without another thought. In other words, your Master has given up on you… poor dog."

Lu Yizhou caught the shift of Hector's lips and before the man could spit on Moshe's face, he deftly pulled Moshe back and placed an arm in front of him. Hector's spit ended up landing on Lu Yizhou's glove — the glove Moshe had personally put on him just a few minutes ago. 

Veins popped up on Lu Yizhou's forehead but before he could truly act on his anger, Moshe suddenly shoved him away and kicked the chair Hector was tied to! 

Bang! The chair, bringing Hector along with it, toppled to the ground. The man landed on his side with his cheek pressed against the cold floor. A grunt of pain escaped Hector's lips followed by another bout of small chuckles. 

"How dare you…" The smile had completely vanished from Moshe's face and he looked alarmingly livid. Without any mercy, he stepped on Hector's head and twisted his foot for good measure. "A mad dog without its owner is a wild, mad dog. It should be put down, don't you think so?"

"Moshe." Lu Yizhou hastily interjected before Moshe could crush Hector's skull like a watermelon. It wasn't like he did not feel anger at having his glove tarnished by this bastard's spit but looking at Moshe who was so adorably enraged in his stead, his anger went poof and disappeared without a trace. Lu Yizhou peeled off his glove before grabbing Moshe's elbow. "Moshe, you can't kill him. He's our source of information. You can do whatever you want with him after that, okay?" He coaxed in a gentle voice.

Moshe's expression was hard and cold. He gave Hector one last kick on his chest before stepping backward. "Hmph, you're lucky to be our informant. As for later…" He grinned with all teeth bared. "Well, no one can save you later."

"Shall we start?" Lu Yizhou checked.

When Moshe gave a grunt of approval, Lu Yizhou pulled Hector up by the collar until he was sitting up again. His hair got even more unkempt, a wild mess of tangled strands atop of his head. Lu Yizhou flicked his hand in disgust after letting go. Ugh, he should have wiped that spit-stained glove on Hector's face before taking it off. He eyed the abandoned glove on the ground with regret. Alas, even if his arm was being cut off, he was absolutely unwilling to pick it up again. 

Hector huffed out a hoarse laugh. "Your informant…? Has your head become so big that you can't hold it up anymore huh, Angel of Death?"

The corner of Moshe's eyes twitched in a way Lu Yizhou knew he did when he was irked. Lu Yizhou realized after being with Moshe these past few months that no one seemed to address Moshe by his infamous title 'Angel of Death' as though they were scared that they would summon Moshe to their side if they did. It couldn't be… did Moshe actually dislike his own title?

Before Lu Yizhou could ponder on it deeper, Moshe tipped his chin. "You said you have a way to extort information quickly from him? Start."

Hector was laughing out loud now. "Hah! No amount of torture will make me—"

"There's no need for torture… unfortunately. Look at me." Lu Yizhou's silver eyes quietly glowed crimson as the notification of 'Devil's Whisper' skill being active resounded in his mind. When Hector's laughter receded and his eyes turned dazed, Lu Yizhou showed a quiet smile of satisfaction. This skill was undoubtedly his favorite among all. "Good. Now you're going to answer whatever question Moshe asks you."

When Lu Yizhou turned to Moshe, he found the latter staring at him with his pupils blown wide and lips parted in awe. Ah, Lu Yizhou forgot to tell Moshe about this little transformation. Not that he could deny the pleasure that coursed through him at seeing how speechless Moshe was. 

The corner of Lu Yizhou's lips curled upward as he gave a little teasing bow. "For the next ten minutes, he is all yours," he added after some thoughts. "...Master."

***

Moshe did the questioning magnificently, covering all of the location of Cobalt Fang's important territory, their trade businesses, as well as some dirty secrets that should never be exposed to the light of the day. Certainly, Moshe's hands were not clean either, but at least he could say that he wouldn't do anything without a clear conscience. 

As for the Cobalt Fang Clan… from murder, extortion, prostitution, slavery, to human trafficking, they dipped their hands in everything so long as it could bring them money! 

Moshe's expression was grave by the time they exited the warehouse freezer, blood splattered across his body. One of the men stepped forward with a wet cloth but before Moshe could take it, Lu Yizhou had snatched it with lightning speed and wiped the blood on Moshe's face gently with it. 

His eerie yet captivating crimson eyes were no more. Such a pity, Moshe found himself thinking. It was not like Lu Yizhou's silver eyes were any less captivating but those crimson eyes though… it made him look like a devil incarnate. It should not be that hot, except it did. Moshe would like to have that pair of cold terrifying eyes on him once again. Fuck… he got goosebumps just by thinking about it. 

Moshe asked his men to distract himself from the increasingly improper thoughts. "Is there any new development?"

"Nothing so far, Boss." 

Hmm, it was unlike Zion to be so silent. What could he be planning? Moshe loathed this game of waiting and guessing the most. Now that they were finally standing on equal grounds, if his enemy wouldn't come to him, then he would just invite himself into their playing field. Like they said, the best defense was a good offense. 

"Alright, clean up the mess inside." He felt relaxed all over now that he had delivered a 'delicious' end for Hector. "Oh and one more thing, prepare Cruz's body too."

"W–What are you going to do to them, Boss?"

Moshe's lips stretched into a bright grin. "Let's send them to Cobalt Fang's doorsteps one by one. Should we start from Hector's head? What do you guys think?" 

Hearing that, everyone was reeling in shock. Moshe doing this was the same as openly declaring a war against Cobalt Fang! Goodness, had years of rivalry finally reached its peak and exploded? What had brought out such a change?!

Moshe could see the bafflement and astonishment in his men's eyes but currently, he was still riding high on adrenaline post torture, his blood was roaring and ready to vibrate out of his skin. He turned to Lu Yizhou and asked again, barely keeping the excitement off his voice. "What do you think?"

Lu Yizhou gave a soft, indulgent smile. "Of course, whatever Mr. Mo says is right."

Moshe harrumphed in disdain even though his chin was tilted an inch higher, satisfied. He still recalled Lu Yizhou's bold declaration earlier, "As long as I am here, you will not lose." Confident bastard, who gave him permission to be so steady, reliable and gorgeous at the same time? 

"Alright!" Moshe clapped twice to address his men. "After you clean up the mess here, disperse. I will send you all a location. Send a message to everyone and we will convene there in an hour. Dismissed!"

"Yes, sir!"1

Moshe started to lead Lu Yizhou back to the car. When he got in, he instantly took off his bloody shirt and tossed it haphazardly to the back, unwilling to have it on even for one more second. "Pass me another shirt, will—" He turned to see Lu Yizhou staring at his body intensely, his eyes darkened with intent. Oh…? Moshe paused and leaned forward, saying teasingly. "My eyes are up here, pet."

Lu Yizhou immediately snapped his gaze up to meet his amused one. Moshe snapped his fingers twice beside the man's ear, eyes dancing in mirth. It was not like Moshe was unaware of his own charm but to think that he could affect Lu Yizhou this much just by being shirtless… Should we start to go around like this when they were all alone? "Earth to Lu Yizhou. Where has your mind wandered to, huh?" 

"You…" Lu Yizhou's eyes darted around the car, a flicker of displeasure flashed through his eyes. "You should get dressed. The weather has been getting cold lately." He sat up to grab a spare shirt with a movement so fast that before Moshe could react, he had slipped the shirt through Moshe's arms and covered him up nicely.

Moshe let out a huff, amused and frustrated in equal measure. Lu Yizhou clearly desired him so what was holding him back? Was it because they were in a public space where everyone could see them? But the car's windows were tinted black! The driver had not even gotten in yet without Moshe's order! So why couldn't he just let loose and gobble Moshe up in a quickie? 

Well, was it not that unyielding self-control of his that made you fancy him more? A voice inside him whispered. What a traitor it was. 

Moshe rolled the window down enough to give his men a signal. Soon, someone took the driver's seat and drove them away from the warehouse. 

"So…" He broke the silence. He scooted closer to inspect Lu Yizhou's eyes so close that he almost got crossed eyed. But no matter how hard he looked, the crimson glow had vanished without a trace. He let out a sigh of pity and caressed Lu Yizhou's eyelids. "It's the same method you used to trick Zion into oblivion huh? Can you do it again?" 

Lu Yizhou gave him a look which said that he knew exactly what Moshe was up to. Moshe grinned. Sometimes it was really convenient to have someone who could understand you without saying anything. But to his disappointment, Lu Yizhou shook his head. "No. Only once in six hours."

Moshe frowned and counted the time. "Six hours?" By then he would be too busy dealing with those Cobalt Fang bastards. Where would he have the time to fully admire his pet's color-changing eyes? Moshe crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against Lu Yizhou's side, sighing. He had a lot of things he wanted to ask but… it was not suitable to do it where his men could hear.

"Where is Kaede?" Lu Yizhou suddenly asked.

"Hmm?" Moshe shifted so that he could look at Lu Yizhou's face but it ended up with his face mushed against the man's chest instead. Well, whatever. It was a good position anyway. "Why are you asking about him?"

"Just that…" Lu Yizhou sounded hesitant. 

Moshe frowned and sat up properly. "What?"

"He has always been by your side. But I haven't seen him at all today."

"Oh." Moshe suddenly recalled the original plot Lu Yizhou had told him. Zion would set up bombs all over his territory, destroying all he had and killing a lot of people, including Kaede. No wonder that Lu Yizhou got worried, especially at a time like this. "It's okay. I sent him to fetch Mr. Agenor. Today, I will have a dinner schedule with Mr. Agenor. In case someone intercepts it, I will have Kaede on standby."

Moshe believed in Kaede's capability and soon enough, he had thrown the topic to the back of his mind because he had a lot of matters to take care of. Strengthen the security in the perimeter, prepare the ammos, warn his men about the possibility of bombs in case Zion was crazy enough to attempt the same thing…

Time passed and the time of Moshe's scheduled dinner was arriving soon. He had arrived half an hour early at the five star restaurant on the top floor of The Void's famous hotel. He waited and waited… but up until fifteen minutes passed the appointed time, Mr. Agenor still hadn't shown up.

Dread coiled in his gut and chill seeped to his fingertips. He dialed Kaede's number and held the phone to his ear. The female mechanical voice recited out the lines of service unavailable and sent him straight to voicemail. Moshe hung up and clenched the phone tightly on his fist, his jaws ticking tensely.

That night, Kaede and Mr. Agenor were proclaimed missing. 

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