C303 The Harris Family

Natalie slowly regained consciousness. A sharp pain throbbed at the back of her head as she tried to move, only to realize that both her hands and feet were tightly bound. Beside her, Justine was tied up in the same way, still unconscious. A few feet away, her mother, Penelope, lay motionless on the floor. Fear immediately filled Natalie's heart. "Mom..." She struggled against the ropes. "Mom!"

Her voice grew louder as panic set in. "What did we do to deserve this?" "My mother is sick! Don't you even care about the elderly?" No one answered her. Only then did she notice the constant vibration beneath her body and the low roar surrounding them. She slowly looked around. Rows of seats... Small windows... The steady hum of engines... Her face instantly turned pale. "We're... on a plane?" She looked at the men dressed in black sitting nearby. "Where are you taking us?"

One of the men stood up calmly before walking over to her. Without saying a word, he shoved a cloth into her mouth and tightened it behind her head. "Noisy." Natalie could only glare at him helplessly as tears rolled down her cheeks. She turned her eyes toward her unconscious mother. Please... let her be alright... The rest of the journey passed in complete silence. The aircraft landed at a private airstrip in Ireland. The doors opened. The men roughly carried the three captives into waiting vehicles. None of them knew where they were going.

After another drive, the convoy entered a heavily guarded estate surrounded by dense forest. Outside the mansion, a middle-aged man relaxed comfortably in the sunshine, sipping coffee as though he had not a single worry in the world. It was Willy Harris. The moment his eyes landed on the captives, his relaxed expression disappeared. "You fools!" His voice exploded across the courtyard. "Why didn't you cover their faces?" "They've seen where I live!"

Brian looked confused. "Boss... does it matter?" "They're going to die anyway." Willy shot him a cold glare. "Idiot." Natalie and Justine had both regained consciousness by then. Although their mouths were covered, tears streamed uncontrollably down their faces. Neither of them had expected things to become this serious. Willy looked at them for a long moment before waving his hand dismissively. "Fine." "Take them away." He paused. A cruel smile slowly appeared on his face. "No..." "We'll send a message."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a can of black spray paint. Throwing it toward Brian, he said calmly, "Write the word 'SCAMMERS' across their faces." "Then kill them." "And dump the bodies outside the mall." Brian caught the spray can and nodded. "Yes, Boss." He immediately signaled the men behind him. "Take them." Natalie's entire body trembled. "Scammers...?" Her mind raced. Ben... Could it really be because of Ben? No... He can't possibly hate us enough to have us killed...

She desperately tried to scream, but the cloth in her mouth swallowed every sound. Within minutes, the vehicle carrying the three captives disappeared beyond the estate gates. None of them ever returned alive. Later that afternoon... A black van quietly stopped outside a busy shopping mall. The rear doors opened briefly. Three lifeless bodies were dumped beside the roadside before the vehicle sped away without attracting attention. Written across each face in large black letters was a single word. SCAMMERS.

Back at the Wood residence... Sarah had just returned home. The moment she entered the living room, she stopped. Everyone was already there watching tv. Kelvin... Tracy... Ben... Samantha... They were all sitting quietly, almost as though they had been waiting for her. Sarah blinked in surprise. "Were... were you all waiting for me?" "I never told anyone what time I'd be coming home." Kelvin smiled faintly. "How could we possibly relax after what you told us yesterday?" "We've been waiting ever since breakfast."

Ben looked from one person to another in confusion. "What exactly is going on?" "What did Sarah tell everyone?" Samantha stood up and hugged Sarah. "Welcome back." "Did you enjoy your outing?" Sarah smiled. "I did." She looked around the room before her expression gradually became serious. "But... we need to talk." Samantha immediately noticed the change in her tone. "What happened?"

Sarah slowly sat down. "We will talk about that later right now.." "The information I have is finally complete." Tracy leaned forward anxiously. "You know the whole story now?" Sarah nodded. "Yes." She looked directly at Kelvin. "Dad..." "I'm certain now." "It really is Jack's family." The room instantly fell silent. Ben frowned. "What does Jack have to do with this?" Sarah turned toward him. "Brother..." "Do you remember when Dad warned you to stay away from Jack?"

Ben nodded slowly. Sarah took a deep breath. "The Harris family..." "They're the people behind one of Scotland's biggest drug syndicates." Ben's expression froze. "What...?" Sarah continued. "Alicia told us her mother was murdered by the Harris family years ago." "They've returned." "And now they're preparing for another confrontation." Tracy's face turned pale. "Wait..." "Mark Mooney's wife?" "I remember the newspapers saying she died in a car accident." Sarah slowly shook her head. "That wasn't the whole truth."

Kelvin remained silent. "Continue." Sarah nodded. "Mike showed Chris and me a video." "It showed armed members of the Harris family surrounding his old home." "They were carrying assault rifles." "They looked... terrifying." Samantha covered her mouth. "They actually have weapons?" Sarah nodded. "Fortunately, Mike's parents had already moved into the Mooney estate." "So no one was hurt." "But the Mooney family believes war is coming." "They're preparing themselves."

Kelvin's eyes slowly shifted toward Ben. His voice became unusually heavy. "Son..." "I warned you about Jack." "You insisted on becoming his friend." "I hope you still understand what you're getting yourself involved in." Ben lowered his head. His thoughts immediately returned to Jack. So... he's really one of them? Sarah looked back at her father. "Dad..." "You clearly know something." "Please tell me." Kelvin remained quiet. "Not now."

Sarah refused to give up. "Dad..." "Please." "I need to know." "Alicia is my friend." "I'm married to Chris, who is one of their closest friends." "If this turns into a war..." "It could affect all of us." Kelvin closed his eyes for several seconds before letting out a long sigh. "Fine." "I'll tell you what I know." "When I was your age..." "Peter Mooney was Scotland's most famous Special Investigator." "His name appeared in newspapers almost every week." "He was the officer everyone admired." "He solved countless difficult cases." "But the biggest one..." "...was the Harris family investigation."

Everyone listened silently. Kelvin continued, "Peter gathered enough evidence to bring down one of the Harris family's most important members." "The trial lasted months." "In the end..." "The court sentenced that man to death." "The Harris family never accepted that judgment." "They swore revenge." He paused before looking at Sarah again. "If what you said is true..." "If Alicia's mother was really murdered by them..." "Then they eventually carried out that revenge."

He frowned deeply. "But one thing still doesn't make sense." "After those events..." "The Harris family disappeared." "They lived in seclusion for years." "So..." He looked around at everyone. "Why have they suddenly returned now?"