Early in the morning, Thomas walked out of the room, twisting his sore back, and saw Ronan exercising in the yard, wearing a baseball cap.
"Feeling better?" he asked as he approached.
Ronan rotated his arm and replied, "Much better."
The minor scratches and bruises were not a big deal. The most painful thing yesterday was the harm caused by the voodoo doll that was transferred to him, but after burning the flesh of the "Black Chick," and getting away from that area, the pain quickly dissipated.
Thomas looked Ronan over slightly and asked, "Are you really a bounty hunter?"
Having discussed their respective identities last night, Ronan didn't make up anything too far-fetched. After all, the father and son duo were indeed bounty hunters. "Of course, I'm chasing two scumbags. I tracked them all the way from California."
He saw their wanted notice on TV at Carter's place: "The Jekko Brothers - bank robbers who also kidnapped a female bank employee. One wears a suit with a tattoo on his neck, and the other is a bespectacled pervert with a severe foot fetish."
Upon hearing this, Thomas seemed to recall seeing the wanted notice.
Ronan continued, "Both the bank and the police have offered rewards for their capture."
Thomas nodded and said, "Good luck to you."
Ronan asked in return, "Are you really a priest?"
Thomas took out a business card and handed it to Ronan. "I'm a professional exorcist priest in Los Angeles. If you ever need help with exorcism, remember to find me first."
Ronan noted down the phone number and address and pocketed the card.
Suddenly, Thomas asked, "Which system and rank are you?" He spoke first to show sincerity, "I'm a priest of the church and haven't advanced yet."
Ronan didn't hesitate and said, "Private."
Thomas understood, "The first rank in the government military system. No wonder your marksmanship is so accurate."
Ronan gave a vague answer, "I got lucky and accidentally entered this system."
A taxi arrived, and Thomas pointed, "I'm heading back to Los Angeles. Good luck, friend!"
Ronan waved, "Have a safe journey!"
Thomas took a few steps forward, then turned back and advised, "Bounty hunter, the voodoo witch is after you. Be careful! With the new millennium, the magic that has been dormant for centuries is gradually resurging, and the anomalies will increase!"
He took out two bottles from yesterday and handed them to Ronan, saying, "Keep these; they might come in handy. They are special medicines from a big company, very expensive!"
"Thank you!" Ronan accepted the bottles, which turned out to be painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, and put them in his pocket.
Considering the encounters he had so far, just within the human realm, there were already a private, voodoo witch, and exorcist priest.
With the Dominion Tome in hand, he wouldn't be surprised to encounter gods in the future.
Ronan summoned the Dominion Tome, but unfortunately, the soul absorption ability was not obtained through thought manipulation...
Sometimes, things with a certain probability depended on one's luck.
Next, he checked the number of soul fragments, which were crucial items as they were heavily consumed during advancement and the use of Steel Claw.
After the battle at the quarry, most of the inventory and the harvest were used to set up flame traps.
From the battles at the Ugo Corn Processing Plant and last night, he gained and consumed some, leaving him with 52 fragments.
As the sun rose, Pedro came out of his room and invited Ronan to have breakfast together. He heard that Father Thomas had left early, and he felt a bit displeased about it.
He asked Ronan for Thomas's phone number and carefully saved it on his phone, just in case he needed it later.
Ronan also noted down Thomas's phone number and address. They were quite similar in their professions as both were professionals associated with the Church. The voodoo witch came from a church in downtown Los Angeles. Thomas had mentioned that real voodoo dolls required substances directly related to the target to transfer the self-inflicted injuries.
Among the memories brought by the soul fragments, there was a mention of a plant called "Horsewhip Weed."
Ronan could recall encountering Horsewhip Weed only once, at the Carter's gang community church.
On both sides, there were Black individuals, and there were rumors in Tijuana that the Carter gang had received support from a force in Los Angeles.
Was this force related to voodoo?
It wouldn't be difficult to find the answer. Ronan just needed a chance to go to Tijuana and ask Jim Carter.
Ronan noticed that there were more and more things he needed to do.
Pedro tapped the table, "What are you thinking about?"
Ronan put down his fork, looking troubled, "I'm thinking about what to do next. Mexico is so vast, and people are not easy to find. If I can't catch those criminals, this trip will be a waste."
Pedro remembered what Ronan had mentioned last night about being a bounty hunter and the wanted notice, "In this line of work, it's laborious and thankless. Tijuana can't compare to the big cities in the United States, but it still has over seven hundred thousand people. It's tough to find two fugitives."
Ronan feigned helplessness, "Other than fighting and killing, I don't know what else I can do."
After witnessing Ronan's marksmanship, reflexes, and skills multiple times last night, Pedro admired him and said, "You're wasting your talent in this line of work! The income is not much, and it's not stable. How about I introduce you to a job?"
He became more convinced that it would be a good fit, "Brown, we have a life-and-death friendship. You've saved my life more than once. I know your abilities, and you're perfect for it! The income is stable, the job is relaxed, and the annual salary is two hundred thousand dollars!"
Ronan smiled, "Don't joke with me. If such a job really existed, would I still be a hardworking bounty hunter, earning money the hard way?"
Pedro wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, "I mentioned last night that I'm an entertainment agent. Do you know who I'm an agent for?"
Ronan teased, "It can't be a Hollywood superstar, can it?"
Pedro laughed, "Jessica! Sweetheart Jessica from Mexico! She has a large number of fans in the United States too!"
Ronan looked surprised and stared at Pedro for a moment, "Really?"
Pedro opened his flip phone and showed Ronan several photos of himself with Jessica, showing that they were close.
Ronan scrutinized Pedro, "You're not trying to hire me as a bodyguard, are you?"
Pedro nodded, "Yes! A bodyguard! Jessica has always asked me to find capable and trustworthy bodyguards!"
As a public figure, Jessica needed protection, and Pedro's concern was to prevent anyone from making a move on her secretly.
People like the ones from the other side wouldn't be enough for him to deal with even if they came in a group.
Ronan scratched his head, lost in thought.
Pedro said, "Come with me to meet Jessica first. She's gentle and treats people extremely well, unlike the arrogant Hollywood stars."
Ronan nodded slowly, "Let's see how it goes. If it's not suitable, I'll leave."
Pedro chuckled, "It's a two-way choice." He took out his phone and made a call, "Where are you guys? Shooting a TV program? I'm back, I'll come over in a while."
The unexpected events from last night had made the situation smoother than Ronan had anticipated. Through Jessica, there was a chance to find Antonio Garcia.
After having breakfast, Pedro drove Ronan to the downtown mall to buy some new clothes. They had to wait until mid-morning to go to the TV station since Jessica was busy recording her show.
...
On the northern side of Tijuana, in a luxurious suite inside a hotel, people were coming and going.
Matt Graves stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the barely visible TV tower, waiting for the latest news.
Alessandro had both feet on a stool, holding a small file and gently filing his long nails. He said, "You're in a hurry."
Matt turned to look at him, "Just received a message from above. Half a month ago, Antonio was seen in the Middle East, in contact with terrorist forces. Yesterday, the Mexican customs seized a smuggling boat with fanatical terrorists onboard. They were secretly interrogated by an expert in interrogation, and they were trained as human bombs!"
Alessandro, not being an American, smiled and said, "Interesting. You bombed their homeland, and now they plan to use the Garcia Group's channels to strike back at your homeland."
Matt kicked the stool away, "This is not a laughing matter. Hundreds of Americans may die!"
Alessandro shrugged. He originally wanted to say that many times more people had died on their side, but seeing Matt's serious expression, he refrained from saying it.
James hurriedly entered the room, saying, "Matt, the Trojans' people are in position. They bribed the TV station's security guards, and they will join the fans and enter the parking lot together. They'll leave information from the Jose Group!"
Matt emphasized, "Jessica must stay alive! Remember, she must stay alive!"
This time, not only did he want to ignite a war between the Garcia Group and the Jose Group, but he also wanted to use Jessica to force Antonio Garcia to show up.
CIA-raised dogs turned against their masters and even bared their teeth!
James checked his watch, "I'll go to the rendezvous point now. The tactical team from the U.S. will be here soon. They'll bring Jessica, and I'll take her immediately, cross the border, and return to El Centro."
Matt said, "Go."
James put on his brown sunglasses and quickly left the room, heading to meet the tactical team newly assigned from the United States.
A young man approached, holding a phone, and handed it to Matt. Seeing Alessandro's long nails, he curiously asked, "Does keeping long nails make it easier to shoot?"
Alessandro tilted his head and looked at him, "Having long nails has its uses."
The young man didn't say anything else and went back to his own work.
Alessandro had some dark sweat hair growing on his arm. He pulled it out forcefully, took out a lighter, and burned it, muttering, "Such a nuisance, they keep growing."
...
At the Tijuana TV station, there were many people gathered today, especially young people.
Hundreds of fans gathered outside the TV station's parking lot, just to catch a glimpse of their idol.
Today, news had spread that Jessica, who had been living a reclusive life since arriving in Tijuana, was recording a program at the TV station, and fans flocked there immediately.
With so many people, the TV station's management had already closed the parking lot with wire fences to prevent the situation from getting out of control.
"Jessica! Jessica..."
Fans held various signs and chanted in unison.
No one noticed that many people under their coats were concealing something.
There were also more cars on the roadside.
From the recording studio of the TV station, a group of seven or eight people came out and walked towards the parking lot.
The leader of the Trojans, Trello, personally attended and sat in the front passenger seat of a car. He took out his phone and dialed a number. When the call connected on the other end, he said, "Open the gate!"
In the security booth, two security guards glanced at each other, took out the keys, and opened the gate. Then they sprinted to a spot where they could dodge bullets!
The gate suddenly opened, and the fans were momentarily stunned. Then they saw Jessica walking into the parking lot. Excited, they rushed over, shouting towards her direction.
Hello everyone,
If you enjoy reading this novel and want to read 5 Chapters ahead of schedule, then please join my Patreon.
Or Consider donating! at Paypal or Ko-fi.
Your support is greatly appreciated