The racecourse was chaotic, with people running everywhere, trying to get away. The newcomers wore black uniforms and carried swords, and they marched like an enormous army, their expressions serious.
A luxury car accompanied them, but the windows were tinted, and no one could see inside.
Their footsteps shook the ground, and it was clear that nothing would be allowed to stand in their way.
"Where did they come from?" Micky asked, quivering with fear. He ran to report the situation to his boss.
Gregory, the leader of Micky's gang, had already heard the men coming. Now that the situation was escalating, he leaned forward to poke his head out of the car, revealing himself for the first time to the students his gang had been threatening. He was feeling anxious as he watched the reinforcements Alex and Debbie had secretly called for an advance toward him.
"What's going on?" someone asked. "Whose men are those?"
Everyone had questions, but no one could provide any answers. Whose side were these people on?
The sound of marching unnerved everyone present. Clearly, something had changed, but no one knew how things were going to unfold. Micky was quiet, almost subdued, and he didn't know what to do.
Everyone looked at Micky and Gregory, whose expressions made it obvious that these intruders were not their friends.
Excitement rippled through the crowd as they looked on, wondering what was happening.
Heidi realized that salvation had arrived, even though she had no idea who was responsible. It didn't really matter. Not as long as they helped.
The newcomers continued to march, each step bringing them closer.
Everyone gathered around, unable to take their eyes off the scene and keen to know what was going on.
The men in uniform approached Micky's men and roared, "Stay where you are."
The luxury car turned and stopped, and then Rufus Clinton got out, slammed the door closed, and walked over to Micky and Gregory.
"Gregory Price, as leader of this gang, you are responsible for their behavior," Rufus said, his tone icy. "And now the Clifton family is going to destroy you for what you have done. Do you have anything you'd like to say?"
Gregory gaped at him, trembling. He forced a smile and opened his mouth, about to speak.
Then the men in black uniforms all drew their swords, the grating sound loud and menacing.
"You're Rufus Clifton," Gregory said, finally realizing how much trouble he was in. "Mr. Clifton, I'm sure there must have been some misunderstanding."
Rufus snorted, and Gregory grew even more flustered. As for Micky, his arrogance had vanished. He stood there, shivering, too scared to say anything.
"Mr. Clifton, we'll do whatever you want," Gregory said. "But we haven't done anything wrong."
He tried his best to smile. He was afraid that if he said the wrong thing, then he would make things worse. He broke out in a cold sweat, and his men stared at him, stunned. If Rufus Clifton could terrify the leader of their gang like this, then what else was he capable of?
Although the members of the horse gang looked tough, they were nothing compared to the men Rufus had brought with him. It was like comparing grumpy kittens with savage tigers. The Cliftons' warriors were all enormous and well-trained men who were skilled martial artists.
Micky's men knew they were in trouble. They were clearly outmatched, and their chances of winning were practically zero.
Rufus ignored Gregory. His eyes swept over the crowd, finding Alex, but his expression didn't change.
Alex had said he didn't want people to be aware of his relationship with the Clifton family, and Rufus understood that.
Alex was amazed. He hadn't expected Rufus to pull together so many men so quickly.
When Rufus had heard about what was going on, he had dispatched his men straight away. The men already regarded Alex as their master, so they had jumped at the chance to be of service to him.
Even though they had suffered heavy damage recently, the Clifton family still controlled the Baltimore underworld. There was no doubt about that.
"You haven't done anything wrong?" Rufus asked, staring at Gregory. "That's interesting, because I heard that you've been threatening students and tourists, intending to rob them."
The students nodded. "Yes, that's right," one of them said.
Heidi ran out and pointed at Micky's men. "They tried to force me into sleeping with them."
Alex hid a smile, impressed by the woman's bravery.
Everyone crowded around, shouting out to Rufus, determined to be heard.
"Help us, Mr. Clifton."
"If you hadn't arrived, they would have killed us."
They knew if Rufus left, they would be in trouble again, and they were scared of what Micky might do to them.
The men in uniform glared at Micky's men.
The crowd could tell that Rufus wasn't a bad man, while Gregory and Micky were awful, so they choose to put their trust in Rufus.
Micky's people were angry, but they remained quiet.
Rufus glared at Gregory. "Don't even try to deny it," he said, scowling. "I know you've been very active recently. And I'm well aware that you've been acting against my family. So what do you have to say for yourself?"
"Mr. Clifton, I…" Gregory began, and then he trailed off. He realized that the Clifton family knew all about him. He had watched their struggles with great anticipation, hoping to see them fall. He should have known that even thinking about how much he wanted to see them fail would backfire on him somehow.
Gregory and Micky quaked with fear, aware of the Clifton family's reputation for seeking vengeance.
"Mr. Clifton, I promise I won't do it again!" Gregory said, begging for mercy. Standing beside him, Micky nodded his agreement.
They knew if they continued to act tough, then they would only make things worse for themselves.
"Did you ever spare a thought for your innocent victims?" Rufus asked. He turned to his men. "Tie them all up."
Several men in uniform stepped forward.