In an isolated location near the ports, a young woman was thrown out of a car and forced to kneel, with a blindfold blocking her view. As the blindfold was taken off, her gaze fell upon a man who, in a split second, revealed his identity.

She squinted her eyes to finally see what she was looking at. It took her but an instant to recognize the figure that stood before her.

???:

*Sigh*

Lena Hertford:

"Mister Northwood...?"

Kade Northwood:

"I'm really disappointed, Lena, I really am."

Amidst their small talk, three mysterious men with their faces hidden by ski-masks, were waiting near a broken-down vehicle.

Despite its condition, the car was still capable of functioning because the lights in the car were still on. It appeared that they were planning to destroy the vehicle after they take Lena's body.

Kade Northwood held a pistol in one hand and a suppressor in the other, started attaching the suppressor to the gun as he spoke.

Kade Northwood:

"Word around says that you could ruin everything I've built, tch tch."

"You just had to do it, didnt you? Maybe if you weren't such a curious-"

Lena Hertford:

"You piece of sh##! Those poor people! How could you do that to them?! They did nothing-"

Kade Northwood:

"Their existence is what made their deaths deserving. They did nothing other than to beg and leech off of hard-working and honest people."

Lena Hertford:

"You're a monster–"

Kade Northwood:

"Jeez, you're just like the rest, plain stupid. But I guess you'll remain so, even when you're dead."

"If it is that hard to comprehend such a simple thought, then maybe I've overestimated you."

Lena Hertford:

"I can't believe you take yourself to be some sort of savior, you're an actual psychopath–"

He'd insert and load a mag into the suppressed pistol, he lifts and pointed the barrel of the gun on Lena's forehead.

Lena was in a state of shock and fear

unable to properly breathe nor talk.

Kade Northwood:

"I see alot of value in a womans strength, and you were the epitome of it."

"But your compassion for the weak, was what made you weak aswell."

*Gun clicks*

"What a waste."

In the depth of the night, the bloodcurdling screams were the only sounds made, before quickly turning silent.

Kade's mind was in a state of hyperfocus due to the thrill and excitement of his kill. It was evident in the way he stuck his tongue out and his wide eyed crazed smile. And with anticipation, he exhaled sharply and watched the life from Lena's eyes disappear.

Kade Northwood placed the suppressed pistol into a plastic bag along with his plastic gloves and threw them into the ocean. He watched as the bag sank below the surface, vanishing into the darkness.

One of the masked men exhaled as he slowly walked towards Kade.

Masked Man #1:

"I'll never get used to that... thing you do."

"It's still freaky, ya' know?"

Kade grabbed the mans arm and placed the four huge rolls of cash onto the masked man's open hand, the weight of which was as heavy as the sins of a thousand men.

Kade Northwood:

"Sorry for the tongue, it's a terrible impulse of mine."

The masked man grinned through his mask with satisfaction, his eyes betraying a deep-seated lust for riches.

Masked Man #1:

"Hell, I don't care how many times you do that, atleast I'm getting something good here, unlike her."

The two men disturbingly share a laugh before parting ways to their separate vehicles.

Masked Man #1:

"See you next time, Kade."

Kade Northwood:

"It's a pleasure like always."

Both men entered their vehicles and drove away from the scene.

Minutes later upon returning home, he took his clothes off and enters the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror.

Kade Northwood, a tall middle-aged man, possessed a fit physique. His blond hair, tinged with gray, was slicked back, accompanied by a well-maintained stubble.

Despite his dark brown eyes, there was an unsettling emptiness within them, depriving him of the human essence.

Kade Northwood(INT):

"I've never wondered about the fate of those who've crossed me; the outcome was already clear, as cruel as it may seem."

"I call three trusted men to kidnap my target, so I can finish them off myself. They then take the victims body and ships them to an island where the wealthy, influential, and the powerful all gather in for their "meetings"..."

The images of the "meeting" in the island flashed through his mind, so many known celebrities, politicians, and world leaders all in one island... and all of them were sick people.

Kade Northwood:

"I wouldn't say I feel bad though, but I'd be lying if I didn't find it disgusting knowing what the island does to the bodies when they're shipped to them."

"But I guess that doesn't make me any better than those 'people'."

Stepping into the soothing embrace of the shower, he allowed the water to wash his body while his mind dwelled on the intricate workings of the business he co-piloted with his closest friend, Heiden Lathers.

Kade Northwood(MRY):

Young Heiden Lathers;

"We're gonna make it out big one day, Kade! I can feel it!"

Young Kade Northwood;

"Yeah yeah yeah, stop getting all jumpy like that, idiot..."

Among the circle of trust, Kade reserved a unique place for Heiden. The both going through hell and back, forging a resilient bond as they built and sustained their business through thick and thin.

Kade Northwood(INT):

"If it takes a huge pain to remove what I don't like."

"Then does that really make me that bad of a person? Does killing off the distractive filth and those who help it, make my actions unnecessary?"

"I see more to it as a miraculous cure than unneeded malevolence."

"But I guess people, nowadays are too ignorant to understand..."

Timeskip(1 Day Later...)

Kade Northwood stood atop the building of N&L Investments, taking in the fresh air and breeze of the city. He looked down at the smog clouds that covered the streets below, he gave the smog of New York a name;

The enveloping malodorous of poverty.

???:

"Of course you'd be up here, Kade."

Kade turned his head after hearing that familiar soft voice, and he softly smirked as he turned back to look down at the city.

Heiden Lathers, a middle-aged man, possessed a somewhat youthful appearance, standing at an average height with a slender build. His salt-and-pepper hair, fashioned in an Ivy League cut, complemented by his warm and friendly amber eyes.

Heiden Lathers:

"You're always up here. You know you have an office for you to sit in, right?"

Kade Northwood:

"The breeze up here is alot nicer than down there."

Heiden Lathers:

"...You still have an office, goofy."

Kade scoffed but not in an irritated way, the two looked at eachother before chuckling and going silent.

Heiden Lathers:

"Did you hear about Lena going missing? Y'know, the girl you hired four months ago?"

Kade Northwood:

"Yeah, I did."

"It's a sad sight to see how far people will go to do these kinds of things to people."

"Truly despicable."

Heiden Lathers:

"She was a nice young lady too..."

"I paid her parents and family a visit the moment she was stated as missing."

"I feel awful for her parents, they seemed just as nice as Lena was."

"I saw her walking around the office with a frantic look on her face just yesterday." "She seemed so distraught, as if she saw a ghost."

Kade quickly glances at Heiden, he shifts his stance, tightens his tie and sighs.

Heiden Lathers:

"It's just strange, one day someone's walking around going to work alive, and then–"

Kade Northwood:

"Nothing."

Heiden sighs and shook his head in sadness and exhaustion. He was tired of seeing the endless deaths and people going missing in New York.

Heiden Lathers:

"People just... disappear."

"Just like that."

"It's eerie, very eerie, huh?"

"If only I could've just told her what was wrong... and maybe I would've saved her from what would happen to her."

The both sighed and share a moment of silence as they both looked down at the city, before a door suddenly opens behind them.

???:

"Mr. Northwood and Mr. Lathers, you both are needed."

Heiden taps Kade on his shoulder, turns around and walks towards the open door,

Kade follows behind.

Kade Northwood:

"It's okay, Heidi."

"It was out of your reach, no one could've predicted what happened to Lena."

"But I'm telling you, Heidi. Everyone is doing all they can to find Lena, and hopefully..."

"She isn't dead."