John was disturbed psychologically with lots of questions, "What do I have to do? Where am I going to be secured? I don't have to worry much so long as I am alive. I will deal with them properly!"
As John's mind raced with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, he walked back to the temporary apartment Tom had arranged for him. The words of the mysterious caller continued to echo in his head. Every step he took felt heavier, burdened with the weight of an unseen threat.
He entered the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor. As the elevator ascended, he forced himself to focus on the present. He couldn't afford to be paralyzed by fear. He needed to think clearly and plan his next move.
The doors opened with a soft chime, and John stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. The new apartment was at the end of the corridor, a temporary sanctuary amidst the chaos.
However, he reached the door, inserted the key, and entered. The apartment was sparsely furnished, with just the essentials: a bed, a small table, and a chair. John collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Honestly, a lot of thoughts danced at the back of his mind. John wondered what type of life was that? This was actually the hard moments for him and the toughest exam to tackle.
His phone buzzed again, jolting him back to reality. It was a message from Mike: {Hey John, heard about what happened. Are you okay? Call me when you can.}
John sighed for a moment and dialed Mike's number. After a few rings, Mike answered, his voice filled with concern. "John, what the hell is going on? I heard the news about your house being invaded."
"I don't know, Mike," John replied, his voice shaking. "Someone's after me. They trashed my house, and now they're threatening me. I have no idea why. Missing me, they almost killed my gateman."
Mike was silent for a moment, then spoke with determination. "We need to figure this out. You can't stay there alone. Come to my place; it's safer. In fact I have already tagged my location for you.We'll talk and come up with a plan."
John nodded, even though Mike couldn't see him. "Okay, I'll be there soon. Thanks, Mike."
Before leaving, John glanced around the apartment, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He picked up his wallet, keys, and a small backpack. As he left, he double-checked that the door was securely locked. He took the elevator down to the parking space, where his racing Honda motorcycle was parked.
The ride to Mike's place was tense. Every car that seemed to follow him, every shadow that moved, made his heart race. When he finally pulled into Mike's driveway, he felt a small measure of relief. Mike's house was a modest, two-story building in a quiet neighborhood. John dismounted the motorcycle, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.
Mike opened the door before John could knock. "Come in," he said, pulling John into a tight hug. "We'll get through this together."
They went to the living room, where Mike had already set up his laptop and a whiteboard. "We need to start by figuring out who could be behind this," Mike said, his tone business-like. "Do you have any enemies? Anyone who might want to hurt you?"
John thought for a moment. "I can't think of anyone. I've always kept to myself, focused on my investments and business. I've had disagreements, sure, but nothing serious enough to warrant this."
Mike frowned. "There has to be something. Maybe it's someone you don't even realize you've crossed."
John sighed, rubbing his temples. "I don't know, Mike. I just don't know. What I know is that I am innocent."
Mike tapped a few keys on his laptop, bringing up a list of John's recent business deals and personal contacts. "Let's go through these one by one. Maybe we'll find a clue," logging into John's google account."
Hours passed as they reviewed every detail of John's life. They found nothing that stood out, no obvious threats. Frustration mounted, and John felt the weight of his situation pressing down on him.
"We're missing something," Mike said, pacing the room. "There's got to be a connection we're not seeing."
John's phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from an unknown number: "Your time is running out, John. Enjoy your last moments."
John showed the message to Mike, who cursed under his breath. "They're toying with you. Trying to keep you scared and off-balance. However, we can't underate anything as per the looming situation."
John nodded, feeling a surge of anger. "Well, it's working. But we need to turn the tables. We need to find out who these people are and what it actually is."
Mike's eyes lit up with an idea. "What about hiring a private investigator? Someone who can dig into this deeper than we can. Don't worry about the payments, I will fully sort that out just waiting for your decision."
John considered it. "It's worth a shot. Do you know anyone?"
Mike nodded. "I have a friend, Olivia. She's one of the best in the business. I'll give her a call."
Within an hour, Olivia arrived. She was a beautiful young lady with sharp features and an air of confidence. She listened intently as John and Mike explained the situation.
"This is serious," Olivia said, her voice steady. "But I've handled worse. I'll start by looking into your recent activities and see if there's any pattern or clue we missed."
She set up her equipment in a corner of the room, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she began her investigation. "It might take some time," she warned. "But I'll find something."
John nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. "Thank you, Olivia. I appreciate it."
As Olivia worked, John and Mike tried to relax. They ordered pizza and sat in the living room, watching the news. John's story was all over the media, with reporters speculating about the motives behind the attack.
"Look at this," Mike said, pointing at the TV. "They're talking about your achievements in winning the mega tournament and your investment, saying you might have made some enemies in the business world."
John shook his head. "I never did anything shady. All my deals were above board."
Olivia looked up from her laptop. "Sometimes, that's enough. Jealousy and greed can drive people to do terrible things."
She turned the laptop towards John. "I found something interesting. There was a recent acquisition you made, a small automotive spare part store. The previous owner wasn't happy about it."
John frowned, trying to remember. "You mean the store? Yeah, the owner, George, was pretty upset. But it was a fair deal."
Olivia nodded. "He might not see it that way. I'll dig deeper into his background, see if there's any connection."
She continued her investigation. Sure! She uncovered a web of connections and motives that pointed to George and a few of his associates . It seemed they had harbored a deep grudge against John, blaming him for their financial troubles.
Immediately, Olivia gathered John and Mike. "I have something," she said. "George and his associates have been in contact with a known criminal organization. It looks like they hired them to scare you off, maybe even worse."
John felt a chill run down his spine. "So they're behind this?"
Olivia nodded. "It looks that way. But we need solid evidence before we can go to the authorities."
She pulled up surveillance photos and phone records, showing the connections. "I've arranged a meeting with one of my contacts in the organization. He might be willing to give us the proof we need."
John and Mike exchanged glances. "Are you sure about this?" Mike asked. "It sounds dangerous."
Olivia smiled faintly. "It is. But it's the best shot we have."
The following night, John, Mike, and Olivia drove to a secluded warehouse on the outskirts of town. Olivia's contact, a man named Leo, was waiting for them. He was a rugged-looking man with a scar running down his cheek.
"I don't usually do this," Leo said, his voice gruff. "But Olivia's a true friend. And I don't like what Rohit, George and his cronies are doing. I'll give you what you need, let's not waste time here for my security."
"What! Rohit? Did you hear that?" John turned to Mike.
"Yep, but calm, let's gather it first." Mike insisted on John.
Leo handed Olivia a flash drive. "This has recordings of their conversations, plans, everything. Use it wisely."
Olivia thanked him, and they left the warehouse. Back at Mike's house, they listened to the recordings. The evidence was damning, detailing Rohit's plans to ruin John's life completely.
"We've got them," Olivia said, her eyes gleaming and handing the flash to John. " You will take this to the police. They'll have no choice but to act. Use it wisely."