326-328

Chapter 326: A Bizarre Case 

Seattle sits on the northwest Pacific coast of Washington State, the biggest city in the state. It’s home to a ton of high-tech companies and boasts some pretty sweet environmental perks, making it the 18th largest city in the U.S. 

But when Roy rolled into Seattle, it was 3 or 4 a.m., so there wasn’t much scenery to catch. 

Of course, Seattle wasn’t their final stop. They were headed to a small town called Ravensfall, tucked at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in eastern Washington. 

The four witches from the Apocalypse Coven had gone wild on the plane, and now they were all passed out cold. Roy and Jennifer spent a good chunk of time getting them dressed and loaded into the car. 

Good thing the private jet’s crew and passenger areas were separate, with solid soundproofing. Otherwise, the ruckus from their that party would’ve definitely been busted by the staff. 

In this state, they couldn’t keep traveling, so Roy booked a hotel near the airport. The hotel staff thought they were a bit odd—some even considered calling the cops. 

Roy had to flash his FEA badge to prove he was an agent, which smoothed things over for the night. 

After all that, Roy collapsed onto the couch in a total Ge You slouch, utterly wiped. 

Mainly because yesterday’s high-intensity underwater battle with the demon queen had drained him, though the late-night “thousand-mile dash” wasn’t too bad. 

Jennifer was just as beat, curled up in Roy’s arm on the couch. 

“Should’ve brought Niddy instead of those four,” she mumbled. 

Jennifer was starting to see her mistake. The four Apocalypse witches had grown a bit, but in some ways, they hadn’t changed much. 

She’d invited Niddy, but the gamer girl was obsessed with a new game and stayed home to play. 

“If we didn’t bring them, they’d sneak after us, and that’d be more trouble,” Roy said. 

The Apocalypse Coven girls weren’t exactly angels, especially Madison and Maria as a duo. 

Madison’s fearless, up for anything. 

Maria’s the queen of bad ideas, always egging Madison on with some wild scheme. 

Zoe seems like a good kid, but deep down, she’s got a wild streak—she just hides it. So when Madison and Maria stir up trouble, Zoe usually goes along with it, half-reluctantly. 

In the end, Carrie’s the only real “good girl” in the group. 

But Carrie’s super passive. If you don’t tell her to do something, she won’t. Unless you specifically ask her to stop the other girls from joining Jennifer’s mission, she’ll just sit there. 

And even then, Madison and Maria might talk her into it with their twisted logic. Carrie’s easily swayed. 

Roy glanced at the time—4 a.m. 

“Jennifer, let’s crash.” 

The bed was taken by the four witches, so Roy and Jennifer made do on the couch. 

Jennifer didn’t mind, though. The tight space meant she could snuggle up with Roy. 

Breathing in his scent put her in a great mood. 

“Mhm,” she hummed, resting on Roy’s solid chest. His steady heartbeat was like ASMR, lulling her to sleep fast. 

Roy, smelling Jennifer’s hair, drifted off too. 

Around noon, everyone started waking up. 

The four witches were all chipper, their chatter waking Roy and Jennifer. 

The six grabbed a quick bite at the hotel and set off for Ravensfall. 

Their ride? Transformers. The five girls piled into Bumblebee, while Roy rode Crowleya. 

Since Google Maps didn’t exist yet, and Ravensfall was pretty remote, the online map only gave a rough location. They had to wing it. 

The U.S. is full of small towns like this. As cities grow, these places get abandoned, turning into natural haunted house spots for explorers. 

At dusk, they passed through a small city. The group decided to grab dinner and ask around about Ravensfall. 

“Ravensfall? Never heard of it. Some backwater spot? You might wanna check with the police,” a waiter said. 

They asked several servers at the restaurant, but no one knew Ravensfall. Some suggested hitting up the police station. 

“Roy, that’s not a bad idea,” Jennifer said. “If the online map’s right, Ravensfall’s near this city. The cops should know how to get there.” 

Unlike some places, Americans don’t usually go to the police for help, but Roy’s official badge meant they’d likely lend a hand. 

“Let’s finish dinner and head to the station,” Roy said. 

The city was about the size of New Centralia in Maine, with maybe 100,000 people, so the police station was small. 

Roy walking in with five gorgeous women turned heads at the station. 

He went straight to the front desk and showed his badge. 

“I’m Roy Black, FEA agent. I’m working a case and need to get to Ravensfall. Anyone here know the place?” 

The desk clerk got all starry-eyed at Roy’s face until Jennifer coughed a few times to snap her out of it. 

“Ravensfall? Never heard of that town! Hang on, can I see your badge again?” 

Roy handed it over. The clerk didn’t recognize the FEA but made a quick call to confirm. 

A middle-aged man came out. 

“Where’s the FEA agent?” 

“That’s me,” Roy said. 

The guy looked at Roy, surprised, probably because Roy seemed young and movie-star handsome, not like a typical agent. 

After checking Roy’s badge, he nodded. 

“Hi, I’m Sheriff Hoffman.” 

“Roy Black.” 

They shook hands, but Hoffman paused, like something clicked. 

“Wait, you look familiar. You’re not…?” 

Roy quickly gestured for quiet. 

“Let’s talk somewhere private.” 

“My office is quiet,” Hoffman said, grinning. 

He led Roy and the five women to his office, closed the door, and immediately pulled out a notebook. 

“Mr. Black, can I get an autograph?” 

Turns out, Hoffman was a boxing fan. 

No surprise there—boxing’s the fourth-biggest sport in the U.S., especially among middle-aged white guys like Hoffman. 

After getting the autograph, Hoffman gushed about Roy’s Olympic performance. 

Roy regretted not wearing Niddy’s nerdy glasses to the station, but the FEA badge had his real photo. Glasses would’ve made him unrecognizable. 

“Ahem! Sheriff Hoffman, let’s get to business,” Roy said. 

Hoffman snapped back, but then made another wrong assumption. 

“Right! The case is priority. I didn’t expect you so soon, though. I only reported it tonight, and you’re already here. Are these young ladies FEA agents too?” 

He eyed the five women curiously. 

The four Apocalypse girls looked like college students, not law enforcement. Jennifer seemed sharp, but her youthful face didn’t scream “agent” either. 

Roy was confused. “What case?” 

“You’re not here for the case?” 

“No, I’m just asking about Ravensfall’s exact location.” 

Hoffman realized he’d made a huge mistake. 

Here’s the deal: earlier that evening, a bizarre murder happened in town, so Sheriff Hoffman reported it to the FEA. 

When the desk clerk called him, he didn’t listen closely—heard “FEA” and rushed out. 

“My bad, my bad!” Hoffman said. 

Madison, standing in the back, got curious. 

“Can you tell us about this weird case?” 

“Sure! Tonight, a young guy reported his wife was murdered in their apartment. When my team got there, the victim was on the bed, covered in wounds, mouth wide open, but her tongue was gone. 

“We checked the scene. There were signs of a struggle, but no trace of a break-in. So we suspected the guy who called it in, but he had a solid alibi. He was at a flower shop buying flowers when she died. Unless he can teleport or clone himself, he couldn’t have done it. 

“The case felt too strange, so I sent it to the FEA.” 

Pretty weird, alright. No signs of forced entry, and the only suspect had a airtight alibi. 

This kind of case would stand out even in a Detective Conan episode. 

But the victim’s death sounded oddly familiar to Roy. 

“Could the killer have hidden in the apartment, then slipped out while the guy was shocked by the body?” Maria piped up, raising her hand. She seemed super into this murder mystery, probably a detective story fan. 

“Ma’am, we considered that,” Hoffman said. “We checked everything. It rained that night, and the suspect left a ton of rainwater at the door when he came in. Unless the killer could fly, they’d leave footprints too. But the only prints at the door were the suspect’s.” 

With modern forensics, pulling off a perfect crime is tough. If the police dig hard enough, they’ll find something. 

“The weirdest part? The suspect swears the case is tied to a puppet delivered to their home today. In his hometown, puppets are a symbol of death and bad omens. Oh, and get this—he’s from Ravensfall. What a coincidence!” 

Roy and Jennifer exchanged a look. That was too much of a coincidence. 

“Sheriff Hoffman, can we meet this suspect?” Roy asked. 

Hoffman hesitated. Roy wasn’t assigned to this case or a lawyer, so technically, he shouldn’t see the suspect. 

But Hoffman was a boxing fan, so he caved. 

“Alright, but too many of you. Only two can go.” 

Roy and Jennifer followed Hoffman to see the suspect, while the others waited in the lobby. 

“Jamie Ashen?” Roy asked. 

“That’s me. I’ve said everything. I just want some peace. Why drag me out again?”  

Jamie Ashen was a decent-looking young guy, his face heavy with grief, clearly still torn up over his wife’s death. 

He didn’t seem like the “kill your wife to prove a point” type, but you never know. 

Some real-life killers deeply love their victims but still murder them. 

Hoffman tapped the table. 

“Jamie Ashen, until this case is fully investigated, you’re a suspect. The police can question you anytime.” 

In work mode, Hoffman dropped the friendly vibe, exuding the intimidating aura of a seasoned detective. 

But the grieving Jamie didn’t seem to care, looking almost sickly. 

“Sheriff Hoffman, let me take it from here,” Roy said, pulling a chair up to Jamie. 

“Mr. Ashen, I hear you’re from Ravensfall?” 

At the mention of the name, Jamie finally looked up, his eyes glinting strangely. 

“Why do you ask?” 

“I’m an agent with the Federal Emergency Agency, working a case that requires a trip to Ravensfall. Can you share its exact location?” 

Jamie’s face twisted with conflict, like Ravensfall brought back bad memories. 

“If I were you, I’d steer clear of that cursed place.” 

(Bet you’ve guessed it’s Silent Hill vibes, right?) 

Chapter 327: Dead Silence 

Looks like this guy really is from Ravensfair! 

Roy and Jennifer exchanged a glance, and Jennifer continued questioning. 

“Mr. Ashen, we’re on a mission and need to head to Ravensfair. Please cooperate with us.” 

Jamie Ashen wasn’t too difficult to deal with and quickly gave in. 

“Alright, do you have a map? I can mark Ravensfair’s exact location for you.” 

Roy handed over the map he carried, and Jamie circled a spot with a pen. 

“It’s roughly around here.” 

Then Roy asked another question. 

“Mr. Ashen, thank you for your help. Have you ever heard of someone named Mary Shaw?” 

Jamie’s face changed, and he began reciting a poem: 

“Beware the stare of Mary Shaw; 

She has no children, only dolls; 

If you see her, don’t scream or shout; 

Or she’ll rip your mouth and tear your tongue out.” 

Hearing the poem, a memory surfaced in Roy’s mind. 

Holy crap! Isn’t this from James Wan’s biggest flop, Dead Silence? 

Dead Silence was the film James Wan made after leaving Lionsgate, teaming up again with writer Leigh Whannell. It was Wan’s first stab at psychological horror. 

The movie wasn’t a box office hit, probably because its style was such a departure from Wan’s earlier Saw films. While Saw used narrative tricks, it was still a classic American gorefest. Dead Silence, on the other hand, had minimal blood and leaned hard into psychological terror. 

Though it flopped, the film laid the groundwork for Wan’s later hits like Insidious and The Conjuring. Plus, it actually has a pretty solid rep online in Chinese-speaking communities. 

Fun fact: Leigh Whannell, the writer, later directed The Invisible Man. 

No wonder Mary Shaw’s name sounded familiar to Roy. But in America, having the same name is super common—especially a name like Mary. Yell “Mary” on the street, and a dozen heads will turn. 

Roy recalled the plot of Dead Silence. In the movie, Mary Shaw was a ventriloquist and puppeteer who performed with her handmade dolls. Around the 1940s, she was accused of kidnapping and murdering a young boy, and the enraged residents of Ravensfair killed her. 

The townsfolk tortured her, forcing her to scream, and tore out her tongue. To prevent her from returning for revenge, they buried her with all her dolls. 

Ravensfair stayed quiet for decades until, just before the movie’s events, Mary Shaw somehow returned as a vengeful spirit. 

[Note to readers: Bookmark our domain, 101kan.com] 

That was the movie’s plot. In this world, things were likely different. 

Mary Shaw was a documented witch in the Witches’ Union. Unless her witch talents were as weak as Zoe’s, she wouldn’t have been easily caught and tortured by ordinary townsfolk. 

Roy figured there must’ve been some capable people in Ravensfair back then who discovered her identity and possibly called in Church demon hunters for help. In those days, America was still pretty conservative, and remote areas often persecuted witches. 

“You know Mary Shaw?” Jennifer asked, looking excited. 

But Jamie shook his head. “I don’t know any Mary Shaw. Hearing the name just reminded me of that poem my mom used to sing to me when I was a kid.” 

Mentioning his mother made Jamie visibly sadder. 

Jennifer studied his expression and felt he wasn’t lying. He genuinely seemed unaware of Mary Shaw. 

Roy patted her shoulder. “He’s probably telling the truth. I’m guessing Mary Shaw’s long dead.” 

Jennifer looked at Roy in shock, and it seemed like Lilith, inside her, was about to burst out. 

“Dead? How? Then isn’t this trip a waste?” 

Roy patted her head to calm her, mainly to soothe Lilith’s emotions. Lilith was banking on Mary Shaw’s dolls, so her reaction was understandable. 

“Jennifer, relax. A dead person can still help us solve problems.” 

Roy remembered that in Dead Silence, Mary Shaw had created a “perfect puppet” that looked and acted indistinguishably from a human, complete with lifelike expressions and behavior. 

Lilith quickly calmed down. For witches, death was just the beginning. 

“You mean Mary Shaw’s become a vengeful spirit?” she asked. 

“I think so, but we’ll need to confirm.” 

Sheriff Hoffman and Jamie looked bewildered by Roy and Jennifer’s conversation. 

Jamie, especially, seemed agitated. “Did you just mention a vengeful spirit?” 

Roy nodded. “I suspect a spirit named Mary Shaw killed your wife, and she’s the one I’m after.” 

“How could this happen? Why would she target my wife for no reason?” 

Jamie’s face was full of pain. He and his wife were deeply in love and had been planning to start a family. 

“Mr. Ashen, don’t be too upset. I’ll help you catch this spirit. But I’d like to visit your house. Didn’t you say someone sent a strange doll there?” 

Jamie’s eyes widened. “My wife’s death is connected to that doll?” 

Roy nodded. “I suspect the doll might be a medium.” 

The barrage of revelations overwhelmed Jamie. He nodded numbly. “I just want the truth. Nothing else matters.” 

Roy glanced at Sheriff Hoffman. Technically, Jamie’s house was a sealed crime scene, and Roy would need Hoffman’s permission to enter. 

Hoffman hesitated. He’d already reported the case, and the Seattle FEA had approved sending agents to investigate. Roy, while an FEA agent, wasn’t assigned to this case, and Hoffman worried about potential conflicts with the Seattle agents. 

As a small-town sheriff, stability was his priority. He didn’t want to jeopardize his pension over this. 

“Maybe we should wait for the Seattle FEA agents?” Hoffman suggested. 

Roy didn’t mind. A little delay wouldn’t hurt. Mary Shaw was likely waiting in Ravensfair for Jamie, the “protagonist,” to return so she could kill him and complete her revenge. She wasn’t going anywhere soon. 

But Jennifer—or rather, Lilith—was anxious, probably worried this long-awaited mission might fall through. 

Roy reassured Lilith. “It’ll be fine, Jennifer.” 

Lilith nodded, but her expression remained uneasy. 

Roy stood and shook Hoffman’s hand. “Sheriff, we’ll wait at the station for the Seattle FEA agents.” 

“No problem. I’ll arrange a break room for you. When the agents arrive, I’ll let you know right away.” 

They waited until the middle of the night. 

The Seattle FEA agents finally showed up, looking disheveled. 

“Sorry, a car accident caused by the storm delayed us,” one explained. 

At that moment, Hoffman was chatting with Roy in the break room. He was a huge fan, having watched all of Roy’s competition videos, including the Cowboy Cup and Santa Monica Cup finals. 

Roy answered Hoffman’s questions halfheartedly when he noticed a middle-aged Black woman and a young white guy—a classic veteran-rookie duo. 

The young guy was pretty handsome, catching Madison’s eye for a moment. But after a quick comparison, she decided Roy was still better-looking. 

No man could outshine Roy in the looks department. 

“Hey there, I’m Sheriff Hoffman. I’m the one who contacted the Seattle FEA,” Hoffman said, shaking hands with the woman. 

“Saja Anderson. Nice to meet you.” 

“Jack Schmidt.” 

The two agents introduced themselves. The young guy’s name was Jack, too. 

Roy felt like he’d been meeting a lot of Jacks lately. 

Saja noticed the others in the room. “Are they involved in the case?” 

Roy’s group didn’t look like cops. They were too young, more like college kids, even younger than Jack. 

“No, actually, Mr. Roy Black here is also an FEA agent. He’s here for a separate matter that might tie into your case. To avoid any issues, he wanted to wait for you before proceeding,” Hoffman explained. 

“Roy Black? I don’t know any agent by that name in Seattle. Can I see your badge?” Saja asked, eyeing Roy curiously. 

Senior FEA agents who could investigate independently were rare, and she knew most of them. Roy’s age made it unlikely he was one—unless he’d been solving cases since he was a teenager. 

Roy handed over his badge. “I’m actually with the Los Angeles FEA, not Seattle, so it’s normal you haven’t heard of me.” 

Saja inspected the badge, confirming it was legit. 

Still, Roy was young, and his badge showed he was only a standard agent, not authorized for cross-state investigations. 

But Roy’s good looks and his professionalism in waiting for her team impressed Saja, so she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

“The badge checks out. Mr. Black, can you tell me what you’re investigating?” 

“The suspect mentioned a doll at the crime scene. I’d like to take a look at it.” 

Saja nodded. “Alright, let’s head to the scene now.” 

Hoffman blinked. “Ms. Anderson, it’s 1 a.m. You’ve had a long trip—don’t you want to rest?” 

In truth, Hoffman was itching to clock out. He’d stayed late waiting for Saja and Jack and wasn’t keen on more overtime. 

Saja picked up on his hint. “Sheriff, you don’t need to come. Just call the officer guarding the scene to let them know.” 

“No trouble at all!” Hoffman said, though his eager expression and quick phone call betrayed his relief. 

“Roy, what’s the plan?” Jennifer asked. A big group tromping to the crime scene could mess things up. 

“I’ll go with Jennifer. You guys find a hotel and study the map to figure out the best route to Ravensfair.” 

Taking just Jennifer was enough, but Roy wanted to keep Madison and the others busy. Left idle, the Apocalypse Society witches might stir up trouble. 

Madison’s eyes gleamed as she patted her chest. “Leave it to us!” 

When Ravensfair was mentioned, Jack, Saja’s partner, had a subtle flicker in his eyes, but no one noticed. 

Madison drove off in Bumblebee, while Roy and Jennifer hopped on Claudia. 

As they prepared to leave, Roy’s ivory-handled Smith & Wesson M629 revolver vibrated, as if Francesca, the spirit inside, was stirring. 

Roy glanced around the quiet, empty station lot. With Saja and Jack already driving off, he released Francesca. 

“Francesca, what’s up?” 

“When I was hiding in your gun, I sensed something familiar.” 

“What kind of familiar?” 

Francesca frowned, looking pained. “I can’t remember, but it’s really familiar!” 

Spirits lingering in the mortal world gradually lose their humanity and memories. Some, driven by obsession, forget why they’re even clinging to existence. 

Francesca had been dead for over a decade, so memory loss wasn’t surprising. 

“Take your time, Francesca. No rush.” 

The Latina spirit returned to the M629, and Roy revved up Claudia, catching up to Saja and Jack. 

The rain had stopped, but the ground was still slick. 

Roy soon reached the cordoned-off apartment, joining Saja and Jack as they headed upstairs. 

The officer on duty had gotten Hoffman’s call and let the four enter without issue. 

As Hoffman had described, the apartment’s entrance was soaked with water stains, now trampled into a mess by police boots. 

The rest of the apartment was unremarkable, except for some bloodstains near the bedroom door and a blood trail on the floor. 

It seemed Jamie’s wife had been stabbed, dragged into the bedroom, had her tongue removed, and died. Her body was then posed sitting on the bed, covered with a sheet. 

But that wasn’t the creepiest part of the case. 

(Details of Jamie’s wife’s death scene) 

Chapter 328: Zero-Frame Start 

The strangest part was that when Jamie was giving his statement, he said he heard his wife calling out to him when he first got back to the apartment. 

But according to the preliminary autopsy report, his wife had already been dead for an hour before Jamie even stepped foot inside. 

Detective Hoffman questioned Jamie multiple times, asking if he might’ve misheard, but Jamie was adamant—he knew what he heard. 

That’s why Hoffman felt something was seriously off about the case. He escalated it straight to the Seattle FEA branch, which is how Agents Saja and Jack ended up on the scene to investigate. 

Saja, with her years of investigative experience, only needed a quick look around and a review of Hoffman’s case notes to conclude this was no ordinary crime. Jamie’s wife wasn’t killed by human hands—this was a supernatural case, no question. 

Meanwhile, Roy had already spotted the doll Jamie mentioned. It was the doll, the iconic Billy from that creepy movie. 

Roy and Jennifer exchanged a glance. They could both feel the dark energy lingering on the doll. 

Some powerful evil spirit had probably been attached to it before, but it seemed like the spirit had already moved on. 

“Mr. Black, is this what you’re looking for?”  

Jack noticed Roy and Jennifer’s reactions and sidled up with a sly grin. 

That grin of his gave off a weird vibe, making Roy and Jennifer frown slightly. 

“Yeah. Can we take this doll with us?” 

Through this doll, they might be able to summon the Hellhound’s shadow to track down Mary Shaw. 

Jack spread his hands with a shrug. 

“Hey, I’m just a rookie agent. That’s a call only Saja can make.” 

Saja had just walked in from another room and overheard Jack. 

“What’s going on?” 

“Nothing, Saja. Mr. Black here wants to take that doll that was lying by the bed.” 

Saja’s sharp gaze flicked to the doll on the floor, then to Roy’s face. 

“Mr. Black, is there something special about this doll?” 

Roy couldn’t just demand to take it without a reason. That old-fashioned, handcrafted doll clearly had something going on, and Saja, being the seasoned agent she was, picked up on it immediately. 

Roy raised an eyebrow. He didn’t really want to explain, but it looked like Saja wasn’t going to let him walk out with Billy the doll unless he gave her something. 

“It’s not a big deal. I heard the suspect, Jamie Ashen, mention this doll might be connected to Ravensfair, so I want to take it there to check it out.” 

Saja’s brow furrowed. 

“Mr. Black, care to share what case you’re working on?” 

“Not really.” 

That did not sit well with Saja. 

In terms of rank, Saja was a mid-level FEA agent, while Roy was just a standard agent. Even though they weren’t from the same branch, the hierarchy was clear. 

“Agent Black, if you’re not willing to share, I’m afraid I can’t let you take that doll.” 

Saja’s tone was firm. This middle-aged Black woman seemed to genuinely see Roy as just some low-level agent. 

Roy, who wouldn’t even give face to a Navy admiral, sure as hell wasn’t about to kowtow to her. Waiting for her to show up before starting the investigation was already more than enough courtesy. 

“Ms. Anderson, I’m taking this doll whether you like it or not. If you’ve got a problem, take it up with the higher-ups.” 

With that, Roy bent down, picked up the wooden doll, and started to leave with Jennifer. 

No matter who she complained to, Roy wasn’t worried. His name carried weight at FEA headquarters—no one was going to hassle him over something this small. 

Not even someone from Armacham would be that dumb. 

But then, Saja suddenly stepped in front of Roy, blocking his path. 

“Are you ignoring me because I’m Black? Is that it?” 

Roy: What the hell? 

Talk about pulling the race card out of nowhere—a zero-frame accusation, smacking a racism label right on his head. 

Roy looked at Saja with disgust. 

Some groups just loved playing this game, waving the discrimination flag to get their way. If you didn’t comply, they’d try to ruin you. 

With the Black Lives Matter movement gaining traction in recent years, plenty of people had climbed the ranks by leaning on political correctness. 

And it seemed Saja Anderson was one of them. 

Saja smirked, her dark face radiating smugness. Usually, when she played this trump card, people backed down. 

“You caught me. Yeah, I’m racist. So what?” 

“You—wait, what did you just say?” 

Roy looked at Saja, who was gaping at him, and repeated himself, slow and deliberate. 

“Ni—er. Got a problem with that?” 

Roy had said the same thing in front of Gerald before Roy wasn’t fazed. Gerald was a typical Southern Black guy who wouldn’t lose it over a word like that. Hell, with how tight he and Roy were, Gerald would probably just laugh it off as a joke. 

But Saja, this middle-aged Black woman, clearly couldn’t handle it. She lost it, yanking out her gun and aiming it at Roy. 

“You’re going to apologize for that word right now!” 

Roy just stared at her, unfazed. 

“Which word?” 

“The N—! Apologize, now!” 

Saja was shaking with rage, her face twisted into something ugly. She wasn’t exactly a looker to begin with, but now she looked like a rabid gorilla. 

Jennifer, standing next to Roy, started to move, but Roy signaled her to hold off. 

No need to get their hands dirty with a nobody like this. 

“Alright, N-word lady, I’ll apologize when I’ve got the time. For now, step aside.” 

Roy didn’t believe for a second that Saja would shoot. This wasn’t some “Black lives matter” peak moment—shooting someone over a word wouldn’t hold up in court. 

Plus, Roy was a Texan. Discrimination in Texas? Please. The only Black folks you’d see there were working the fields. 

Saja’s flat chest was heaving like she’d grown a few cup sizes from pure anger, but as Roy figured, she didn’t have the guts to pull the trigger. 

After all, she wasn’t some street thug—she was a licensed FEA mid-level agent. One shot, and her career was done. 

She’d be back on the streets, popping out kids and raising them as a single mom. 

At that moment, Jack grabbed Saja’s shoulder. 

“Saja, chill out!” 

But somehow, against all odds, Saja’s finger twitched, and she fired. The bullet grazed the back of Roy’s head, taking out a few strands of hair. 

Saja’s face went pale, like she couldn’t believe what she’d done. She hadn’t meant to shoot—it was like her hand acted on its own. 

Now things were really messed up. 

“I—I didn’t mean to!” 

Before she could finish, she noticed Roy was fine, aside from a few missing hairs. 

But for Roy, that was a big deal. 

Roy was all about his image, and losing even a few strands pissed him off. 

Even Asmodeus hadn’t made Roy lose hair! 

“You N-word! What the hell’s your problem?” 

Roy spun around, glaring at Saja. He handed Billy the doll to Jennifer and started walking toward her. 

“I—I… stay back!” 

Saja stammered, panic setting in as Roy approached. 

In a desperate move, she fired again, unloading her pistol at him. 

But Roy’s agility and toughness were off the charts. He could catch heavy machine gun rounds with his bare hands—Saja’s little peashooter was nothing. 

Roy slapped her across the face, knocking out half her teeth and sending her crashing to the floor, out cold. 

“What the hell happened?” 

The cops guarding the crime scene rushed in after hearing the shots. They saw Saja sprawled on the floor, half her face caved in, and Roy casually wiping his hand. 

“Nothing much. Ms. Anderson had a toothache, so I gave her a quick dental adjustment.” 

Yeah, right. 

A toothache that cost her all her teeth, fixed with a slap? That was some next-level BS. 

But Jack, Saja’s little sidekick, didn’t say a word, like he was cool with Roy’s story. The cops didn’t know what to make of it. 

“Uh, should we get Ms. Anderson to a hospital?” 

Her face was a mess—pretty damn gruesome. 

Roy knew exactly how hard he’d hit her. She looked bad, but she wasn’t dying. She’d just need some serious plastic surgery. 

And honestly, that might be an improvement for her face. 

“What are you standing around for? She’s gonna wake up in pain soon. Forget it, I’ll handle it.” 

Roy pulled out his phone and called an ambulance—the fancy, overpriced kind that federal insurance wouldn’t touch. 

Saja was gonna cry tears of joy when she woke up to that bill. 

The other cops, if they knew what Roy had done, would’ve been terrified. 

In America, that kind of move was brutal. If Saja woke up on that ambulance and found out it wasn’t covered by insurance, she’d probably jump out the damn window. 

Here’s hoping she slept all the way to the hospital, saving the real surprise for when the bill arrived. 

With that sorted, Roy and Jennifer left the apartment, ignoring Jack. 

After they were gone, Jack crouched next to Saja, pretending to check on her. 

But when the ambulance arrived, the paramedics found Saja’s heart had stopped. 

On the surface, her only injury was the slap from Roy. No other wounds, no signs of poison or illness. 

It was like that one slap had killed her. 

The official cause of death would need an autopsy to confirm. 

When Jack got the news, he was livid. 

“What?! That guy slapped Saja to death? I’m reporting this to the higher-ups!” 

He stormed off, making calls. 

After a few heated conversations, the entire Seattle FEA branch was up in arms. 

A mid-level agent killed on the spot? That was a massive embarrassment for a law enforcement agency. 

If they didn’t fix this, FEA agents wouldn’t be able to show their faces in public. 

Every FEAR member was mobilized, led by two senior agents, heading to the small town where Roy was. 

After reporting to FEA brass, Jack made another call. 

“Hey, Ella? Someone’s looking for you. Better watch your back.” 

He hung up, watching the ambulance haul Saja’s body away, a cold smirk on his face. 

Roy didn’t know any of this. He and Jennifer, with Billy the doll in tow, headed to the hotel Madison’s crew had booked for the night. 

It was late, and while Roy and Jennifer were still good to go, the four Apocalypse girls were wiped out. 

As witches, their physical stamina was average at best. Carrie, with her Samael bloodline, was a bit tougher, but not by much. 

When they got to the reserved suite, the room was pitch black. Roy knew right away the Apocalypse girls were up to something. 

Sure enough, the lights flickered on, revealing four “holy” nuns, each holding a lit candle. 

“What are you guys up to now?” 

Roy swallowed hard. He didn’t need to guess—this was definitely Madison and Maria’s idea. 

Those two witches were like Bonnie and Clyde, always cooking up wild schemes even Penny couldn’t dream of. 

Guess that’s what you get from Hollywood types. Penny, who’d only hustled in small-town dive bars, couldn’t compete with their flair. 

And of course, Zoe and Carrie were happy to play along with Madison and Maria’s nonsense. This group prank was almost too much to handle. 

“Mr. Black, we’re here to hear your confession—ow!” 

Madison started strong, nailing the pious nun vibe, but then she yelped. 

Melted wax had dripped onto her hand, and the burn broke her act. She blew on her hand, trying to cool it off. 

“Ugh, Madison! This is all your fault! You ruined the vibe!” 

Maria was pissed. They’d had the perfect setup, and Madison blew it. 

“What was I supposed to do? The wax burned me!” 

“I told you to get those low-temp candles! Why’d you buy these cheap ones?” 

“I wanted low-temp candles! But where am I supposed to find those in this podunk town? This isn’t Boston or LA!” 

Low-temp candles? These girls had definitely been experimenting on their own. 

The sultry atmosphere in the suite was gone, replaced by Madison and Maria bickering while Zoe and Carrie tried to calm them down. 

Roy clapped his hands. 

“Alright, enough about Mary Shaw and Billy the doll.” 

(End of Chapter)