Chapter 220
Briar’s eyes sparkled, but she suppressed her excitement and kept still. “Have our people checked the lab?”
Ashton nodded. “They’re in the lab now, but only the personnel and related equipment, some computers in particular, are under control. Rest assured, the data and materials are safe.”
All of that was crucial evidence of the Garzas‘ crimes. Even though the underground lab was overseas, beyond the reach of Dasmieca’s laws, once these things came to light, the local government wouldn’t just stand by. That was when Ashton stepped in to smooth things over, ensuring the Garzas got nailed to that pillar of shame.
Only then did Briar nod in satisfaction, lowering her head to play with her phone, acting all innocent.
The yacht had to crawl along in the stormy seas, and by the time they finally reached Bersy Island, it was already past three in the afternoon.
Their people had subdued the island’s security team, so they walked straight into the lab without meeting any resistance.
Bersy Island used to be an uninhabited island, not very big, but with more than half of it covered in dense forest. That’s why the lab was built deep in the woods, making it nearly impossible to spot from the sea or even from the air. Because of this, the lab on Bersy Island was the most hidden and the largest of all the Garza family’s labs.
“Miss Jennings, this is the data room of their lab. Our team had secured all the files and computers the moment we arrived,” one of the bodyguards said.
Briar followed the bodyguard into a small, unremarkable room, but was taken aback by the rows of bookshelves and dozens of computers humming
with real–time data updates.
The scale of this operation was comparable to that of a medium–sized lab.
Briar walked through the room, found the file Hayden mentioned about her mother from that year, and took all the records of her mother’s experimental drug intake. Her eyes glistened slightly as she said, “Appreciate it. Please have someone copy everything here and send it all back home.”
“Got it.” The bodyguard called in a few more people to start sorting and packing everything according to Briar’s instructions.
“Briar, come take a look at this,” Ashton called from the room next door.
Briar hurried over and found herself in a storage room packed with hundreds of bottles, each filled with organs and body parts suspended in formaldehyde.
None of that fazed Ashton or the others. But when Briar followed Ashton’s pointing finger and caught sight of the label on a jar containing a human brain, she suddenly stumbled. “This is…”
Ashton reached out and steadied her in a flash, his voice tight with barely contained anger. “Be careful.”
The label had faded with age, but the name was still clear. Written on it was Rosalia Jennings.
It was the brain of Rosalia, Briar’s mother
Briar couldn’t believe those people had taken Rosalia’s brain and dumped it in formaldehyde, without any other precautions. It was apparent they weren’t planning to do any further experiments. They just kept it here.
No one knew why the Garzas insisted on preserving Rosalia’s brain, but it was clear they had nothing good in mind.
Reece and Hamish both felt their hearts clench as they looked at Briar, who looked like she was ready to wipe out the Garzas.
Briar had her lab, and ever since she was five, she’d been learning all kinds of medical skills from Tristan. She’d seen and handled more human organs
than she could count.
She had a perfect anatomical grasp, from organ systems to neuromuscular trigger points.
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Chapter 220
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By all logic, this brain, lifeless, with not even a hint of research value, shouldn’t have scared her. But right now, she couldn’t stop herself from trembling
all over.
Because on the jar’s label, besides Rosalia’s name, there was also a note that described in chilling detail how they’d gotten their hands on this brain.
It was disturbing, bloody, and so cruel.
“Briar, relax your hand. Easy, sweetheart, listen to me.” Ashton grabbed Briar’s hand and gently pried her clenched fingers open.
Reece and Hamish finally realized how tense Briar was. Reece said, “Get her out of here, now. Don’t let her see any more of this.”
Ashton immediately grabbed Briar by the arm and pulled her away. “Let’s go check out somewhere else.”
Briar et Ashton pull her away, but her whole vibe was off. Her eyes were icy and dangerous, like a wild beast about to explode. After leaving the room, she slipped into a deserted corner, pulled out her phone, and said coldly, “Georgiana, put the Garza family on the global bounty list. 30 million dollars for every last one of their lives.”
Ashton’s heart pounded wildly as he wondered, ‘Georgiana? The global bounty list? 30 million dollars? Is she about to unleash the full force of the Hacker Alliance?‘
He knew if Briar unleashed the full power of the Hacker Alliance and put out a global bounty, it would send every elite mercenary in the world into a frenzy.
After all, the Garzas were easy prey. There were only a few dozen people. With 30 million dollars up for grabs, even if every top–tier mercenary joined in, each one would get a hefty cut.
On the other end, Georgiana instantly sensed Briar’s tone was off. She didn’t ask anything else and just said, “Got it. Putting the bounty up now.”
Things happened so fast that even if Ashton wanted to stop them, it was already too late.
“Briar, don’t be impulsive. The Garzas deserve what’s coming to them, but pulling a stunt like this will bring you a world of trouble. Why not let Connor’s mercenary group handle it instead?” Ashton tried to talk her down.
If that 30–million–dollar bounty goes out, Briar’s alias will go global,‘ Ashton thought. ‘Sure, the Hacker Alliance is powerful, but they are just as good at stirring up trouble. From what I know, hundreds of hackers end up on the international wanted list, all filed anonymously!’
“Ashton, the Garzas did this on purpose. They wanted me to see it. They even know I’ve been looking into what happened to my mom all these years…” Briar was almost rambling now, but the murderous intent in her eyes was so strong that even Ashton was a little shaken.
Ashton pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. “Alright, alright, we’ll make sure they pay. Rest assured, every one of the Garzas will burn.”
Briar gave a hollow laugh. “Ashton, if my hands run red with blood, will you still see me as clean?”
Ashton pulled her in even tighter, “Of course. My hands are far redder than yours.”
Briar fell into silence.
Briar’s silence put Ashton on edge. “Wait a minute, sweetheart. You’re not hiding another identity from me, are you?”
Briar didn’t reply, pretending she hadn’t heard him,
If it weren’t for the time and place, Ashton would’ve been both exasperated and amused by her evasive look. “Sweetheart, let’s talk about this properly when we get back home, okay?”
