Free Web NovelChapter 500: Investigating Lane Allen
For a moment, there was a silence on the other end of the line. Blanc was so quiet, that if it weren’t for the soft sound of his breathing, Lane would have wondered whether the call had been disconnected.
"Boss, but your ability..." he eventually started, only to pause again.
It was generally known among the high-ranking members of the secret organization that their Boss had multiple abilities, way more than any other known Esper. However, how it was possible, or what was the full scope of his abilities, was a mystery to all, even Vulcan and Blanc. Therefore, Blanc couldn’t say with full confidence that the ’Boss’ couldn’t investigate ’Lane Allen’ well...
Well, or at least not at first. While Lane’s declaration initially did knock him off course, he soon realized that his ’Boss’ couldn’t have a mind-reading ability. Even if he had an ability with a similar effect, it was either far less accurate or couldn’t be used discreetly, possibly both. Otherwise, there was no way he wouldn’t have used it on Blanc, and with their rank difference, Blanc would have never been able to resist.
And from their past interactions, it was clear that he hadn’t. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"Boss, I understand that it’s important, so you’d like to investigate him personally, however, my ability is more suited for that kind of thing, don’t you think?" he soon said, once again confident in his words.
It only irked Lane more, though. He did not like being told that someone else’s ability was supposedly better than his, not even in this context.
And Blanc was wrong, anyway. While his ability was indeed extraordinary, allowing the Esper to read other people’s minds without them even noticing anything, it had a very serious flaw.
It was only B-rank.
Swallowing the desire to argue with his subordinate about the suitability of their abilities (he didn’t want to reveal too much about his hypnosis and Memory Scan, in case he decided to use them on Blanc in the future), Lane pointed out, "How would you even make that work? Lane Allen is at least a solid A-rank, potentially more. Your ability is not strong enough to work on him." freēwēbηovel.c૦m
"We could make it work with proper arrangements. Alcohol, drugs-"
"Besides, how would you even come close enough to him to read his mind? Are you going to visit the Capital?"
For a moment, Blanc went silent. Visiting the Capital, or any big city for that matter, was completely out of the question for him. He was a wanted man, after all. Even if he were to disguise himself, it was too risky. As a non-combatant Awakened, if he were to be chased by the Association’s agents, he would never be able to get away.
Not on his own, at the very least. And providing him with enough backup would be more trouble than it was all worth, as the main strategist of their organization, he was all too well aware of that.
Still...
"We could invite him to one of our Forbidden Zones."
"Invite him? How?"
Blanc thought for a moment. He had some vague ideas, but since he knew next to nothing about ’Lane Allen’ as a person, it was hard for him to come up with a reliable plan, especially when it would have to be done with utmost secrecy, and they couldn’t afford any slip-ups. Thus, in the end, he suggested,
"Boss, perhaps you should just kidnap him and bring him to No. 74 by force."
"Cough!"
Lane, who was just taking a sip of his drink, suddenly choked, the sweet cocktail coming out through his nose.
"Ki-kidnap him?" he uttered, once he recovered enough to stop coughing, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Yes," Blanc deadpanned, as if what he was saying wasn’t absolutely ludicrous. "It would save us a lot of time and trouble."
Lane rubbed his forehead, not saying anything for a while. Was he perhaps still asleep? Or had he gone mad? Or rather, had his subordinate suffered some brain injury? Maybe Blanc had been receiving insufficient guiding, and was on the verge of going on a rampage? Otherwise, how could he come up with such a ridiculous plan?
Save time? Maybe. If Lane himself wasn’t the Lane Allen they were talking about, then dragging the man to the Forbidden Zone could be the fastest way to fully investigate (or interrogate) him. But trouble...?
"How do you want to convince him to join us if the first thing we do is kidnap him? Not to mention, we don’t even know for sure what his relationship with the Allens is like. If they are actually on good terms..."
"That doesn’t matter. And we don’t necessarily have to convince him to join us."
"...What?"
"Boss, think about it. If we’re right about his situation, wouldn’t he be desperate to join us?"
"That..."
Lane had no way to retort. He had to admit, without the secret organization, his options would have been pretty... bleak, to put it nicely. Just surviving while trying to stay out of the Allens’ sight, with no hopes for any better future.
And that was even with his incredible abilities, which Blanc, or anyone else for that matter, could ever guess he might have.
Still,
"Even so, wouldn’t it be better to make a good impression? Start the cooperation in a more... pleasant manner? Besides, what if you’re wrong, and he actually has a good relationship with his family?"
The mere idea of it almost made Lane gag, but he still forced himself to spit the words out, for the sake of convincing Blanc. This time, he wanted to make the man agree with him, rather than force him to obey, since giving not fully justified orders could increase Blanc’s suspicions regarding his identity.
Unfortunately for him, the argument he sacrificed his pride and dignity for only served to support Blanc’s case.
"Then it’s even more important for us to investigate him properly," he said, fully calm and confident, as if he had already long considered this possibility. Which, knowing him, he probably had. "If their relationship is good, he might have good intel on the Allen Guild, even better than any of our spies can obtain."
"...Right. We could definitely use more information when it’s time to fight them..." Lane muttered under his nose without thinking. Naturally, he was aware that it was something that ’Lane Allen’ couldn’t provide, but the arguments Blanc was presenting were so convincing, that he had found himself at a complete loss as to how to argue back. Once he realized what he had just said, he wanted to quickly correct himself...
But before he could, Blanc responded, "Or to strike a deal with them. Boss, don’t you think that bringing the Allen Guild to our side would be more beneficial? It’s not like they abide by the Association’s rules, so as long as we convince them that they have more to gain supporting us..."
As if hit by his boyfriend’s ability, Lane froze in place, completely motionless, unable to make a sound. He even forgot to breathe, his brain completely blank.
The problem he had been avoiding finally came to bite him in the ass at the worst possible moment.
