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🕑 Added 2024-12-11 03:45:00 +0000 UTCWind in the Smoke
Chapter 46 - Slight Discomforts
"I’m here now. If that woman isn’t here, I want a valid explanation."
Dante had a problem. He wanted to reinforce the security systems of his organization, and for that, there was no one better than Julia, the girl from the dark web.
In secret, they had been searching for Julia for a long time. She was a girl with enormous knowledge in computing and someone who could solve Dante’s problems.
But it turned out that Dante didn’t find her—Julia found him.
That’s why he was on his way to meet her.
Dante cursed under his breath and strode into the airport terminal. He was late due to traffic detours around Montana Airport.
As soon as he arrived, he entered the baggage claim area and checked the itinerary board, but didn’t see any direct flight information from Los Angeles.
"What the hell…" Dante thought irritably. He was desperate because Julia, when she contacted him, had revealed some very sensitive information that could put him in the FBI’s sights if disclosed, just as she had hinted.
Everything had happened just hours ago, while Dante was showering. He received a sudden message with videos of what seemed to be him meeting with Felipe Lobos.
It wasn’t easy to tell if it was fabricated, but the evidence could sow doubt, leading curious individuals to question whether Dante was the man in the video.
That’s why he was here, searching for this woman and hoping to address his problems more calmly.
Looking at the seats around the baggage claim area, he didn’t see a woman sitting alone, and no one seemed to be waiting for him.
"Well, I can only look her up online."
Dante took out his phone and searched for the other person’s name.
If Julia was who she claimed to be, he would find her, but he also had to put in some effort himself.
Julia Jones…
The moment Dante searched for that name, a new email arrived—one with fresh information.
It contained a photo—a selfie, to be precise—of what appeared to be a man wearing a wig.
Only then did Dante realize that Julia was a man dressed as a woman. But given the situation, he decided to address her using the most neutral pronouns possible.
"Darling…"
When Dante’s eyes landed on the crystal-heeled shoes of the approaching figure, he couldn’t help but grit his teeth.
Julia had found Dante. She was wearing a tight black dress that clung to her figure, carrying a rolling suitcase in her hand.
Dante pursed his lips, hummed softly, scanned the nearly empty baggage area, and continued searching for his target.
"I guess I have to admit defeat and remain passive around this individual…" Dante smiled to himself and approached Julia, who greeted him with a broad smile.
As he came closer, Dante asked, "Are you the source?"
"Of course, I’m who you’ve been looking for." Julia glanced around nervously, wary of being recognized by someone Dante knew nothing about.
Lowering her voice, she said, "We need to leave as soon as possible. Are you the boss?"
"No, I’m just the messenger." Naturally, Dante wouldn’t reveal that he was the one seeking Julia. He needed to maintain control, even though he wasn’t sure how to act around this woman.
Julia’s eyebrows relaxed slightly, though the suspicion on her face remained unchanged. She narrowed her eyes to scrutinize him further.
"Can you prove it? You look fine, but you could also be an assassin. I’ve seen a similar episode before, and I don’t want to be the lead role."
Dante was momentarily stunned, the corners of his mouth twitching.
No one had ever dared to question his words before, at least not to his face. It was usually difficult for people to say no to him.
But her caution was understandable. At least she didn’t blindly follow him—or anyone else—into the heart of Montana.
Dante pulled out his phone, but before he could even show her the message, she grabbed his hand and stared at the ring he wore.
"Have you been investigating me?"
Julia’s eyes widened suddenly, hesitant to speak.
Clearly, she had investigated Dante before choosing him as her means of escape.
She fumbled through her bag, stuffing its contents directly into Dante’s arms—a water bottle, a pair of sunglasses, a bag of pills, and a laptop.
Julia finally pulled out her phone, but her hands trembled, nearly dropping it to the ground.
"Do you really want to waste time here?"
"No, let’s get out of here." Julia frowned, texted a reply on her phone, tucked it into her bag, and then reclaimed the items she’d handed to Dante, who looked at her coldly.
"You’re late." Her tone was slightly impatient. "I’ve been here for an hour."
"Yeah, I’ve been busy lately," Dante shrugged lazily. "You could have rented a car and driven to the ranch I sent you to on your own."
"Let’s talk on the way."
Dante smiled, helped her with her suitcase, and led the way out of the airport toward the parking lot.
Julia followed a few steps behind him, occasionally brushing her hair back from her ears and sneaking glances at him.
Dante walked briskly, but when they reached the street, he deliberately slowed his pace to let her catch up, ignoring the judgmental looks from women passing by.
Julia noticed that his only focus was on ensuring she kept up, guiding her through crosswalks and toward their destination. Though they didn’t speak, his actions were considerate.
Dante, of course, was questioning whether he should kill this wannabe woman who had threatened him earlier. But knowing the consequences would be far worse than he could imagine, he decided to wait.
"Did you come alone?"
"Yes, Montana is my kingdom."
"So it seems…"
"Alright. The truck is here." Dante opened the door, placed her luggage in the back seat, and then reached out to take the rest of Julia’s belongings.
"Thank you." Julia glanced around, finally sighing in relief when she didn’t see anyone nearby.
Dante drove the truck out of the terminal and the private airport area, merging onto the road.
The silence lasted only about ten minutes.
"Thanks for picking me up. I guess I could have rented a car, but it would’ve drawn too much attention."
Comments
Nato J
He needs a face scrambler (spyware) when cameras are close while doing illegal work, both him and his organization.
