Upon hearing that, Arnold thought that what truly angered Wayne was the fact that Dexter had been taken hostage.
"Arnold, do you know who's behind me?" Wayne asked in a deep voice.
Arnold's gaze was heavy. "I understand, Mr. Dalton, given the circumstances, we must take a gamble. Dexter, being a specially appointed expert from the state, they will do everything possible to protect his life."
The people behind Wayne had long been restless, including Calvin, Caleb, and the Russell family members.
The man held captive by Arnold's elbow could be aptly described as the lifeblood of Wavery.
If something went wrong, one could only imagine the shockwaves it would cause.
"To say such things in front of me, you really don't leave any room for face-saving, do you?" Dexter didn't resist, but there was a kind of calmness in him that bordered on world-weariness. Arnold understood Dexter. He merely perceived it as an aftermath of Josie's death.
Wayne's voice came through, tense and strained. "Since you've already done it, you should see it through to the end."
After hanging up the phone, Arnold ordered Dexter, "Have those people on the shore leave."
He tightened his grip, pointing the barrel of the gun directly at Dexter's temple.
"How am I going to live if they leave?" Dexter said.
"Do you have any other choices?"
Doesn't sound like it, thought Dexter.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
Arnold rummaged for his cell phone, taking control and swiftly dialing Caleb's number. The voice on the other end sounded extremely anxious. "Dexter!"
Dexter's gaze was icy, his voice sufficiently restrained. "Josie is dead. There's no need for concern. Proceed as planned."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Arnold struck him hard, grabbing the phone. "Mr. Zabinski, think it through. I'm a fugitive. If I die, it doesn't matter. However, if Dexter dies, can you bear that responsibility?"
"Arnold! Just spit it out. What do you want?" questioned Caleb.
"Once the money is in place, withdraw your people and let me leave the country!"
Every request was demanding. Caleb stared at the figure on the deck, his lips turning pale. "I can give you the money, but letting you leave the country... That's impossible!"
Arnold laughed. "Oh, it seems like you don't care about your official post anymore. Do you really think you can survive once Dexter is dead?"
Calvin's voice echoed from the side, his eyes scanning all directions. "Mr. Zabinski, be careful. Dexter's health isn't good these days. He's no match for Arnold. If Arnold loses his mind, he could actually kill someone!"
Those words reached Arnold's ears, and he slowly said, "Indeed, Mr. Barrett is truly far-sighted. Isn't the death of Josie enough?"
"Give me ten minutes," Caleb said, leaving behind those words before the call was abruptly ended.
"Is Josie really dead?" Dexter asked, seemingly struggling to accept the reality.
"The water was ten meters deep. She had nowhere to escape. If she stayed submerged any longer, she'd probably be a bloated cadaver," Arnold said. His expression was particularly cold, not so much devoid of emotion, but rather a restraint of his own feelings.
Dexter closed his eyes.
Stumbling out of the ship's cabin, Josephine looked on in disbelief. "Are you really going to stand against them like this?"
Perhaps when she boarded the ship, she never imagined that the journey would turn out to be that perilous.
Dexter cast a glance at the woman, then suddenly said, "Your father has met his end. He no longer has a choice." "Shut up!" Arnold sternly interrupted him.
Josephine was completely taken aback. "What did you say? My father, it can't be. I just spoke with him a few hours ago!"
Dexter was unfazed by the gun pointed at his head, flexing his muscles slightly. "What, didn't Arnold here tell you?" he asked, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Your father has already been taken away for investigation. Why else do you think he's fighting so desperately? His backer has fallen, so now he can only rely on himself."