Chapter 440: Capturing the Two Hawthorne Sisters

Chapter 440: Chapter 440: Capturing the Two Hawthorne Sisters

"Why?"

Amanda Hawthorne was stunned by the answer. She’d already surveyed the area and saw no one was standing guard nearby. If they were just careful, they could slip through the backstreets and alleys to the port, find an outbound passenger ship, and simply pay to get aboard!

The inspections here weren’t as strict as back home. As long as you had the money, you could leave, no matter who you were.

Besides, she checked for surveillance or listening devices every time she returned to their place. There was no reason to fear being overheard.

’It’s a perfectly good plan. Why does she say we can’t escape?’

Amanda Hawthorne’s sister, Isabelle Hawthorne, rose from the sofa. She walked to the window, yanked open the curtains, and pointed outside. "This entire area is Big Sis’s territory. Even the port belongs to her. Anyone you run into on the street could be one of her people. What makes you think you can hide anything from her?"

Forget about even reaching the port to board a ship. The moment you set foot somewhere you’ve never been before, her people there will immediately realize what you’re up to.

They wouldn’t even need to ask Big Sis for permission. A local underboss could have you beaten to death, and no one would say a word.

Amanda Hawthorne’s eyes widened in shock. "But I heard her crew suffered heavy losses! That they all went out to the high seas to have some fun and lay low. How can there still be so many people here?"

’And this is just one of her strongholds. What about her other locations? Are there even more?’

’If there are, doesn’t that mean my plan to escape with my sister is completely ruined?’

The thought that she would have to keep enduring Big Sis’s humiliation upon her return—bowing, scraping, and forcing a smile—made Amanda Hawthorne feel sick to her stomach.

Even so, she never considered going back home.

Going back home meant getting caught. She had killed so many people and resisted arrest. A death sentence would be a certainty.

Here, she was constantly on edge, but at least she had relative freedom. And for the time being, she didn’t have to worry about Big Sis coming after her.

Amanda Hawthorne wasn’t an idiot. She knew which choice to make.

But with her original plan in shambles, Amanda Hawthorne was still not ready to give up. She stared intently at her sister, desperate to hear some piece of concrete information from her.

’Maybe there’s a chance!’

’Maybe we can find another way!’

Seeing her younger sister’s refusal to give up, Isabelle Hawthorne sighed, pulled the curtains shut again, and sat back on the sofa.

"When people say her crew suffered heavy losses, they’re referring to the lieutenants who command their own men—the ones who can pull off major jobs for her."

"These guys guarding this place are just cannon fodder, human shields she can sacrifice at a moment’s notice. Naturally, she can get as many of them as she wants," Isabelle Hawthorne explained.

"Besides, Big Sis has a lot of businesses in this area, and she’s arranged for the families of these men to work in them."

They get paid, have jobs, and are given housing. When they go out, people treat them with a bit more respect because everyone knows they’re under Big Sis’s protection.

It was a level of treatment they’d never experienced before joining her organization.

That’s why even though many of them know this is just a minor outpost and that they could be sacrificed as cannon fodder at any moment, they still follow her with die-hard loyalty.

The only thing that would make them scatter and flee for their lives would probably be if Big Sis were captured or killed.

But Isabelle Hawthorne felt that was highly unlikely.

Big Sis treasured her life. She never went anywhere without a massive security detail. Catching her would be no easy feat.

After hearing her sister’s explanation, Amanda Hawthorne knew her dream of escape was completely shattered.

She slumped to the floor, her expression ashen with defeat.

Isabelle Hawthorne couldn’t bear to see her sister so dejected. After a moment’s thought, she said, "Don’t worry. She’s on the high seas this time, so she won’t be back for a good while."

"When she returns, I’ll beg Big Sis to let us stay here. Then you won’t have to worry about her tormenting you anymore."

At this, Amanda Hawthorne looked up excitedly. "Really? You can do that?"

Isabelle Hawthorne’s heart ached at the thought of the money it would cost.

’But with my sister in this state, if she stayed by my side, there was no telling when she might lose control and let her hatred for Big Sis show.’

’When that happens, it won’t just be a matter of money. I probably won’t even be able to save my own skin!’

"I can. It’ll just cost a bit more money. Don’t worry, I still have that much pull," Isabelle Hawthorne said reassuringly.

Greatly relieved, Amanda Hawthorne scrambled up from the floor and clung to her sister’s arm affectionately.

On the other side of the door, Zoe Sawyer heard their entire conversation with perfect clarity.

She took a small step back, met Evan Keller’s tense gaze, and relayed the conversation.

"Arrest them now? Or wait?" Zoe Sawyer asked.

Evan Keller grew thoughtful. If the two sisters weren’t lying and this "Big Sis" really was on the high seas, their operational possibilities expanded greatly.

They could catch her off guard and grab her right off the ship.

Since it was international waters, as long as they could determine whether or not the ship was flagged, they could formulate a plan based on the circumstances and make the arrest.

However, the specific course of action would depend on getting a clearer picture of the situation.

"Arrest them! Zoe Sawyer, step aside. We’ll take them down with tranquilizer guns and then pull them through the door," Evan Keller decided quickly.

Amanda Hawthorne was wanted for multiple murders back home and had fled the country illegally. Bringing her in now was no issue.

As for the other one, Isabelle Hawthorne, she was officially a missing person back home, so bringing her in was also not an issue.

Besides, Isabelle Hawthorne had been with Big Sis longer than her younger sister. They could probably get more information out of her during interrogation.

With Big Sis away, her people wouldn’t notice the sisters were missing for a while. This would buy the team a time advantage for their subsequent operations.

Hearing his order, Zoe Sawyer stepped aside.

Heath Hale and Sean Hughes each raised a tranquilizer gun, aiming at the Hawthorne sisters on the other side of the door.

As the tranquilizer darts flew, the two sisters, who were in mid-conversation, saw their eyes roll back before they collapsed unconscious.

Once they were confirmed to be unconscious, Zoe Sawyer lifted the seal on the door, allowing her colleagues behind her to rush in and carry the women back.

Four agents carried the Hawthorne sisters back while the rest searched their room. They found no evidence of value, so they just cleaned away any trace of their presence and returned to the police station through the door.

"Good work." Evan Keller clapped Zoe Sawyer on the shoulder before quickly directing the others to carry the Hawthorne sisters to an interrogation room.

Isabelle Hawthorne had been through more and knew more, but that also meant she would be harder to interrogate.

Evan Keller decided to start with Amanda Hawthorne.

She was already wanted for murder and had fled illegally. As long as they found the right pressure point, getting information out of her should be simple enough.