Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"It might not be a trap; he probably doesn't know you're Red Center yet. But I don't recommend you get too close," Igor said in a deep voice. "Think about it, if it were a good thing, would it be your turn?"

……

"Do not."

This was the first time Mike had spoken since returning to camp. Although he didn't sigh, his heavy tone still revealed his advanced age.

“Gordon did hide something, but not in the way you think.”

"He couldn't bring himself to speak in front of me."

“As far as I know, gangs that mix with the police don’t usually end up in a bad way.” As he said this, Igor picked up a square bottle of bourbon, flicked his wrist, and tossed it to Mike. “So… your story had better be exciting enough.”

When they first arrived in Fengchuisha, Colin and his group threw Mike a welcome party, which he declined, citing his habit of not drinking at night. But now, after taking the bottle, he didn't hesitate, unscrewed the cap, and drank several mouthfuls as if it were water.

The spicy liquor slid down his throat like a knife, then into his stomach, but instead produced a warm sensation, giving him the courage to speak again.

----

Mike's life was truly a legendary life of a legendary cowboy, but Barbara should have been the one present. She could have written down his entire story, without changing a single word, and published it as a respectable biography of a gunslinger.

From age 13 to 25, the most vibrant and energetic years of his life, he dedicated himself to the "Jack Gang," a legend that still circulates in the West.

He didn't die when the gang disbanded; instead, he went into hiding and escaped. Back then, the West wasn't connected by railroads and trains. As long as your horse was fast enough and your gun was accurate enough, there would always be new land waiting to be explored.

Mike traveled all over the country, going south and north, until he finally arrived in Granite State, where nobody knew him. Just then, the Mounted Police were recruiting, and with his marksmanship and skills, he quickly passed the selection process and became a licensed Mounted Police officer.

The population record system at the time was not perfect, and there were quite a few people like him who had a criminal record but were able to get away with it and enter the public system.

Thanks to this job, Mike has accumulated a considerable network and reputation in the legitimate world. The apprentices he trains are all quite capable, and many of them, like Gordon, have risen rapidly to become sheriffs.

Thanks to this job, he gradually began to live a normal life.

Marrying, having children, and raising offspring are no different from the rest of the world.

That period of military service as a gangster gunman is like a treasured pearl. Occasionally, it will be taken out, dusted off, and admired, but it will no longer be held in one's hands and played with repeatedly as before.

but……

Just when he thought he would spend the rest of his life peacefully, growing old day by day and bidding farewell to this world, God played a cruel joke on him.

----

“Actually… I knew about it even before Kelly did. Before Gordon took over, I had quite a few friends at the White Torch police station. According to regulations, the scene had to be cleaned up after the evidence collection was completed, so they notified me first, so that I could… go see my son one last time.”

"I'm going."

Mike took several large gulps of alcohol, seemingly no longer feeling its spiciness and stimulation; however, his voice became increasingly hoarse.

"I saw it, my child... I... my son..."

"It was dismantled, like... I don't know, like livestock..."

"Alright, Mike." Zhang Renfeng felt his heart pounding like thunder and his breathing becoming erratic. Sensing something was wrong, he stopped him, saying, "Don't say any more."

“No! Red Center, no… let me finish.” Mike waved his hand, his tone and breathing becoming heavy. The usually composed man added an exaggerated gesture, “Have you ever been to a butcher shop? It’s similar to that, its body is nailed to the antlers, and the other parts have been cut up!”

“The Australian shrike took its eyeballs, an arm and a leg, as well as its heart and liver, leaving the rest to us, and that’s what I saw.”

“My son, he was an excellent sheriff, perhaps too excellent.” Mike sighed and slumped to the ground. “I’m devastated… I… I don’t have the courage to go back to the scene. Every time I step into that place, I see him, cut open and nailed to the antlers.”

"In the end, they failed to catch the Oswald Shrike. With the new mayor in office, some of Nordlin's old forces launched a counterattack, and police resources were diverted to maintain order."

"This case was thus sealed away in the files, never to be touched again, and no sheriff dared to investigate it again."

"My son's fate serves as a warning to others."

Chapter 126: The Curtain Rises, Death Takes the Stage

"Understood." Zhang Renfeng took a deep breath and immediately made a decision, "Count me in. I'll go with you tomorrow morning!"

"Me too," Xiaomei echoed.

“Me too!” Alana nodded, a hint of anger flashing across her face. “What nonsense! After we catch him, I’ll nail him to a deer’s antlers and let him taste what it’s like!”

Having grown up in a gang, Alana had witnessed countless bloody scenes since childhood. Plus, their leader was a ruthless killer like Tuku, so Alana was pretty much used to it. But even Tuku needed a reason to kill someone!

From Mike's description, it's clear that this "Ocean Shrike" was killing for pleasure. At least the first twelve victims were victims of this motive. Only the thirteenth victim, Mike's own son, was brutally murdered because he uncovered some clues.

All three members, including the gang leader, expressed their opinions, but Igor was in no hurry to follow suit.

Ever since he discovered that even pandering to others wouldn't make him fit into any group, he stopped flattering or ingratiating himself with anyone. Of course, the Shepherd Wolf Gang doesn't count; that was a masterful performance to save his life. After a moment's thought, he still beckoned to Zhang Renfeng, signaling him to come over for a private chat.

……

"A father avenging his son, a blood debt paid in blood—that's a matter of course!" Zhang Renfeng stated his position immediately. "That's certainly right, isn't it?"

"Calm down, when did I say I was wrong? Sigh..." Igor sighed helplessly and complained, "If everyone in a gang is so emotional, it's bound to cause big problems sooner or later. You're the gang leader, you have several lives on your hands, including mine. Use your brain sometimes when you do things!"

"However, on the other hand, judging from his attitude, if he doesn't go this time, he can forget about joining any gang in the future."

Igor changed the subject, "I definitely have to go, otherwise I'll surely regret it for the rest of my life. But there are arrangements for going, and I need to ask you first..."

"Are you still going to rob this bank? We've already invested a lot of effort in the early stages, scouting routes and finding loopholes. You need to realize that every minute and every second of gang activities involves 'high risk.' With the Red Center Gang's manpower, it's impossible to do two things at the same time. So, all that time invested is like throwing money down the drain."

"Since you've decided to join the temporary sheriff, you might as well give up the plan to rob a bank. Unfortunately, this time, you can't have both."

Zhang Renfeng pondered for a moment and then nodded.

Having committed thirteen crimes and left the police empty-handed, the Australian Shrike must be no ordinary criminal. It's hard to say whether he'll win or lose against his team.

With revenge for his son at stake, Mike would be completely focused on that, and forcibly pushing forward with the bank robbery at this point would likely cause problems.

Anyway, banks and the money in them won't run away.

"However, you should also be mentally prepared, perhaps..."

Igor glanced at Mike from afar, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Despite the resentment, many things may not go as expected.

The White Torch Town police couldn't catch the Australian Shrike after killing thirteen people. Why should you outsiders be able to catch him just because you suddenly barged in?

Ego didn't have high hopes for solving the case. He even foresaw what would happen if there were still no results after a week or two. Would Mike still have the energy to continue working as a gunman for the Red Center gang? Would he be completely demoralized?

He's over fifty this year. At that age, an elderly person who has suffered such a huge blow, both physically and mentally, is unlikely to recover. At that point, the Red Cross will lose a key member—from all perspectives, this is the worst possible outcome, but it is very likely to happen.

……

“No, it’s nothing. If it really comes to that, we’ll see.” Igor shook his head, not wanting to dampen morale any further, and simply said, “This is also an opportunity for you. That sheriff named Gordon, from your description, seems like a pretty good guy. Having connections with such legitimate people can provide cover for the Red Center Gang.”

“‘We’,” Zhang Renfeng corrected him, ““It’s also an opportunity for ‘us’; you’re now a member of the Red Center Gang.”

"..." Igor paused for a moment, then smiled and repeated, "That's right, us!"

“Whether it’s heaven or abyss ahead, we can only face it together.” Igor almost unconsciously uttered the Zorael family’s clan motto, which he always spoke, and murmured, “Blood is thicker than water.”

----

It's just an unassuming five-pointed star medal, but once you wear it, walking down the street definitely gives you a different feeling and often attracts attention.

Even in the relatively open town of Baiju, most people couldn't accept a yellow-skinned person protecting their safety. Zhang Renfeng took it all in stride; he had a clear understanding of himself: he wasn't a real sheriff anyway, just someone temporarily assigned to the role to get involved in the case.

……

After discussing it last night, and following Igor's suggestion, Zhang Renfeng made the final decision, and everyone was assigned different tasks.

He, Mike, and Little Mei donned medals and became temporary sheriffs to solve the case of the Australian shrike.

Alana no longer needs to investigate the bank; she's already done so, and she doesn't have time to rob it anyway. Her task has temporarily shifted to gathering information about the town.

While picking locks and entering was certainly her forte, at this moment, the Red Center Gang was subtly mired in a deep quagmire. Igor keenly sensed that there were likely many unspeakable things hidden behind this case. The fact that a serial killer could run rampant in such a city, murdering fourteen people, was itself highly suspicious.

Especially in situations like these, it's crucial to have a backup plan hidden in the shadows; you can't play all your cards in the open.

……

"It's fortunate that winter isn't completely over yet. The bodies were covered with cloth and left there for a day, so they didn't start to smell bad." The person in charge of receiving and escorting the body was a young new guy that Mike had met in the office yesterday. He seemed to be Gordon's apprentice.

His English accent was still a bit hard to understand; sometimes, Zhang Renfeng couldn't even understand what he was saying. "But if we keep it hidden any longer, they probably won't agree. If they find out someone died on stage... who will come to watch the performance? Don't think that hiding the news was just Chief Gordon's idea; it was their insistence."

“Even though it was someone from the theater troupe who died, the owner didn’t care at all. He came to ask us several times when we could move the body. Yesterday afternoon, they even tried to secretly move the antlers… It was only because Sheriff Gordon insisted that we not move them that we didn’t.”

"After all, if a theater doesn't open for a day, it's a pure loss."

……

The crowd gradually got used to the newcomer's chatter. In the face of a cold and bloody murder case, having such a talkative guy around was, to some extent, quite stress-relieving.

----

Emerald Theatre. The entertainment and cultural center of White Torch Town.

The incident was discovered on a Saturday evening, when there was no performance and the stage props were being checked as usual.

The curtain rises, the lights fall.

They saw a young playwright, hands clasped together, dressed neatly, and pierced with antlers, appear in the center of the stage.

Like a play.

Chapter 127: The Ancient Eastern Dogma of "Since We're Already Here"

"Chief, it's not that I'm unwilling to cooperate, but the theater's various expenses—lighting, props, and all sorts of miscellaneous employees—all of these cost money. Cooperating with the investigation is no problem; you can ask any theater staff you want, but could you at least remove it so we can continue to hold our performances?"

Before even getting close, Zhang Renfeng witnessed a starkly real scene—a middle-aged man arguing with Gordon, demanding that the Jade Theatre be opened to the public.

His physique fit the characteristics of middle-aged weight gain, having swelled up considerably. He sported a somewhat comical curly mustache and wore a pair of round-framed glasses with gold rims.

Gordon, unable to resist his persistent nagging, resorted to official rhetoric and persuasion until he finally convinced Gordon to wait until after inspecting the scene before removing the body.

"This is Marion, the owner of the Emerald Theatre. He's a bit of a fussy guy... In name, the theatre is his, and he has short-term open house contracts with many theatre companies and performers. He provides the venue, invites these people to perform, and splits the profits 50/50."

The newlyweds interjected at the opportune moment, "Normally, the theater would be packed by now. Missing a show means missing out on earnings, which is tantamount to killing him."

After finally dealing with the people at the theater, Gordon sighed. He was already exhausted before he had even started the investigation.

There was nothing that could be done. For Marion, he didn't care who died or whether the case could be solved. As long as the theater was closed, there would be no business. What was worse, if news of a death on stage got out, there was no guarantee that the audience wouldn't be scared away.

If possible, he would love for this matter to be kept quiet within the theater troupe, so that no one would tell anyone.

Gordon sighed and waved to the crowd below, indicating that they could come over.

"call……"

Xiaomei closed her eyes slightly, took a deep breath, and mentally prepared herself. The thought of shooting someone was already too much of a burden, but that was one thing; seeing the body, like a work of art, nailed to the stage up close was quite another.

“Let’s go.” Zhang Renfeng nodded, and Mike didn’t waste a second, striding forward, trying to find any clues related to the murderer at the scene.

----

light.

stage.

Smoke and dust are flying.

What should have been a bustling place suddenly felt eerily empty. All the unnecessary decorations on the stage had been removed, leaving only the corpse on the antlers, creating a surreal and theatrical effect.

Its face was serene, its eyes and lips were closed, and its hands were clasped together, in the same posture as the Pharaoh in the coffin.

Mike's expression was somewhat strange; his eyebrows were almost furrowed together, as if he were physiologically resisting being near the corpse.

"Are you alright?" Gordon had naturally noticed his unusual behavior. "If you really can't accept it, you can..."

“No, Gordon, don’t underestimate me.” Mike gritted his teeth, a strange anger in his voice. “I’m going to see this for myself!”

"The deceased was named Theonado Ditasdorf, a playwright and a relatively unknown painter. We are still investigating his relationships, but so far, there is no indication that it may have been a revenge killing."

Gordon walked around to Mike's side, patted him lightly on the shoulder twice, and began to fill in the background of the deceased for everyone. "However, if it was done by an Australian shrike, it would also make sense."

"None of the thirteen victims so far have any social connections or commonalities. He may have randomly selected his targets. As such, if the method of killing is sophisticated enough, it is very difficult for us to find a breakthrough in the victims' interpersonal relationships."

Mike noticed the ligature marks on the playwright's neck and immediately realized, "This isn't the primary murder scene. It's no easy task to nail someone to a deer's antlers and then strangle them. They strangled them first and then placed them on the antlers."

"In other words, it was deliberately arranged in this shape."

Curtain, stage, lights.

Mike even imagined that the killer might not have left at all, but instead sat in a chair in the audience, silently admiring the spectacle for a while. After all, it was a masterpiece that had been painstakingly set up; wouldn't it be a waste of all that effort if it didn't get a chance to appreciate it?

"..." Xiaomei stood beside the body for a while, wanting to lift his clothes to take a look, but she didn't have the courage to do it. She just asked, "This time, were any organs taken away?"

“We’ll have to wait until the body is sent back for an autopsy to find out. But judging from the location of the incision…” Koby, who had been silent all along, stepped forward slowly, pointed to the lower abdomen of the body, and said in a deep voice, “The most reasonable guess is that the murderer removed his gallbladder after killing him.”