Chapter 73 (The Mortal Multiverse : Liam Raven Harper)

Chapter 73 - Handling It!

Liam Pov

I called Emma while walking down the block, keeping my tone calm even though my mind was running fast.

She picked up after a couple of rings. “Hey, Liam. What’s up?”

‘’Where are you right now?’’ I asked, keeping my voice steady but firm.

“I’m in my office,” she replied. “We’re fixing a few bugs in the new build. Why?”

‘’Stay there,’’ I said immediately. ‘’Don’t leave the building until I call you back.’’

There was a short silence before she spoke again, her tone shifting into worry. “What? Why? Did something happen?”

‘’I’ll explain soon,’’ I said, keeping my tone calm but clear. ‘’Right now, I have a few important things to handle. Please just listen to me, Emma.’’

“Liam…” she said, clearly worried. “You’re scaring me,” she said. “What happened?”

‘‘Nothing I can’t handle,’’ I replied. ‘’Just do what I said. Please.’’

For a second, silence. Then her sigh came through the line. “Fine. I’ll stay put. But you better call me back soon, Understood!”

“I will,’’ I promised. ‘’Just trust me on this.’’

“Ok” she said softly before the line disconnected.

Next, I opened the system interface, the faint digital glowing HUD flickering across my vision as I pulled up my secure contact list instantly.

[Calling him?] she asked, though she already knew the answer.

‘’Yeah,’’ I said.

I tapped John Wick’s name, and after two rings, that calm, low voice came through. “Liam.”

‘’John,’’ I said, my tone even. ‘’There was an attempt on my life a few minutes ago. Black sedan. Tinted windows. Address xxx xx xxxxx. They missed me but got my bike. I couldn't follow them.’’

There was a pause—short, sharp, deliberate. “You’r hurt?”

‘’Not a scratch,’’ I replied. ‘’I’m looking into a new case which has a link with Hale’s case and recently found out a guy named ‘The Turk’ has my name on his hit list but I didn't expect them to move so fast.’’

John’s voice grew colder. “Leave this to me. I’ll follow the trail.”

‘’Done!’ I said and continued ‘’While you’re at it, look into the Italian crime families operating in New York. Every one of them. I want to know if there’s a connection to the Turk.’’

“I’ll start digging right away,” John said. “You’ll hear from me soon.”

‘’Appreciate it, John,’’ I said. 

‘’Stay sharp.’’ he replied before ending the call.

[Looks like he’s out to hurt some people] Eve said in my head.

‘’And no one delivers results like The Boogeyman.’’

Next, I called Cameron Dennis. He picked up almost instantly, his voice carrying that usual crisp authority. “Liam? What’s going on?”

‘’There was an attempt on my life, A drive-by shooting at xxxx xx xxx.’’

“An attack? On one of my ADAs?!” he snapped, his tone rising. “Are you telling me criminals in this city have grown so bold they’re taking shots at prosecutors in broad daylight?”

I held the phone away from my ear slightly, keeping my calm. ‘’Yea, It seems that way.’’

He exhaled hard. “Unbelievable. The level of audacity these people have…!”

‘’I understand your anger,’’ I said evenly. ‘’But it’s handled for now. I’m unharmed.’’

Cameron didn’t calm down easily. “Handled? Liam, this isn’t some street mugging! Someone tried to kill a prosecutor from my office. Do you realize what that says about how far the rot has spread?”

‘’I do’’ I replied, still measured. ‘’That’s why I’m making sure it doesn’t escalate any further.’’

He let out another sharp breath and finally asked the question I've wanted to avoid for now “But, Why you?”

“Its connected to the Hale case.’’ That got his attention immediately. “Go on.”

‘’Through my friends in NY99, I got information from one of their suspects,’’ I explained. 

‘’Apparently, there’s a target on my head. I wanted to verify whether it was credible before bringing it to you.’’

There was a short silence. Then Cameron’s voice came through, harder than before. “You what? You already knew about a threat to your life and didn’t tell me immediately?”

‘’I didn’t want to waste time or resources if it turned out fake,’’ I said calmly. ‘’I had to confirm whether it was real.’’

“That’s not your decision to make, Liam,” Cameron snapped. “You’re an ADA, not a vigilante investigator. If someone’s putting a price on your head and you know it, First, You come to Me!.”

‘’You’re right,’’ I said, keeping my tone level. ‘’I should have. I’ll remember that next time. But right now, I need your help.’’

He exhaled sharply, still annoyed but listening. “What is it?”

‘’I want to keep my name out of the press,’’ I said. ‘’If word spreads that a prosecutor was targeted, the media will blow it up and I’ll become a walking headline—and a bad name to the office. Can this be contained?’’

He paused for a few seconds, then said tightly, “I’ll make some calls. I’ve got friends in the department who can make that happen. But Liam—don’t think this conversation’s over.”

‘’Wouldn’t dream of it,’’ I replied smoothly. I know I'm in a lot of trouble for not informing about the interrogation that happened in the NY99 but I'll deal with it later.

Cameron sighed through his nose, the anger still simmering in his voice. “Stay alert. And find somewhere else to stay tonight and keep my posted. Understood?”

‘’Already part of the plan.’’

“Good,” he muttered, and the line went dead.

Eve’s voice broke the silence. [He’s pissed—but at least he’s helping.]

‘’Yeah,’’ I thought, glancing down the street. ‘’And that’s all I need from him right now.’’

My phone buzzed. I glanced down—and the caller ID made me raise an eyebrow. Detective  Cross.

I lifted my head slightly, scanning the crowd wondering why Cross was calling at a time like this, and that’s when I saw him—Detective Cross, standing near the barricade with Officer Ruiz at his side, both of them staring at my poor bike filled with bullet holes. 

Cross had his phone to his ear, eyes sharp and searching around.

Yeah, they recognized it. Even without the number plate, my bike was hard to mistake by people who have seen it up close—they’d seen me ride it enough times.

I answered. “Cross.”

“Liam! Where the hell are you? Are you alright?” His voice came fast, half-worried, half-angry.

‘’I’m fine,’’ I replied evenly, stepping away from the street corner.

“Fine? There’s a bike here that looks exactly like yours—”

‘’That’s because it is mine,’’ I cut him off. ‘’And yeah, I was the target. But they missed.’’

Cross went silent for a second. Then: “You’re serious?”

‘’Dead serious.’’

Cross’s eyes darted across the street, scanning faces, his jaw tense. 

I could tell he was looking for me.

‘’Calm down,’’ I said. ‘’I’m nearby. There’s a small café at the corner—Café Olivio. Come quietly.’’

He nodded subtly, muttering something to Ruiz before the two slipped through the crowd.

I was already heading there. The place was half-empty as all attention was grabbed by the commotion nearby. I took a seat by the window, watching them walk in a few minutes later.

Cross didn’t waste time. “You’re telling me someone just opened fire on you? Broad daylight?”

‘’Pretty much,’’ I said, leaning back in my chair. ‘’A Black sedan with tinted windows followed me for some time. Fired at me at a traffic signal and didn’t stick around.’’

Ruiz frowned. “You got a look at them?”

‘’No faces. Just the gun.’’ but the truth was because of my sharingan, I actually saw half a face along with the gun.  

Cross ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. 

Before he could say more, Ruiz’s phone rang. He stepped out to answer it.

I finished recounting the details while Cross kept shaking his head. “Man, this city’s losing it.”

A minute later, Ruiz came back in. “Captain just called,” he said, looking between us. “He wants to suppress Liam’s name in the shoot out. He wants the reports to say that the victim hasn’t been identified.”

Cross turned to me, suspicion flickering in his eyes.

‘’Yeah,’’ I said, a small smile tugging at my lips. ‘’That’s my boss’s work. I asked the DA to keep it quiet.’’

Cross leaned back, exhaling. “Makes sense. A hit on an ADA getting public would tear into the department’s credibility. The DA must’ve pulled strings fast.”

‘’He did,’’ I said simply.

Ruiz asked, “So what’s the next move?”

‘’We wait,’’ I said.

Cross frowned. “Wait? For what?”

‘’This attack is connected,’’ I explained. ‘’Loosely tied to the Hale case. But I’m already working a related angle with the detectives from the 99. They’re on their way here now.’’

Cross raised an eyebrow. “The 99? Can we trust them?”

‘’Completely,’’ I said without hesitation. ‘’I trust them with my life.’’

That was enough for Cross and Ruiz. He gave a short nod, that look of quiet understanding in his eyes. 

I’d earned his trust long ago—and that was something neither of us needed to say out loud.

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