Mark grinned and nodded. He was sure of one thing. If Lisa couldn't even protect one of her own undercover agents, nobody in their right mind would ever risk their life for her again. Only a few of her closest confidants knew Mark was working for Lisa. The rest of the men were stunned and started shouting in disbelief. "So Mark's been on our side the whole time?" "Damn, Mark, you're slick! I never had a clue." "Sorry, man. I always thought you were Godfrey's lackey. Guess I owe you an apology." "Lisa really thinks ten moves ahead. Godfrey may have muscle, but he can't compare to her brains." "Heh! And even if it came down to brute strength, didn't Lisa crush him last time anyway?" "Only idiots like Toby and his crew would ever choose to follow him!" The corners of Lisa's lips twitched. She was pleased, but she didn't let herself get carried away. She focused back on the real issue. "Where's Kennard? Why isn't he back yet?" Mark froze. That's a good question. I already reported in and even finished the drink Ms. Eland poured me, so why isn't Kennard back? Seeing Mark's blank stare, Philbert frowned beside Lisa. "You two went together, didn't you?" Mark nodded. "Yes. Just like you and Ms. Eland ordered, we split from the team together. He's faster, so he went to Villa 2. I went to Villa 5." Philbert's expression darkened as he turned to Lisa. "I think something's wrong." There were guns at Villa 2. If Kennard hadn't returned yet, chances were he'd been caught by the Mervyns' people, or maybe Godfrey had grabbed him during the retreat. Either way, it spelled trouble. Lisa didn't usually care whether her undercover agents lived or died. As long as they'd caused chaos for Godfrey by spooking the enemy and getting him killed, the mission was a success. But she knew the value of loyalty and morale. In front of her men, she always made it seem like their lives mattered. That was why she had so many devoted followers. She paused, then asked Mark, putting on a show of concern, "On your way down the mountain, did you notice anything unusual?" Mark thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I ran as fast as I could. I just lit the fuse and bolted. By the time I got to the bottom, I heard an explosion—it should've been Kennard's." His eyes widened. "Wait ... no. That blast was way too loud ... " The explosion at the foot of the mountain was louder than the one he'd set off. Both he and Kennard carried the same amount of dynamite. There was no way Kennard's pack could have caused that much noise. Mark looked at Lisa. "That wasn't Kennard's. It must've been Mr. Olson's team. Sounds like they set off a ton of explosives." Lisa thought it over, then added, "Which means Kennard's explosives never went off." Mark nodded. He only realized it after the fact. At the time, he just assumed it was Kennard's explosion. Lisa's brow creased. She'd sent those two specifically to draw Villa 2's fire and weaken Godfrey's forces. Now Kennard hadn't gone off, and she had no idea what was happening over there. If Godfrey got through the Hillside Villa District without a hitch, she'd be at a serious disadvantage. Glancing at her men, Lisa thought for a moment before giving her orders. "Mark, take two of the brothers and go back. Find out what happened to Kennard." Then she swept her gaze over the room, firm and commanding. "Not a single one of my men gets left behind!" The hall erupted with shouts. "We'll serve you till death, Ms. Eland!" Lisa smiled with satisfaction. Watching Mark and his two companions get ready to leave, she added, "And while you're there, check on Mr. Olson's situation too." That was really her main objective. Mark and his companions answered in unison, "Yes, ma'am!" After they left, Lisa checked the time and decided it was about time to take Joe back to the room for training. The apocalypse was unpredictable, and for years, she'd never let him skip drills. Joe hadn't disappointed her. Though still far from strong, he could at least swing a blade and spar with some skill. Lisa said, "Everyone, head back to your rooms and rest. Once—" She didn't finish. A younger man burst in, tumbling across the floor as he scrambled forward, screaming in pure panic. His voice was so frantic that it sounded like the entire gang was about to be wiped out.