The one and the Only (Nathan Cross)

Chapter 4 What A Spectacular Scene

What an outrageous, pompous ass!

Walter Zahn seethed and cursed as he picked up the phone and called Thomas Dunn to seek his help. His voice sounded like a foghorn.

"Soon you'll get to experience living hell!" He grinned grotesquely at Nathan after he had made the call.

Everybody was shaking their heads, lamenting Nathan's folly. To the onlookers, Nathan had committed a suicidal act. Rather than using the opportunity to escape, he had just sent himself to the gallows when he allowed Walter Zahn to seek help from Thomas Dunn.

Anxiety was all over her face as Penny scurried over with Queenie in her arms. "We should leave now, Nathan," she persuaded, "Thomas Dunn is the big daddy here in Eastern District. He's a vicious guy who sides with vile people like Walter Zahn."

"Just leave it to me, Penny," He said coolly, "It'll save us the trouble of dealing with them one at a time. Let me take care of them in one go."

It took less than ten minutes before the second round of commotion broke out again in the otherwise harmonious kindergarten. This time, it was an even bigger one.

Someone stared out of the window and shouted in amazement, "Wow, what a spectacular sight! Look at the troops of soldiers who are standing outside, even the military trucks have arrived in dozens!" One by one, dozens of military trucks rolled stridently into the kindergarten with the grandeur of a military procession.

"Quick!"

"Quick!"

Thousands of soldiers in camouflage uniforms dismounted from the trucks when they came to a halt and assembled themselves in an organized formation.

Soon after, a brawny man with thick sideburns stepped out of a military jeep.

He was Thomas Dunn, the person whom Walter Zahn had called for help.

"Squad One and Squad Two, seal off the streets. I want this kindergarten to be fully enclosed."

"Without my permission, not even a bird can enter or leave the vicinity."

Thomas Dunn's orotund voice resounded like a gong as he belted out the orders.

"Understood, Sir! We shall do everything to ensure accomplishment of mission!"

Squad One and Squad Two answered in synchrony as they sprang into action immediately. In the blink of an eye, the kindergarten was surrounded. Thomas Dunn drew out a handgun from his waistband and gestured towards his remaining squad, "Follow me!"

"Let's find out who has the audacity to touch my men. I'll make sure to beat the hell out of him!"

One by one, the soldiers barged into the classroom, wielding weapons that ranged from bayonets to machine guns, and even grenades. They surrounded the whole kindergarten in a flash, with every corner guarded by soldiers.

"Freeze!"

The sight of Thomas Dunn was enough to send shivers down everyone's spines, and they felt increasingly sorry for Nathan and his family.

Now that he had the backing of Thomas Dunn, Walter Zahn was back to his arrogant self. "Hehe, your end is near," he gloated with malignant pleasure.

Next, he turned to Thomas Dunn and buttered him up, "I'm so glad that you're finally here, Mr. Dunn. Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for helping me to seek justice. Please take pity on my family and don't let him escape scot-free!"

"Indeed, Mr. Dunn." Mrs. Zahn joined in the plea with their fat son and wept crocodile tears, "Look at how cruel he is, torturing us! Please give us the justice we deserve!"

Thomas Dunn frowned at the sight of Walter Zahn's bodyguards lying on the floor, writhing in pain. "What happened?" He turned to Walter, whose face was smeared with blood.

"All thanks to him." Walter Zahn pointed at Nathan with scathing resentment. "This savage hooligan not only bullied my wife and my kid, but he also assaulted my bodyguards and made me kneel in front of him."

Thomas Dunn's gaze followed Walter's finger. His eyes met Nathan's steady gaze.

There was a discernible change in his demeanor, and his eyes flickered.

"I've never been humiliated in such a way before, Mr. Dunn." Walter Zahn sulked in defeat as he stood beside Thomas Dunn. "He turned me into the laughingstock of Channing. Please help me seek revenge." Thomas Dunn's eyes lingered on Nathan for a while before he turned to Walter Zahn, "So, what would you like me to do?"

As if he were about to receive an honorary award, Walter Zahn straightened his back and lifted his head high with his chest puffed out. He tauntingly side-eyed Nathan and his family before addressing everyone in his loud and unpleasant voice, "Well, everyone in Channing knows that I'm a man of my word."

"Since I've promised to break his arm, I need to stick to my word. But the number has changed - I want to break both of his arms instead of one."

Mrs. Zahn jumped in, "We should not let that b**** leave unscathed. Slap her until she's left with no more teeth!"

"Well said!" Thomas Dunn looked impressed.

With that being said, he turned to face his soldiers and commanded, "Take them down." He pointed at Walter Zahn and his wife, "Break both the arms of the man and slap the woman until she's toothless."

What?

Everybody at the scene stood transfixed, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Nobody saw this coming. They all expected Nathan and his family to perish instead of Walter Zahn and his wife.

They were utterly dazed - what just happened?

Walter Zahn and his wife were shocked to the core too.

The soldiers sprang into action once Thomas gave his orders, ready to launch a blistering attack on the couple.

"What's going on here, Mr. Dunn?" Walter Zahn floundered as he struggled in vain to free himself.

"Is this some kind of mistake, Mr. Dunn?" Mrs. Zahn's voice quivered with fear, "Shouldn't it be targeting the wretched couple instead of us..."

"Shut up!"

Thomas Dunn bellowed at them before pointing at Nathan, who was standing idly at a distance with his hands behind his back. "Do you know who he really is? And how much he means to me? He is my God, my faith, and my belief all in one!"

"I have pledged my life and soul to him, and I would never defy him. I swore to serve him wholeheartedly, with every ounce of my strength."

"Who do you think you are to insult my hero? You're just some dispensable lackeys of mine."

Walter Zahn and his wife were stumped. They gazed despairingly at Nathan, horror evident in their eyes.

They knew that they were in deep trouble for offending Thomas's beloved idol. He had made it clear that he worshipped Nathan like his god. Their faces turned ashen.

With one forceful thrust of their legs, Thomas Dunn's soldiers kicked Walter Zahn to the floor before he could even open his mouth to beg for his life.

Crack! Crack! They broke both his arms.

"Ah!"

The room was filled with Walter Zahn's blood-curdling shrieks.

Two men in suits grasped Mrs. Zahn by her arms while another man unleashed a series of unforgiving slaps on her cheeks.

One by one, her teeth popped out from her mouth, stained with blood.

Thump! Thump!

Both lay prostrate in front of Nathan; Walter Zahn with his broken arms and Mrs. Zahn, who had lost all her teeth.

Thomas Dunn quickly approached Nathan. He started to get down on his knees in a gesture of respect. "I am Thomas Dunn, General..."

"Generally speaking, you're no longer working under me, so there's no need for the formalities." Nathan stretched out his arm and halted him from kneeling.

Initially, the name "Thomas Dunn" did not ring any bells with Nathan.

But the penny dropped when he saw Thomas Dunn's face. He was one of Nathan's personal guards.

Generally speaking?

Thomas Dunn started when he heard Nathan's queer response, but it took him less than two seconds to decipher the intention behind his response - Nathan Cross wanted to keep his identity a secret.

He replied earnestly, "It's my honor to have served you in the North, Sir. I'll forever be under your command!"

Thomas Dunn had suffered an injury while he was a personal guard of the General, hence they had transferred him to the Eastern District hitherto.

Given his proximity to Nathan, his admiration for the general was inexorably greater than the other soldiers.

He idolized Nathan to the extent of worshipping him as a pillar of his faith.

It was like a dream come true for him to meet his hero again. His churning emotions almost moved him to tears when he saw Nathan.

A sense of defeat washed over Walter Zahn and his wife when they saw Thomas Dunn going down on his knees in front of Nathan. He resembled a tamed lion bowing down to its majestic master. They knew that this was not their day.

Gone was their smug and overbearing insolence. Even the slightest tinge of hatred had faded away from their eyes, leaving behind fear, despair, and regret...