"David's phone!" she cried.
Adam slid down the slope of the canal and picked it up. He handed it to her. "Do you know the password?"
Tia nodded, her fingers trembling slightly as she typed. "It should be his birthday..."
After a few tries, the phone unlocked. Jackie let out a low whistle. "Nice."
Tia looked up at Beth. "What should I check?"
Beth thought for a moment. "Start with his messages. Then calls, gallery, and notes."
Tia nodded and opened his messages. Most were with family, friends, and school group chats. But one name stood out.
"Lena Flaier?" Adam murmured, eyes narrowing.
Tia quickly opened the thread. "They were mostly talking about the school program… David wanted to show her some of his inventions, and she kept encouraging him to apply to a university in the capital."
She scrolled down further.
"Wait—this is the last one." Tia's voice lowered. "David told her to stay away from someone... said 'he's shady.' Lena replied it wasn't a big deal."
Beth leaned in. "Someone? Any clues on who that could be?"
Tia scrolled up and down, but there were no other messages about this person. She shook her head. "No. Nothing else about him."
Beth nodded. "Check the call logs."
Tia opened the recent calls. "Just me, mostly. Nothing unusual."
She moved on to the gallery and notes.
"Same thing. School stuff. Pictures of projects, some class notes... nothing out of the ordinary."
Jackie crossed his arms. "Great. Right back to square one."
Adam spoke quietly. "If we could just find David..."
Tia glanced at him, worry clear in her eyes. Peter remained silent, staring into the distance.
Beth turned back to Tia. "We'll keep looking for your brother. There might be something nearby—a building or hideout. We'll see it if we keep driving around."
Arnold who was quiet for sometime, spoke. "There should be a factory a few kilometers ahead."
Everyone turned to him in surprise. "You've been here before?" Jackie asked.
Arnold nodded, his voice low. "Yeah. I was one of the responders during the fire." He fell silent after that.
She turned to Arnold. "Can you scout the factory? Try passing through the hills. Just confirm if there are lights or signs of activity."
"Got it," Arnold replied. Without another word, he left the group and disappeared into the darkness.
A few minutes later, he returned, his face grim.
"There's people. They look dangerous. I'm guessing this is the Viper's gang."
Beth narrowed her eyes. "I'm willing to bet they have outposts watching the road. We can't use the car from here. If we want to get close, we go on foot."
Everyone nodded grimly.
Adam turned to Beth. "Should we call for reinforcements?"
Beth frowned deeply, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on her. "I'll call the supervisor. Let them decide."
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After the call, the group returned to the car to wait. Silence settled over them like a heavy fog.
Adam sat by the window, eyes distant as he stared out into the darkness. Sarah studied her palms, lost in thought. Arnold kept his gaze ahead, posture still but tense. Jackie leaned back, unusually quiet, brows furrowed in contemplation. Peter tapped rapidly on his phone. Tia fidgeted in her seat, shifting every few seconds, trying and failing to stay calm.
Finally, Beth's phone rang. She answered immediately.
After a brief exchange, she hung up and turned to the group.
"The police are sending a raid team," she said. "North Squad won't be joining us—they're continuing their own search for Lena. We're advised not to engage or alert the Viper gang. Our orders are to wait."
Everyone nodded grimly. They all knew the risks—especially since, unlike Adam, none of them could survive a bullet to the head.
Beth continued, voice steady but firm. "I've been given discretion on whether we join the raid. To anyone who disagrees that we should join the raid, raise your hand."
Nobody raised their hand. Everyone looked at her with quiet determination in her eyes.
"Good. So here's the plan:"
She clears her throat.
"When the raid begins and the camp is distracted, Adam, Arnold, and Tia—you three will infiltrate from the rear. Your goal is to locate any kidnapping victims and get them out safely. The raid team has been briefed on our team's appearance—and Tiggy too, so no one will panic if they see a white tiger."
Adam and Tia nodded, exchanging a glance.
"If things go south and you're outnumbered," Beth looked at Arnold, "Your top priority is getting them out alive."
Arnold nodded once.
"I'll find a vantage point to cover you from above," Beth said. Then looked at Jackie. "Jackie, you're with me. Don't argue, you're still injured."
Jackie frowned but said nothing.
"Sarah, Peter—you'll stay with the car. Wait for the raid team to arrive, then tail them from a safe distance. Peter, you're driving."
Both of them nodded in agreement.
Gesturing to follower her, she led everyone outside to the side of the patrol car. Beth tapped something on her phone; a hidden panel on the car's side clicked open with a mechanical hiss.
Inside was a small but lethal arsenal—three rifles, six pistols, four combat knives. Magazines stacked neatly in rows. Tactical belts and armored vests hung ready.
Beth turned to the group, her face grim.
"Suit up."
The group gathered around the car, quietly slipping into their gear.
Adam strapped on a tactical vest, securing a pistol at his hip and stared at the knives. He hesitated for a bit before taking one, now sporting two knives on his sides.
Arnold moved methodically, loading magazines into pouches with calm precision, readying a pistol to his holster, while Tia, fumbling slightly, fastened her vest and clipped a knife to her belt. Jackie loads a pistol, gazing at it with unfamiliarity, before holstering it.
Sarah and Peter both checked their weapons carefully, their faces tense but composed.
Beth finished suiting up and turned to the group, her voice firm but quiet.
"Any suggestions?"
Tia hesitantly raised her hand. "I haven't really trained Tiggy to attack people yet. I don't know if I can make him only go after the bad guys..."
Beth looked at her thoughtfully, then glanced at Adam before looking back to Tia.
"Can you make Tiggy follow Adam's commands instead?"
Tia nodded quickly. "I-I'll try!"
Adam raised his hand, frowning slightly. "Why aren't we using communication earpieces?"
Beth answered firmly, "I suspect they either have a small signal jammer or a frequency detector. Either way, comms will be unreliable. And leave your phones behind—we can't risk giving away our positions."
Beth checked her watch—7 PM sharp. She tucked it back under her sleeve and looked at everyone, her expression grim.
"Alright. Let's move out."