The sun had already dipped below the jagged skyline of Carmine City by the time Jayden realized his first lead was a dead end. He had checked every part of Frost's luxury penthouse, only to find it completely empty.
With evening fully settling over the neon-drenched streets, he pivoted to the second location Fred had provided: a secluded, subterranean bar where the pioneer supposedly wound down after her day's work.
He could have waited for her at the penthouse… after all she would have to come home eventually. But it wouldn't hurt to check the bar. The sooner he found her, the sooner he can get this over with and go home.
Jayden unequipped his tactical gear in a shadowed alleyway, swapping it for a casual hoodie and jeans. Then he pushed through the heavy, soundproofed doors of the bar, stepping into a dimly lit, smoky room filled with the low hum of jazz and quiet conversation. He scanned the room instantly.
There was no sign of her. She wasn't here also.
