Clean this mess immediately."
Adrian's voice echoed across the ruined ground, cold and absolute. Blood still stained the earth, bodies scattered like discarded pieces of a failed plan. His men moved without hesitation, dragging the dead aside, wiping away evidence, restoring order under his command.
"We are moving ahead to that abandoned place," he continued, his tone sharper now. "They used a helicopter. And the signal went off around this area."
A few men exchanged glances but said nothing. They had learned long ago—questions were unnecessary when Adrian spoke.
Alex stood slightly apart, his attention fixed on the tablet in his hand. Lines of code flickered endlessly, trying to capture even the faintest trace of a signal.
"It's unstable…" Alex muttered under his breath. "Like they're masking it in layers."
Adrian didn't reply.
His gaze moved slowly across the area, scanning every detail, every shadow, every possible mistake.
Because someone—
Had slipped.
And he was going to find it.
—
Then suddenly—
A sharp sound cut through the silence.
A phone ringing.
Every movement stopped.
Every man froze.
Adrian's head snapped toward the direction of the sound.
One of the bodies.
Without wasting a second, he strode forward, his steps heavy and deliberate. The ringing continued, loud against the eerie quiet.
He crouched beside the corpse, sliding his hand into the man's coat pocket.
The phone vibrated against his palm.
Unknown number.
Adrian pressed the answer button.
But he didn't speak.
Didn't breathe.
Didn't make a single sound.
He simply listened.
—
A rough voice came through the line, impatient and irritated.
"Did you finish that bloody Adrian or not?"
Adrian's eyes darkened slightly.
The voice continued, harsher now—
"Finish your work quickly. Otherwise boss will finish you before you see tomorrow's sun."
Silence followed.
But not the kind that ended things.
The kind that began something far worse.
Adrian slowly lowered the phone.
A smirk curled onto his lips.
Then—
He laughed.
Low at first.
Then louder.
Darker.
Uncontrolled.
The sound echoed across the empty space, making every man standing there feel an invisible weight press down on them.
Because this laughter—
It wasn't normal.
It wasn't sane.
It was the sound of someone who had just found what he was looking for.
Alex stepped forward carefully, his brows furrowed.
"Boss…?"
Adrian didn't look at him.
His gaze remained fixed on the phone in his hand.
"I was wondering…"
he muttered quietly.
"…when you would make your move."
His fingers tightened around the device.
A pause.
His smile widened.
"Good."
He cut the call without another word.
Then suddenly—
He crushed the phone in his grip.
The device cracked, pieces breaking apart under the pressure of his hand.
Silence returned.
But the air—
It had changed.
Completely.
—
Adrian stood up slowly.
His presence now felt heavier.
Darker.
More dangerous than before.
Because now—
He wasn't guessing anymore.
He knew.
Alex's eyes followed him closely.
"Boss… what did they say?"
Adrian finally turned his head slightly.
His eyes—
They were glinting with something sharp.
Something lethal.
"They're scared."
A pause.
"And that means they've already lost."
Before Alex could respond, Adrian suddenly tossed the broken phone toward him.
Alex caught it mid-air instinctively.
"Track this."
Adrian's voice came out sharp.
Commanding.
"I don't want to hear any negative words this time."
Alex straightened immediately.
"Yes, boss."
Adrian stepped closer, his voice dropping into something colder.
"Find out who called. Pull out every detail—calls, messages, chats, deleted data."
His jaw clenched.
"I want everything."
Alex nodded firmly.
"I'll get it done."
—
Within minutes, the remaining team gathered their equipment and moved toward the vehicles. Engines roared to life, headlights slicing through the darkness.
But Adrian—
He didn't move immediately.
He stood there for a moment longer.
Alone.
Silent.
His mind replayed the voice.
The threat.
His eyes darkened.
"I'm coming…"
he whispered under his breath.
"…and this time, I won't miss."
—
The convoy sped through the empty roads, faster than before.
More aggressive.
More determined.
Inside the car—
Alex worked quickly, connecting the broken phone to his system, trying to extract data from the damaged device.
"It's encrypted…" he muttered. "But not impossible."
Adrian sat beside him, silent.
Watching.
Waiting.
Every second felt heavier.
Because every second—
She was still not with him.
—
Alex suddenly froze.
His fingers stopped moving.
Adrian noticed instantly.
"What is it?"
Alex looked up.
His expression—
Serious.
"Boss… I got something."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Speak."
Alex turned the screen toward him.
"There was a ping… just for a second."
A pause.
Adrian leaned closer.
"Where?"
Alex hesitated for a fraction of a second.
Then said—
"It's not the abandoned zone."
Adrian's expression hardened instantly.
"Then where?"
Alex swallowed slightly.
His voice dropping.
"It's moving."
A beat of silence.
Then—
"On a highway… heading north."
Adrian's eyes sharpened.
Alive.
Dangerous.
"Lock it."
Alex shook his head slightly.
"It disappeared again… like before."
Adrian's jaw clenched.
His patience—
Snapping.
"Find it."
His voice dropped into a deadly whisper.
Alex nodded immediately, fingers flying across the screen again.
—
Outside—
The car sped faster.
Chasing a signal that refused to stay still.
Chasing a ghost.
—
Adrian leaned back slowly.
But his eyes—
They didn't close.
Didn't soften.
Because now—
He knew.
He was close.
Closer than before.
But still—
One step behind.
And that—
Was something he would never tolerate.
—
The car suddenly took a sharp turn.
Speed increasing.
Tension rising.
Because somewhere ahead—
The real game was waiting.
—
And just as Alex was about to speak again—
The screen flickered.
A signal appeared.
Clear.
Stable.
For the first time.
Both of them froze.
Adrian's voice came out low.
Dangerously calm.
"Where is it?"
Alex stared at the screen.
His eyes widening slightly.
Because this time—
It wasn't moving.
It wasn't glitching.
It was fixed.
Locked.
Waiting.
—
And the location it showed—
Made even Alex hesitate.
Because it wasn't just unexpected.
It was impossible.
—
Adrian's lips curled slowly into a dark smile.
"Drive."
—
Because this time—
The hunt was about to turn into something else entirely.