In the driver's seat, Andre stole a glance through the rearview mirror at Sephirot, who was deep in thought.
His hands trembled slightly as they gripped the steering wheel.
It was hard to tell if it was from lingering fear or pure adrenaline.
While Peter's horrific death filled him with grief, the moment he thought about the footage captured on the camera last night, ambition began to grow wildly in his heart like weeds.
He knew all too well that if he could just edit and release even a fraction of what they had experienced, Sewer Gator would undoubtedly become the most viral, most talked-about paranormal investigation show on the internet overnight.
Compared to that, the guilt of a lost life didn't seem quite so unbearable.
"Sephirot..."
Andre hesitated for a long time before finally working up the nerve to ask: "Now that Peter is gone, our show is short one person."
"Would you consider joining us as the new host for our program?"
Sephirot snapped out of his contemplation and looked at the two men in the front, a new idea forming in his mind.
His current situation was actually a bit awkward.
He possessed great martial prowess, yet he had no clear direction in which to apply his strength.
He needed to establish an independent, exclusive intelligence channel that wasn't controlled by any major factions as soon as possible.
While Morrison and Enzo were resourceful and well-informed, they were ultimately middlemen who operated in the Black market.
As long as the price was right, they would serve any power.
If Sephirot had them frequently investigate certain intelligence or leads, it would be easy to expose his true intentions, not to mention the exorbitant fees involved.
On the other hand, Andre and Clancy, two guys brave enough to go on a suicide mission to a killer's lair just for show ratings, were the perfect tools.
By having them scramble all across the country every day, they might just stumble upon something useful by sheer luck and dig up actual clues.
With this in mind, Sephirot didn't refuse outright. Instead, he pulled out a piece of flesh he had previously retrieved from the body of the mechanically modified monster.
The meat had already shriveled, but the pattern on it remained clear.
It was an Ouroboros, a serpent biting its own tail, and in the center of the circular snake, an eyeball was engraved.
If one stared at the eye for too long, they would feel as though it were watching them back, inducing a strong sense of vertigo.
He handed the scrap of flesh forward: "You two are out on the road every day and have seen a lot. Have you ever encountered this symbol anywhere?"
Andre glanced at it during a lull in driving; his face turned pale, and he quickly jerked his head back toward the road.
Clancy, sitting in the passenger seat, fared better. He suppressed his nausea, reached out to take the piece of flesh, and studied it carefully for a moment.
He furrowed his brows deeply, his expression hesitant. "This pattern... why does it look familiar? I feel like I've definitely seen it somewhere."
"Truly?"
Sephirot raised an eyebrow, not expecting such a pleasant surprise.
"Give me some time."
Clancy rubbed his head, feeling a bit lightheaded. "Let me get back to Los Santos and dig through all the raw footage we've shot across the country over the last few years."
"I'm certain this thing has shown up in our lens before."
Sephirot nodded in satisfaction and recited a string of digits. "This is my phone number. If you find anything, contact me immediately."
"If you can find a lead that interests me, I wouldn't mind doing a guest spot as your host."
These two were already running all over the world seeking thrills, and he wouldn't have to pay for their travel expenses.
He might as well treat them as two free sets of eyes planted in the field.
Silence returned to the interior of the vehicle.
The van cruised along the smooth highway.
Just as Sephirot lay back down, preparing to close his eyes and rest,
"SCREECH!!!"
The piercing sound of brakes suddenly erupted. The van jolted violently and came to a dead stop.
Sephirot remained on the seat, his body not even swaying.
Clancy, clutching the camera, wasn't so lucky. He slammed his forehead, opening a gash that bled profusely, while the camera in his arms fell to the floor.
"FUCK! This God-damn lens is more expensive than my medical bills!"
Clancy cursed loudly, clutching his head while looking at the camera in agony.
Sephirot crouched and moved to the front, looking outside.
The highway, which should have been wide open, was now blocked off.
A dozens meters ahead, several armored vehicles and main battle tanks were positioned across the center of the road, their dark muzzles pointed directly at the van.
Dozens of fully armed soldiers stood ready behind covers, gas masks hanging from their chests.
At the very front, several state troopers wearing ballistic vests strode toward the van, waving red glowing batons to signal them to pull over.
Andre stared at the display of force. His Adam's apple bobbed as cold sweat poured down his forehead.
He'd only taken people to explore an abandoned house; even if an accident had happened and someone died, surely it wouldn't warrant the military rolling out tanks to hunt them down?
One of the state troopers pressed the walkie-talkie on his shoulder, muttered a few words, and knocked on the driver's side window.
Andre tremblingly rolled down the window, his breathing heavy.
The trooper scanned the interior, his voice raspy. "The road ahead is closed due to a hazardous material leak."
"Per executive order, this county and the next dozen towns are under a mandatory evacuation."
The trooper frowned as he looked at Andre's bloodless face. "Sir? Are you alright?"
His hand moved slowly toward the handgun at his waist.
"I... I'm fine," Andre stammered.
The trooper looked skeptical, but thinking of the consecutive overtime shifts ahead of him and glancing at the beat-up van, he really didn't want to cause any more trouble.
"If you're fine, turn around immediately. Do not stop anywhere. Get far away from here."
Sephirot patted Andre's shoulder, signaling him to relax.
Looking out through the window, the distant mountain range seemed to be swallowed by something white, expanding outward at a rate visible to the naked eye. The van made a U-turn on the highway and sped away against the flow of traffic.
After driving for a while, Andre's tense body finally relaxed once the police were no longer visible in the rearview mirror.
He sank into his seat, letting out a long sigh.
"Damn it, I'll bet anything that it's definitely not some goddamn chemical leak in there!"
Andre ran a hand through his hair, trying to salvage some dignity. "Just think back to that disaster in the Los Santos suburbs a while ago!"
"Half a block was blown into a crater, and the media actually had the nerve to lie through their teeth, claiming it was an underground gas pipe explosion!"
Sephirot watched his contradictory behavior, finding it hard not to be amused.
Just a moment ago, the man had been so terrified under the barrel of a gun that he could barely speak, nearly raising his hands to confess every crime he'd ever committed.
Now, as soon as conspiracy theories and supernatural events came up, he was acting like he'd been pumped with adrenaline, his eyes shining.
Seeing that Sephirot didn't argue, Andre's eyes darted slightly as he asked tentatively, "Hey, Sephirot, any interest in coming inside with us to take a look?"
"Think about it, they've deployed tanks and troops to block the roads. This is definitely another massive incident that the higher-ups are trying to bury!"
"If we can get first-hand footage, this episode will absolutely blow up the entire internet!"
Sephirot raised an eyebrow, unmoved by the grand vision Andre was painting. "The main roads are all sealed off by the military. Do you know a back way?"
"Of course!"
Andre patted his chest, brimming with confidence.
"Maine is just ahead, and there are far too many unexplainable, bizarre legends circulating there. To prepare for this exploration show, I've visited this place countless times in private."
"When it comes to knowing this land, I'll bet I'm better than any GPS."
Sephirot glanced at the map.
According to the lockdown perimeters the police had mentioned, if they weren't exaggerating, he would have to take a massive detour to get back to Los Santos.
The police hadn't told them to take a detour, but to turn back the way they came; it was possible that any alternate routes would also lead to being turned away.
Besides, given the scale of the operation, with tanks mobilized alongside regular troops, he was actually a bit curious.
He wondered what kind of mess those organizations, so fond of conducting secret research, had cooked up this time.
"Let's go, then."