Tia arrived, guiding David gently by the hand. He walked with effort, his face still bruised, but his eyes burned with quiet anger. Arnold followed close behind, keeping an eye on them both.
Tia's grip tightened as if afraid David might collapse at any moment. David scanned the gathered crowd, eyes narrowing as they landed on the Viper's grandson.
His face twisted in recognition and fury.
"It's him!" David shouted. "He's the guy who beat me up!"
The Viper's grandson snapped back with equal rage. "You bastard! What did you do to Lena?!"
"I should be asking you that!" David growled. "You were always harassing her! She'd never talk to the likes of you!"
Their shouting escalated instantly, the tension between them crackling like dry leaves near a fire.
"Enough!" Enzo's voice boomed, cutting through the noise like a gunshot. "We're not here for the two of you to start squabbling. We're here to figure out what happened to the missing girl. You both knew her. So we start from the beginning."
He pointed at David.
"You first."
David glared at the Viper's grandson for another second before turning to Enzo. His voice was strained but steady.
"I met Lena during the NeoTech Futures Expo which was held at my school a week ago. I was presenting a research prototype—an improved model of the TX-9800 engine series. I proposed a hybrid fuel conversion system that could increase efficiency by 14% while maintaining thermal stability under stress."
He glanced at the others, then continued.
"She was there with a university delegation. We had a short chat, and later exchanged a few messages online. She encouraged me to apply to the Capital University. But I didn't have the money. So she started sending me info on scholarships I could try for."
David's hands clenched. "Lena was kind. She helped people without asking anything back. But people like him—" he pointed at the Viper's grandson again "—take advantage of people like her!"
The Viper's grandson merely scoffed at his words.
Enzo gave David a calm nod. "Keep going. Tell us about your last interaction with her."
David paused to think, his brow furrowed. "The last time I saw her was at school. She was just leaving. I told her about my scholarship plans… and what my mom thought about it. We chatted a bit about school stuff—nothing serious. We weren't close or anything. The only other thing I told her was to avoid him. Because he's shady and run with the gangs. I already told the police all this."
He stepped back, done.
Enzo turned to Beth, his voice steady. "I've reviewed the files. His testimony lines up with the evidence. Security footage confirms they spoke before she left the school grounds."
Adam frowned slightly. "But wasn't she supposed to be with the rest of the program members? Why was she alone on the way back to the hotel? And there's no footage of the actual disappearance?"
Enzo crossed his arms, his face grim. "Her last known location was near Hearth Hospital. She was walking alone. That's where the trail goes cold. As for why she was alone, we don't exactly understand. The other members we're saying that they did not quarrel with her. So she must've just done it with no reason."
He shook his head. "We've searched every building within a five-block radius. Interviewed dozens—residents, staff, even hospital patients. Nothing. People are starting to complain online due to the commotion we made. We're getting hundreds of complaints on our desks about the police being invasive."
He glanced at Viper.
"The higher-ups already had a plan in motion. If Lena Flaier isn't found within the next three days, they're rounding up every active gang in the city."
Viper let out a long sigh, his expression unreadable. Clearly they were getting busted either way. They were just the earliest and ahead of schedule.
Enzo turned his attention to Viper's grandson, his voice firm. "Your turn. Talk."
The young man's jaw tightened as he threw another glare at David. "I've already heard what I needed to from him."
He turned back to Enzo.
"My last conversation with Lena was the day before she disappeared. I asked her to grab a coffee with me. That's it. She said she was busy, like always. Then the next day, I heard she was missing. I started asking around… and that led me to him."
He gestured towards David.
The two boys stared daggers at each other, neither backing down.
Beth let out a tired sigh, rubbing her forehead. "So we're back to square one."
Sarah, who had been quiet all this time, finally spoke. "I doubt Ben knows anything more than these two. And the police have probably interviewed him already."
Beth gave a small nod, silent for a moment.
Enzo glanced over at her team. "What's your next move? Wist CSRU will be staying here until the transport vehicles arrive to move these guys to prison."
Beth took a deep breath, thinking it over. "We'll take a short break, then continue the investigation until the higher-ups call us off. We'll head out now."
She gave him a respectful nod. "Thank you for your help, sir."
Enzo smiled, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "No problem. And hey—good job with the distraction. That explosion? Beautiful timing."
Viper's eyes widened at those words. He turned to look at Beth's group in disbelief, realizing with a jolt who they were—the ones who blew up his warehouse and ended the negotiations.
His mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Without a word, the group turned and exited the building, making their way back to the patrol car.
Beth slipped into the driver's seat and started the engine.
"Let's go back."
-----------------------------------------------------------
Two days had passed since the raid on Viper's hidden base.
Adam sat on a folding chair in the training room's corner, quietly watching the others go through their routines in the reinforced basement.
On the far side, Sarah and Arnold were lined up at the shooting range, focused and calm as they practiced their aim. The sound of controlled gunfire echoed in rhythm, precise and sharp.
Nearby, Tia trained with a blunt practice knife, attacking a padded dummy in steady bursts. A tablet propped up beside her played a looping video tutorial, guiding her movements. Tiggy lounged at her feet in its usual lazy form, flicking its tail occasionally, as if critiquing her technique.
Peter was on the treadmill, drenched in sweat, his eyes focused as he ran while listening to something through his headphones. Just as he slowed down to cool off, the door opened, and Jackie walked in.
Adam stood and waved at him. "Hey, Jackie! You're not limping anymore. Guess that means you're finally healed?"
Jackie flashed a crooked grin. "Not completely. Still got some bandages on my thigh—damn wolf bit a chunk out of me. But I can move again, so I'm ready to train."
They started their training routines right after the wolf incident. With all of the dangerous rabid animals inside the city either put down or captured, they finally had time to breathe—and sharpen their skills. Except for Jackie who was stuck in the hospital.
Adam smirked. "I've been looking forward to this. Now I can finally learn from the master." He gave Jackie a dramatic, mocking bow.
Jackie let out a laugh and clapped his fists together. In a gravelly old man voice, he replied, "You shall learn well, young apprentice. I will grant your mind enlightenment... and your body, pain."
They stared each other down, holding serious expressions—then broke into laughter.
Jackie raised an eyebrow. "So... are you ready to challenge the master?"
Adam cracked his knuckles with a grin. "Sure. Why not?"