The air in the HQ was suffocating with tension as Kiaan stormed into the main operations room. Blood still stained the edge of his temple, the bandage on his head doing little to calm the fire burning in his chest. The large screen flickered with open files, faces of dead cadets, and the last images pulled from the seminar's CCTV.Tara, Rehaan, Dev, and Zid stood around the table, glancing at him as he entered. He didn't wait for questions.Kiaan's voice cut like a blade.
"I just got off a call with Mia Hartley. It's confirmed. The cadets were sexually assaulted—before death. Sedatives were used, controlled injections. The killer's method was precise—cold, clinical. This isn't just a soldier... this is someone with medical training."
Rehaan's eyes widened.
"You mean… a medic?"Kiaan turned to Tara immediately."Tara, I want the suspended officers list again—specifically focus on those with medical experience. Paramedics, trauma response, field doctors, even army nurses. If they were suspended eight weeks ago, they're our top suspects."Tara was already typing at lightning speed.
"I'm on it. Cross-referencing suspension records with military medical clearances now."Zid stepped forward, skeptical.
"Are you sure, Kiaan? What if it's just someone faking it?"Kiaan's jaw clenched. His voice lowered, dead serious.
"No. These boys were drugged with something not available over-the-counter. No messy needle marks. No panic. This killer knew exactly where to inject, how to paralyze without scaring them. That kind of precision only comes from someone who's done it before—on the field."Dev raised a brow."Like a field medic?"Kiaan nodded.
"Yes. And someone who knew how to stay invisible—someone who already walked among cadets, maybe taught them, earned their trust. The killer wasn't just stalking—they were calculating."Tara interrupted, her voice tense."Got something! One name stands out—Lt. Dr. Darian Voigt. Former field trauma medic. Suspended exactly eight weeks ago. No charges filed officially, but internal reports hinted at 'unethical conduct' with cadets. All sealed files."
Rehaan cursed under his breath.
"Why didn't this come up before?"
Tara looked up, frowning.
"Because the suspension was quietly executed. They never released details."
Kiaan's eyes were locked onto the screen as Darian Voigt's face appeared. Pale. Cold. Ordinary. But his eyes were unsettling—like they knew too much and cared too little.
Kiaan whispered."There you are… hiding in plain sight."
Suddenly the HQ felt smaller, like the walls were closing in. This wasn't just a killer with rage. This was a predator. A professional. And he was still out there—possibly already planning his next move.Kiaan looked up, fire in his eyes."Let's hunt him before he hunts again."