Rowen glanced in the rearview mirror. He frowned deeply, a cold knot tightening in his stomach. He made a few abrupt lane changes, weaving through the evening traffic to test his theory. As he anticipated, the vehicle behind them mirrored his every move, a dark reflection in the concrete jungle. He glanced ahead, spotting the traffic lights cycling to amber, then red.
"Kaye, brace yourself," he said, his voice tight.
Kaye looked at him, her brow furrowed with confusion. One glance at his steely eyes, the grim set of his jaw, told her this wasn't a joke. She gripped the dashboard, a silent question hanging in the air. Rowen didn't answer; he needed his focus. He slammed his foot on the accelerator, the engine roaring as he darted through the now-red light, a calculated gamble against the cross-traffic. He weaved between a delivery van and a lumbering bus, adrenaline pumping through his veins.
Behind them, the dark sedan screeched to a halt, tires squealing in protest. It barely avoided being broadsided by a massive truck, the impact narrowly averted.
"Wan swore, slamming his palms on the steering wheel, the frustration radiating off him in waves. "Damn it!"
Shen punched Wan on the shoulder, a hard, sharp blow. "What happened?" he demanded, his voice a low growl.
Wan grumbled, "We've been spotted."
Shen swore under his breath. "Get back on their trail! We need to see where those two are going." His eyes flicked to the back seat. "Oni, you see anything?"
Oni, a hulking figure in the back, his face impassive, kept his eyes glued to Rowen's car. "They went left a block ahead," he reported, his voice a monotone.
Wan wrenched the car back into gear, tires protesting as he accelerated, following the direction Oni indicated. The hunt was back on.
Back in Rowen's car, Kaye finally found her voice. "What was all that about, Rowen?"
Rowen's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "We're being followed. And by my best guess, it's Wan, Shen, and Oni." The names hung in the air, heavy with unspoken danger.
Kaye bit the bottom of her lip, her eyes wide with apprehension. "Then we can't risk going to the police station."
Rowen nodded grimly. He pulled off the main road, maneuvering into the entrance of an underground parking lot. The sudden darkness was a welcome relief from the prying eyes above. He slowly drove through the labyrinthine tunnels, the air thick with the smell of exhaust and damp concrete, searching for a secure spot. Finally, he found a secluded corner, shielded by a concrete pillar.
He pulled in, cut the engine, and remained vigilant, his eyes constantly scanning the mirrors. "I need you to call the others," he instructed Kaye, his voice low and urgent. "Bring them up to speed. Let them know we won't be able to meet them until we get back to the manor."
Kaye nodded, her fingers already dancing across her phone screen. She pulled up Ryo's number and waited, the silence broken only by the hum of the parking garage ventilation system and the pounding of her own heart. Each ring of the phone felt like an eternity. The game had changed. This wasn't just about information anymore. It was personal. They were being hunted.
Rowen kept vigilant, scanning the rearview mirror, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. Next to him, Kaye shifted nervously in her seat. "Do you really think they would follow us in here?" she asked, her voice a tight whisper.
Rowen nodded grimly. "I believe they would."
His words were barely out when the same vehicle he saw earlier appeared, familiar and menacing, pulled into the parking garage. He could see it was Wan. They were driving with agonizing slowness, the headlights cutting through the dim concrete space, systematically searching row by row.
Rowen and Kaye instinctively lowered in their seats, their hearts hammering against their ribs like trapped birds. The air in the car grew thick with tension.
"Is this… is this because of the hacking?" Kaye finally asked, her eyes wide with apprehension.
Rowen shook his head, a grimace tightening his lips. "I'm not entirely sure of their reasons. But I am sure they know something's up. They wouldn't be tailing us otherwise." He chewed on his lip, frustration building. They were so close to figuring everything out, and now this.
Meanwhile...
Miles away at the precinct, Ryo and the others were still deep in conversation with Detectives Shaw and Yayoi, their words punctuated by the hum of the fluorescent lights and the clatter of keyboards. Agent Chen leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable as he listened to the details of the case unfold.
Ryo's phone buzzed, vibrating on the table. He glanced at the caller ID. "Kaye," he announced, picking it up. "Kaye, what's up? How are things going?"
His brow furrowed as he listened to Kaye's whispered account of the events unfolding in the parking garage. Concern gnawed at him. He glanced around the room, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.
Cye and Sage exchanged a look, their expressions mirroring Ryo's growing unease. Sage leaned forward, his voice low. "What is Kaye telling you?"
Ryo held up a hand, silencing him. "Just a moment," he said into the phone, his voice tight with controlled urgency. "Stay low, stay safe. I'm working on it."
Sage frowned as he waited for Ryo to disconnect. The air in the room crackled with unspoken questions. What was going on? And more importantly, how dangerous was it?
Ryo ended the call and slammed his hand on the table, making Shaw and Yayoi jump. "We need to get to Rowen and Kaye. They're being followed, possibly by Lou Yan's men."
Shaw raised an eyebrow. "Lou Yan's men? This is just great, if those two are being followed what about Kento?"
"She said Kento went back to the apartment," Ryo said, frustrated. "But trust me, those two are in danger. We need to move now." He turned to Cye and Sage.
While Cye scrambled for his phone, Agent Chen finally spoke, "Were they headed here afterwards?" He saw them nod.
Ryo fought to control his temper. "It was the plan for them to meet up with us here, but we're going to have to change it up now. We're going after them."
"I understand your concern," Chen said, unmoved. "But we operate within certain parameters. We need something concrete."
Sage cut in. "We can track Kaye's phone. If it stops moving or goes offline, we know something's wrong. That's grounds for immediate action."
Chen considered this, his gaze unwavering. "Alright. Track the phone. But the moment it goes dark, the rest of us will follow. No hesitation."
Ryo, Sage and Cye raced out the door and went out to Ryo's car and was doing the best they can to pick up the signal from Kaye's phone.
Back in the parking garage, Wan was getting closer. Rowen cursed under his breath. "We can't stay here," he said to Kaye, his voice strained. "They'll find us eventually."
"But where do we go?" Kaye asked.
Rowen glanced around, his eyes darting from one shadowy corner to the next. He spotted a service exit at the far end of the garage, half-hidden behind a stack of discarded tires. "That way," he said, pointing. "We can try to lose them on foot."
He started the engine, the sudden roar echoing through the garage. Wan immediately accelerated, its headlights bearing down on them. Rowen slammed the car into reverse, narrowly avoiding a collision. He spun the wheel, sending the car screeching towards the service exit.
The tires squealed as he navigated through the maze of parked cars. He risked a glance in the rearview mirror. Wan was right behind them, he was relentless.
They reached the service exit and Rowen slammed on the brakes. He and Kaye leaped out of the car and sprinted towards the door, their footsteps echoing on the concrete. Rowen fumbled with the handle, adrenaline coursing through his veins.
He heaved the door open and they tumbled out into a dimly lit alleyway. He risked another glance back. Wan pulled up to the service exit. They were running out of time.
"Run!" he yelled, grabbing Kaye's hand. "Run as fast as you can!"
They plunged into the labyrinthine alleyways, their hearts pounding, the fear of Lou Yan's crew were nipping at their heels. Their only hope was to stay one step ahead, to disappear into the city's underbelly before it was too late.
The city lights blurred into streaks as Kaye and Rowen pounded the pavement. "What about your computer?" Kaye gasped, her breath hitching. "Back in your car... they'll find it, Rowen. They'll see what you've been doing!"
Rowen shook his head, his jaw set. "Don't worry about it. It's locked down tight. Only I can get in. Besides," he added with a grim smile, "everything important is already headed to the dark web. We'll grab the car later, once things calm down."
Meanwhile, Oni stood beside Rowen's car, a hulking predator in the artificial twilight of the parking garage. He'd stayed behind while Shen and Wan pursued Rowen and Kaye on foot. The laptop sat innocently on the roof of the car, a silent promise of answers. Oni flipped it open, his thick fingers fumbling with the power button.
He tried a simple password. Rejected. Another, based on common phrases. Still denied. On the third attempt, a digitized laugh, cold and mocking, echoed from the speakers. Oni roared, a guttural sound of frustration. He snatched the laptop from the roof and, with a grunt of exertion, snapped it in half like a dry twig. He tossed the broken husk back into the car, slamming the door shut.
Back in the other vehicle, Oni punched in Lou Yan's number. "Boss," he growled, "I found the laptop. Couldn't get in. It's scrap metal now."
"Understood," Lou Yan's voice was clipped and devoid of emotion. "Call Wan and Shen. Tell them to abort the chase and return to the club."
The order surprised Oni. "But Boss..."
"Just do it," Lou Yan snapped, then hung up.
Oni, never one to question direct orders, dialed Shen's number. "Lou Yan says come back. All of us. Back to the Jade Dragon."
Shen, barely half a block behind Rowen and Kaye, cursed under his breath. "What the hell?" he muttered, hanging up.
"What's going on?" Wan asked, his brow furrowed.
"Oni called. Lou Yan wants us back at the club. No explanation." Shen spat on the sidewalk and turned around.
Their pursuit abruptly ended, the sound of their footsteps fading as they retraced their steps back towards the parking garage. Wan, climbing into the driver's seat, glared at Oni. "Why the sudden change of plans? Boss didn't say anything?"
Oni shook his head, his face like thunder. "Just said to come back."
Wan started the engine, the vehicle rumbling to life as they sped towards the Jade Dragon.
Meanwhile...
Ryo was accelerating through the city streets. Inside, he glanced at Cye. "Which way?"
Cye consulted his phone, the screen illuminated in the dim interior. "They're a couple blocks ahead. Heading west."
Ryo nodded, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "Got it."
Kaye, glancing back, noticed the absence of their pursuers. "Rowen!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm. "They're gone! Shen and Wan... they stopped chasing us."
Rowen looked back, disbelief warring with relief on his face. "You're right... that's weird." He dismissed it with a shrug, slowing their pace to a walk.
Kaye studied his face, her worry still noticeable. "So, what now? Do we go back for your car? Call the others to pick us up?"
Before Rowen could answer, Ryo pulled up beside them. "Get in," he said, his voice tight with urgency. "Glad you're both safe."
Rowen opened the passenger door for Kaye, then followed her inside, slamming the door shut.
"Why weren't you driving?" Sage asked, peering at Rowen.
"We had to ditch the car," Rowen explained. "We were gonna circle back and get it, but we had to lose them first."
"Where is it now?" Cye asked.
"Underground parking garage, not far from here."
Ryo nodded, starting the engine. He followed Rowen's directions, navigating the labyrinthine streets. When they arrived at the garage, the other vehicle was gone.
Ryo pulled up next to the empty space. Rowen and Kaye got out, Rowen reaching inside his vehicle to retrieve the shattered remains of his laptop. He tossed them back into the empty space where the computer once resided.
Kaye winced. "I'm sorry about your computer, Rowen."
He shrugged. "It's not a problem, really. Everything's still set up to go to the dark web. We're still good on that, at least."
Sage, meanwhile, had been on the phone. "Yayoi," he said, "Rowen and Kaye are safe and sound. Lou Yan's men are gone... yeah, I don't know why either." He hung up.
Rowen and Kaye climbed back into Sage's vehicle. Rowen looked at the others. "We'll tell you everything that happened once we get back to the manor."
Ryo nodded, pulling into traffic. Rowen started his own vehicle and followed. The pieces of the puzzle were scattered, but one thing was clear: Lou Yan was definitely keeping a close eye on everything and everyone.
Kento fumbled with his keys to the apartment, finally managing to unlock the door and stumbled inside. After locking it again, he tossed the keys haphazardly onto the counter, the clatter echoing in the small space. He practically dove onto the couch, the worn cushions offering a small measure of comfort. A sigh escaped his lips, heavy with exhaustion and a reluctant acceptance of the truth.
He reached over and clicked on a nearby lamp, the warm light doing little to dispel the gloom. He'd finally admitted to himself that keeping the guys, and especially Kaye, in the dark about what was really going on had been a mistake. But admitting to Shaw, he had been right all along? Forget that. Never.
The memory of Kaye dressed up for their 'celebration dinner' flickered through his mind, igniting a spark of arousal he hadn't anticipated. She looked stunning, her beauty almost breathtaking.
Then, during the forced pleasantries of the 'dinner,' something shifted within him. When he was near Kaye, sitting beside her and Lou Yan, he'd felt a sudden, intense wave of protectiveness wash over him. He'd caught both Oni and Lou Yan staring at her with unsettling intensity, making her visibly uncomfortable. The predatory looks didn't sit well with him, not at all. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to pull her closer, to shield her from their gazes.
He'd been relieved, to say the least, when Rowen, ever the pragmatist, had announced that the plan to hack into Lou Yan's system had been successful. It felt like a small victory.
The shrill ringing of his cell phone yanked him back to the present. He grabbed it from the coffee table, the screen flashing Kaye's name. A smile, genuine and warm, touched his lips as he answered. "Hey," he said, his voice softer than he expected.
Hearing her voice on the other end was like a balm to his frayed nerves. But his smile faded, replaced by a knot of concern in his stomach, as she recounted what had happened after they split up. The urgency in her voice was evident.
"Are you two alright?" he asked, his voice tight with worry. "You and Rowen, are you okay?"
"We're fine, Kento," she assured him. "We're on our way back to the manor now."
A sigh of relief escaped him as he leaned back against the couch. "Thank Kami."
They talked for a few more minutes, the conversation a mix of recapping the evening and offering reassurances. He listened attentively, his grip on the phone tightening with each detail. After a while, Kaye told him they had arrived safely back at the manor and would call him again later.
"Okay, be careful," he said, the words slipping out before he could filter them.
"We will," she promised.
They exchanged goodnights, a simple phrase laden with unspoken anxieties and a burgeoning connection. He hung up the phone and tossed it back onto the coffee table. The apartment still felt empty, the problems still loomed, but hearing Kaye's voice had offered a flicker of hope in the darkness. He closed his eyes, the image of her face imprinted on his mind, a reminder of what, and who, he was fighting for.
The metallic click of Kaye's phone hanging up echoed in the night air just as Rowen pulled up next to Ryo. Rowen glanced over at Kaye, his brow furrowed with concern. "How did Kento take the news?" he asked.
Kaye shook her head, a wave of weariness washing over her. "He was worried, of course. But relieved to hear we're safe." A fragile smile touched her lips. The ordeal, whatever it was, had taken a toll.
Rowen nodded grimly, exiting his car with the familiar groan of protesting hinges. He reached back in for his laptop, it's entirely broken in half. He then opened the trunk, helping Kaye wrestle out their bags.
Ryo, Cye, and Sage, concern etched on their faces, followed them, a silent, protective entourage.
Kaye took Kento's bag from Rowen. "I'll go put these away," she said, her voice strained. The comfort of familiar surroundings, even if borrowed, was a welcome balm. She headed upstairs, the weight of the bag a physical manifestation of the emotional baggage she carried.
Rowen placed his broken laptop gingerly on the coffee table. He then practically collapsed into a nearby recliner, the springs groaning under him.
Sage broke the silence. "So, what now?" He looked at Rowen expectantly.
Rowen collected himself, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He glanced at Sage, his eyes filled with a mixture of exhaustion and determination. "Now we wait," he said, his voice heavy. "We wait to see what data has been collected from our setup on the dark web. That's where we'll find our leads, our answers."
Kaye reappeared a short while later, her expression slightly less tense. "How did things go at the station?" she asked, settling on the edge of a nearby armchair.
Cye filled her and Rowen in on the details.
Sage, however, had other questions. He turned to Kaye, his gaze sharp and knowing. "And how did things go at the... dinner?"
Kaye visibly stiffened. She bit her lip, a nervous habit betraying her unease. She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts, and launched into a slow, deliberate retelling of the evening with Lou Yan.
She recounted the forced pleasantries, the lingering stares, the subtle hints of suspicion that hung in the air like a thick fog. "It was creepy," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Uncomfortable." She shivered, even now.
"Lou Yan suspects something," she continued, her voice gaining strength. "I'm almost certain of it. That's why... that's why we were chased." The realization hung heavy in the air, a chilling confirmation of their worst fears. The dinner wasn't just a social obligation; it was a test, and they had just barely passed. The hunt was on, and they were the prey.