Location: Swindon, England — Somewhere in the dark grid of vanishing roads, 3:04 AM
Zid stood at the edge of a narrow roadside trench, moonlight casting ghostly shadows across his face as his fingers moved quickly across his phone. The wind howled through the empty military paths, and in his gut, he felt it—Kiaan was in danger, and something about this setup was far bigger than they'd imagined.
[Message sent to: Zay - Rex's Assistant]
> "Kiaan's gone dark. Last ping—outside Swindon military base. Trap confirmed. Might be the killer. He's the next target. Moving in with Rehaan. Update boss. Fast."
Zid didn't wait for a reply. He shoved the phone in his jacket and sprinted back toward the black SUV, where Rehaan was double-checking his gun and comms.
---
Somewhere far away – A dim-lit office with bulletproof glass, Location Unknown
Zay's phone buzzed. The screen lit up. One glance at the message from Zid, and his face hardened instantly. He moved without a word, walking into a heavily guarded hallway lined with silent agents in black suits.
At the end of the hallway, he entered a secure chamber and picked up a red-line encrypted satellite phone. With sharp precision, he dialed a number no one else had access to.
Zay: "Sir. Zid just confirmed it. Kiaan has gone silent. Swindon base perimeter. He's the next target."
Pause.
Zay: "Yes, sir. We believe it was a trap."
The voice on the other end was calm, authoritative, ice cold.
Reyaan Malhotra.
Reyaan (calmly): "…Call Arav Mehra. Wake him. Now. I want every satellite angle, every backdoor trace. I don't care if it burns a firewall across the Atlantic. I want to see that damn area in infrared."
Zay nodded sharply, already switching calls.
Reyaan (continuing, to himself): "Kiaan walked into fire alone... and now he's marked."
Zay's second call connected instantly.
Zay: "Arav, get your ass up. We need a drone hack over Swindon, England. Get visuals over every military route, every underground patch near the base. Now."
Arav Mehra, their eccentric tech analyst in Dubai, groaned as he sat up in a dark lab filled with wires and screens glowing in hues of neon.
Arav (sleepy): "What the hell, Zay? It's not even—"
Zay: "It's Kiaan."
That was enough.
Arav (snapping alert): "Coordinates?"
Zay: "Sending. Listen carefully, Arav—Boss said his exact words: 'I don't want a single scratch on him.' Do you understand?"
There was a pause.
Arav (sharpened): "Roger that. Bringing the satellites online. Give me fifteen. If he's breathing, I'll find him."
---
Elsewhere, Rehaan & Zid — En Route to the Location
Inside the roaring SUV cutting through the frost-ridden outskirts of Swindon, Rehaan received the voice message from Zay.
Zay (recorded):
> "Boss wants him alive. Not a scratch. Arav is on it. You're not alone on this now. Backup is on the way. Move fast"
Rehaan tightened his grip on the steering wheel, eyes flashing.
Zid smirked, sliding a magazine into his sidearm.
Zid: "Good. Then let's find our boy…before someone else does.
As the SUV disappeared into the mist toward the signal dead-zone, the night began to shift — eyes hidden in the dark were watching, and time was running out.