Gregor muttered under his breath, a low grumble laced with frustration and reluctant admiration. "You really are such a smartass, Tom," he said, shaking his head as he pushed open the door and stepped out of the room. "Always got to prove you're the clever one, huh?"
Tom smiled softly at the remark but said nothing, turning his full attention back to the task at hand. Without wasting a second, he began quickly packing his gear, moving with practiced efficiency. Spread out on the table were his trusted tools: four different phones, each with its own purpose and security setup; a sleek laptop, loaded with encrypted software and hacking programs; and his taser, which he had painstakingly modified to increase both its power and range.
The taser was an old habit, a backup he liked to keep on hand even though his new powers should have rendered such devices unnecessary. But it gave him a sense of comfort, a physical reminder of control in a situation where so much was unpredictable.
As he zipped up his bag, Tom glanced at the clock. No time to waste.
He grabbed the bag and rushed out of the house, where Gregor was already waiting beside a nondescript black car parked at the curb. Without hesitation, Tom climbed into the passenger seat, and Gregor slid behind the wheel.
The car pulled away smoothly into the night, tires whispering against the asphalt as they sped toward their destination.
Once they were on the road, Tom immediately pulled out his laptop and one of the phones. Fingers flying across the keyboard, he quickly sent the coordinates of the target location to Gregor's car navigation system.
Gregor nodded knowingly and began driving, eyes fixed on the road but also glancing at the GPS, following the path Tom had sent with precise focus.
Tom broke the tense silence between them. "The plan is simple," he said, voice low and steady. "I'll sneak into the house and distract the kidnapper. Meanwhile, you move in quietly and free my dad."
Gregor glanced over, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "Sounds like a plan."
Tom brought up a detailed map of the house on his laptop screen. It was a bungalow, modest but well-kept, with three distinct rooms laid out in a linear fashion. The map was simple but clear.
Pointing at one room, Tom said, "That looks like the master bedroom."
He tapped the screen, indicating the other two rooms. "That leaves the other two as possibilities for where my dad could be."
His fingers hovered over the map before settling on the room farthest away from the entrance. "I'm guessing he's in the room furthest from the door. It makes the most sense, the kidnapper would want to keep him as far away as possible."
Gregor nodded in agreement. "Smart thinking. The further in, the less chance of interruption."
The car slowed as they approached the location. Soon, they arrived at a lonely building nestled deep in a wooded area. The house sat isolated, surrounded by thick trees whose branches swayed gently in the evening breeze.
Tom slipped out of the car and pulled his modified taser from the bag. The metallic device gleamed faintly in the moonlight.
Gregor raised an eyebrow. "Why the taser? You've got powers now. You shouldn't need that."
Tom shrugged, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I don't know. It just gives me comfort. Something familiar to hold onto."
Gregor nodded slowly, understanding the sentiment.
Without wasting more time, Tom stepped toward the house. Moving quietly, he slipped inside through the unlocked front door, immediately transitioning into stealth mode.
Meanwhile, Gregor circled around to the side of the house. His objective was clear, find a window, break in quietly, and rescue Tom's father without alerting the kidnapper.
Inside, Tom crept forward, every sense heightened, every sound amplified in the stillness of the house. As he moved deeper, the faint scent of smoke and old wood filled the air, mingled with a hint of something metallic.
Then, suddenly, from around the corner, a voice echoed softly but with unmistakable amusement.
"Well, well, Tom," the voice said, light and taunting.
Tom froze in place.
A figure stepped into view, a man with striking pink hair falling just to his neck and a piercing glinting on his left cheek.
The kidnapper's grin spread wide as he laughed. "You really underestimated me, didn't you? I didn't expect you to find my location at all."
Tom's eyes narrowed, trying to process the situation.
The kidnapper's smirk deepened. "At the very least," he said, "I didn't underestimate you too much."
Before Tom could ask what that meant, the kidnapper's expression shifted to one of knowing calculation.
"I know Gregor is sneaking around the side, trying to get your father out," he said smoothly, almost as if he was revealing a secret.
Tom's mind raced, heart pounding as he tried to figure out how much the kidnapper knew and what traps might be set.