The weight of the words still hung in the air, thick and suffocating.


    Kaito stood frozen, his jaw clenched so tight it seemed as though it might break. His entire frame was a taut wire, trembling with an intensity that Ash had never seen before. Rage, worry, and something deeper—something darker—flared in his mentor''s eyes. Kaito, the man who had always exuded control, had been shattered in an instant.


    Ash''s pulse quickened, but he didn''t hesitate. There was no time for hesitation now. Action had to be immediate. If they were going to find her, they had to move faster than the people who took her.


    "Kenshiko," Ash said, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. It was steady, calculated, firm. "I want every digital eye, every listening post, and every shadow in the network searching for her. Now."


    Kenshiko''s response was instantaneous, no hesitation in her tone. "Mobilizing all AI surveillance systems. Accessing street cameras, financial records, and private communication channels. Give me a moment."


    Kaito''s fists clenched, his breathing steadying as he forced himself to focus. "She''s strong. But they took her for a reason. This isn''t just a ransom."


    Ash nodded, his mind already working. Everything in the underworld had a purpose. Nothing was random. Everything had a strategy, a calculation. And now, the game had changed.


    "Then we find out who and why. And we make them regret it." Ash''s words were cold, sharp, like a blade being drawn from its sheath.


    The hunt had begun.


    A LEAD EMERGES


    Minutes passed in tense silence, the room charged with urgency as Ash and Kaito waited for Kenshiko''s findings. The quiet was suffocating. Every second felt like an eternity.


    Then, Kenshiko''s voice sliced through the stillness, sharper than before, the hint of urgency now creeping into her words. "I have something. A vehicle matching a known smuggling route was flagged leaving the city''s east sector—cargo unknown. But the timeline matches her disappearance."


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    A holographic map flared to life in the middle of the room, casting an eerie red glow. It displayed the vehicle''s last known movements—tracked by a network of street cameras, financial data, and private intercepts. The route led to an abandoned industrial zone on the city''s outskirts.


    Kaito''s fists clenched so tightly his knuckles went white, the rage and worry mixing into something much darker. "Then we move."


    Ash was already on his feet, his posture steely with resolve. "Send the location to our closest units. We''ll take the lead."


    Kenshiko''s voice came back, crisp and efficient. "Coordinates locked. Expect heavy resistance."


    Ash''s lips curled into a cold smirk. "Good. I was hoping for a fight."


    Without another word, he and Kaito disappeared into the night, the shadows swallowing them whole. The hunt had turned into a war.


    THE CHASE


    The city blurred past them as they sped through the streets on high-performance bikes, weaving through traffic with surgical precision. Each corner, each shift in momentum was a seamless part of the plan, the machines becoming extensions of their bodies as they raced toward the industrial zone.


    Kenshiko''s voice crackled through the earpieces, providing real-time updates as they tore through the urban sprawl. "Target confirmed. They''re using old smuggler tunnels to move her out of the city," she reported. "If we don''t intercept now, they''ll be beyond our reach."


    Kaito''s grip tightened on the handlebars, his jaw set in grim determination. "Then we cut them off before that happens."


    Ash''s eyes were focused, cold as steel. "Send backup to lock down the exits. We take them head-on."


    The streets had become a warzone, but this was just the beginning.


    INSIDE THE CAPTIVE''S CELL


    Kaede, Kaito''s daughter, sat against the cold, unyielding steel walls of the dimly lit storage container. Her wrists were bound, but her defiance was palpable in the way she held herself, every muscle taut, every movement deliberate. Her eyes burned with a fire that hadn''t yet been extinguished.


    A scarred man knelt before her, his eyes gleaming with a sadistic joy. He wore a smirk that seemed to stretch wider with every passing moment, as if relishing the moment before the inevitable.


    "Your father built his reputation on loyalty," the man said, his voice low, almost mocking. "Let''s see how far that gets him."


    Kaede didn''t flinch. She didn''t need to. "You''re making a mistake," she said evenly, her voice carrying a quiet conviction.


    The man chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "That''s what all hostages say." He leaned in closer, his face inches from hers. "But you''ll see. It doesn''t matter who your father is. Not anymore."


    The distant rumble of an explosion rocked the ground beneath them, sending a tremor through the container.


    Kaede''s lips curled into a sly smile. "No, I mean you''re really making a mistake." Her gaze hardened. "He''s here. And he''s not alone."


    The door to the container exploded inward with a deafening crack, and the world erupted into chaos.


    The war had begun.