As Lion and Tiger entered the villa, they were immediately struck by the emptiness of the place. The air was still, and a thin layer of dust had settled on the surfaces, undisturbed. The absence of any recent footprints or signs of activity was telling.
Lion glanced around, noting the untouched state of the villa. “Looks like no one’s been here since last night,” he remarked, pointing to the dust-covered furniture and the cold, unlit fireplace.
Tiger nodded in agreement. “Yeah, everything’s too clean. No signs of a quick exit or any recent activity. It’s like they vanished into thin air.”
Lion sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I had a feeling something was off. This was too easy. They must have known we were coming.”
Tiger frowned, “So what now? Do we just leave empty-handed?”
“Let’s search the villa thoroughly,” Lion suggested. “There might be something important left behind. Even a small clue could help us.”
They began their search, moving from room to room, checking every corner and crevice. But as the minutes passed, their hopes dwindled. The villa was pristine, almost as if it had been staged to look lived-in but was devoid of any personal touches or signs of life.
After a thorough search, they regrouped in the main hall. “Nothing,” Tiger said, frustration evident in his voice. “Not a single thing out of place.”
Lion nodded, equally frustrated. “Let’s head back to the others. Maybe they had better luck.”
Upon their return, Diego immediately approached them, curiosity and concern etched on his face. “Why are you two alone? Where’s the target?”
Tiger rubbed his head, trying to find the right words. “The villa was empty. It looks like the main target left last night. The people we fought were just there to stall us, giving the boss time to escape.”
Diego’s eyes widened in disbelief. “So it was all a setup? They knew we were coming?”
Lion nodded, his expression grim. “Those guys were just pawns. It was a trap from the start. Something felt off from the beginning.”
The group gathered around, listening intently. Marco spoke up first, “We found a ledger detailing their illegal transactions. Names, dates, everything. It’s a goldmine of information.”
Carlo added, “There were also communication logs linking them to other criminal activities. It’s enough to start dismantling their network.”
Diego chimed in, “We found a stash of weapons and drugs. Enough to put them away for a long time. But without the main target, it feels like a hollow victory.”
One of the Iron Wolves reported, “We discovered some encrypted files. We’ll need to decode them, but they might hold more secrets. Maybe even a clue to where the boss went.”
Lion listened to each report, nodding thoughtfully. “We’ve dealt a significant blow to their operation, even if the boss got away. We have to keep pushing, use what we’ve found to track him down.”
Tiger agreed, “Yeah, this isn’t over. We’ve got the evidence, and now we have to use it. Let’s regroup, analyze everything, and plan our next move.”
The group responded firmly with a resounding “Yes, Sir!” before setting out to find a new vehicle, as their previous white van had been damaged in the earlier encounter. They soon discovered a row of white vans and loaded all the cargo they had found into two of them. After ensuring nothing was left behind, the three vans drove back to the villa where the rest of the crew awaited their return.
…..
Meanwhile, in another villa, the ringleader was visibly worried and frustrated. His face showed signs of sleeplessness and stress. “Kepler, what happened?” demanded the Don of the Gallo Familia in foreign language.
Kepler took a deep breath. “Don, our smaller operations were hit one by one yesterday. And today, the main base was attacked.”
The Don’s eyes narrowed. “And you didn’t see this coming?”
“I did, Don. I managed to escape last night because I sensed something was off,” Kepler replied, trying to sound confident.
The Don’s face darkened as there was still no news about what happened in the previous incident, but a new problem arose and they really targeted their main source of finacing. “They’re targeting us specifically. This isn’t random.”
The Don leaned forward, his voice low and dangerous. “What about the important documents?”
Kepler hesitated, his voice dropping to a nervous whisper. “I… I didn’t expect them to defeat so many of my men. They were more skilled than we anticipated.”
The Don’s patience was wearing thin. “And the documents?”
Kepler swallowed hard. “According to my lookout, they left in three vans. They likely took the cargo and the important documents with them.”
The Don’s face twisted with anger and slapped Kepler, “You let them take everything!? How could this happen!? What an idiot!” His anger intensified as he realized the gravity of the situation. “You should have at least secured the ledger or the important documents,” he scolded. Then, a thought struck him, and his expression grew even darker. “Don’t tell me you left the blueprint behind as well?”
Kepler shivered, bowing his head. “I think they found it too, but the files are encrypted. It’s unlikely they can decrypt them.”
Slap!
The Don struck Kepler again, his rage palpable. “You’re useless! You said they wiped your armed men. Do you think they’re weak, or do you believe they lack the capability to decode the file? We don’t know who these people are or what formidable forces back them! Decrypting the file might be child’s play for them!”
Kepler’s face turned pale as the realization hit him. He knew the blueprint’s importance. “It’s over!” he exclaimed. “What do we do next?” he asked, desperation in his voice.
The Don sank into his chair, a heavy sigh escaping him. “What else can we do? I’m sure the enemy will use those files against us. All we can do is wait for them to come knocking at our door and await our end.”
His voice was filled with sorrow, unable to believe that his carefully laid plans had unraveled in an instant.
….
Meanwhile, back with Tiger and Lion’s crew, they returned to the villa and immediately set their best hacker to work on decrypting the file. For him, the enemy’s encryption was child’s play. Sitting in front of a laptop, he worked swiftly, with Lion and Tiger watching intently over his shoulder.
In less than ten minutes, he had crafted a program to break through the file’s security. “Done! I’ve unlocked it!” he announced triumphantly, having successfully bypassed the file’s defenses.