The echo of the gunshot still rang in the air.
—
Glass scattered across the floor.
Sharp.
Everywhere.
—
Elena's breath was uneven.
Not panic.
—
Adrenaline.
—
"Location. Now." Leon's voice cut through everything.
—
"I'm trying," Elena snapped back, fingers flying across the keyboard.
—
Numbers. Angles. Distance.
—
"Northwest building… 340 meters," she said quickly.
—
Leon was already moving.
"I'm going."
—
"Wait," Adrian said.
—
Leon stopped.
Just for a second.
—
"That's exactly what they want."
—
—
Silence.
—
—
Leon exhaled sharply.
"…Then what?"
—
—
Adrian stepped forward.
Looking at the shattered glass.
—
"They're testing range."
—
A beat.
—
"Not accuracy."
—
—
Elena frowned.
—
"That shot was precise."
—
—
"No," Adrian replied calmly.
—
"If they wanted me dead, I would be."
—
—
That landed.
—
Hard.
—
—
Elena's stomach tightened slightly.
—
He was right.
—
—
"So this is still a game to them?" she said.
—
—
Adrian's eyes darkened.
—
"For now."
—
—
Leon reloaded his weapon.
—
"I don't play games."
—
—
Adrian glanced at him.
—
"No."
—
A pause.
—
"You end them."
—
—
That was enough.
—
—
Elena forced herself to focus.
—
"I've got visual access to the building," she said.
—
The screen shifted.
—
Camera feeds.
—
Grainy.
—
Partial.
—
—
"There," she pointed.
—
A shadow.
—
Moving.
—
—
Leon leaned closer.
—
"Too clean," he muttered.
—
—
The figure paused.
—
—
Then—
Looked directly at the camera.
—
—
Elena froze.
—
"…That's not normal."
—
—
The figure didn't move.
—
Just stood there.
—
Watching.
—
—
Then—
Slowly—
—
It lifted something.
—
—
A phone.
—
—
The screen in front of them flickered.
—
—
Incoming call.
—
—
No number.
—
—
Silence filled the room.
—
—
"Don't answer," Leon said instantly.
—
—
Adrian already pressed accept.
—
—
Of course he did.
—
—
Static.
—
Then—
—
A voice.
—
Distorted.
Calm.
—
—
"You're predictable."
—
—
Elena's jaw tightened.
—
"Who are you?" she demanded.
—
—
A soft chuckle.
—
"That's not the question you should be asking."
—
—
Adrian stepped closer to the console.
—
"Then tell me the right one."
—
—
A pause.
—
—
Then—
—
"How long do you think you'll last?"
—
—
Silence.
—
—
Leon scoffed quietly.
—
"Try us."
—
—
Another pause.
—
—
Then—
—
"We already are."
—
—
The line cut.
—
—
Dead.
—
—
Elena stared at the screen.
—
"…They're playing with us."
—
—
"No," Adrian said.
—
A beat.
—
"They're measuring us."
—
—
Leon cracked his neck slightly.
—
"Then let's give them a bad result."
—
—
Elena pulled up the camera feed again.
—
The rooftop—
—
Empty.
—
—
"…They're gone."
—
—
Too fast.
—
Too clean.
—
—
Adrian turned away from the screen.
—
Thinking.
—
Calculating.
—
—
"They wanted us to trace them," he said.
—
—
Elena frowned.
—
"That doesn't make sense."
—
—
"It does," Leon replied.
—
A beat.
—
"They wanted to see how we work."
—
—
Silence.
—
—
Elena leaned back slightly.
—
"…So we just showed them everything."
—
—
Adrian's gaze shifted.
—
"To a point."
—
—
That tone again.
—
—
"You did something," Elena said.
—
—
A small pause.
—
—
Adrian didn't deny it.
—
—
"What did you do?" she pressed.
—
—
His eyes met hers.
—
—
"I let them in."
—
—
Silence.
—
—
Leon blinked once.
—
"…You what?"
—
—
Elena stared at him.
—
"You're insane."
—
—
"Controlled access," Adrian corrected.
—
—
A step closer.
—
Calm.
—
Calculated.
—
—
"They think they saw everything," he continued.
—
A beat.
—
"They didn't."
—
—
Elena's mind raced.
—
"…You set a trap."
—
—
Adrian didn't smile.
—
—
"I always do."
—
—
Leon let out a low breath.
—
"…Now that's more like it."
—
—
Elena looked back at the empty rooftop feed.
—
—
"They're not done," she said.
—
—
"No," Adrian replied.
—
—
His voice dropped slightly.
—
—
"Neither are we."
—
—
Outside—
—
The city looked normal.
—
Quiet.
—
Alive.
—
—
But somewhere in it—
—
A war had just started.
—
—
And both sides were already making their moves.
—
—
To be continued...