The men stopped dead in their tracks when they heard the explosion. A dull rumble echoed up and down the street, followed by a cloud of smoke rising from the back of the alley.
One of the thugs looked in that direction with a frown.
—Chief… wasn't that where that guy escaped from?
The man in the suit clenched his jaw tightly, eyes fixed on the smoke.
—Damn it… —he spat, turning angrily—. Finish these damn infected and clear the area! I want to know what the hell happened.
—Yes, boss!
The group opened fire on the last remaining infected, effectively cutting them down. They then began combing the area, moving through the rubble and charred remains with flashlights. The stench of gunpowder and burnt flesh permeated the air.
They spent several minutes checking every nook and cranny. Finally, one of the men crouched near the point of the explosion.
—Chief! I found something!
He stood up with a blackened object in his hand and handed it to him. It was a grenade nozzle, still smoking.
The man in the suit held it between his fingers, examining it with a grave expression.
—When we searched the house, I saw grenades in one of the drawers in the office… —muttered another thug—. They were Felix's own. No doubt about it.
The boss let out a dry, humorless chuckle.
—That fucker… so he preferred to blow himself up rather than get caught.
—Is he dead, then? —asked one of his men who approached him cautiously.
—Maybe, maybe not —he replied, his voice icy—. But if he used a grenade, it was because he was trying to hide something, and possibly it also means he destroyed what he didn't want us to see. And that worries me more than whether he's still alive or not.
—So what do we do?
His gaze hardened.
—We go back to the house. That safe... I want what's inside. Even if we have to smash it to pieces.
Minutes later. In the office, the atmosphere was tense and charged. The men were working in a hurry. Banging, tools, levers... even gunshots. Nothing was ruled out. Finally, with a dull creak, the safe mechanism gave way and the door opened with a metallic click.
—Finally… —muttered one of them, relieved.
The boss stepped forward. He opened the box and began pulling out folders, going through them quickly. His expression grew increasingly frustrated.
—Junk… forms, records, technical notes…nothing of any real value.
He was about to slam the box shut when he noticed something: a folded sheet of paper at the bottom, hidden between the folds of the metal lining.
He pulled it out carefully. It was a loose leaf, aged and handwritten.
He unfolded it. His eyes roamed over the contents, silently.
One of the subordinates approached, intrigued.
—What is it, boss? Anything useful?
The man in the suit didn't answer right away. He was too focused on reading.
Finally he spoke, in a low but firm voice:
—This... was not in the reports Felix gave me. Nor in the documents he showed us today.
—What does it say?
—It's a preliminary outline. Part of the work he was commissioned to do... although it has a lot of details, it's much more than he should have had at this point.
—Does that mean he went ahead without warning?
—Not only that. There are references to an experimental model. Something he never mentioned. And certain technical observations that didn't come from him.
One of the thugs frowned.
—Was anyone else helping him?
The boss was silent for a moment, reflecting.
—It's possible. Or he was just… withholding information.
He turned to the others with an icy stare.
—Whatever he was doing, he didn't do it alone. And now I'm beginning to think his wife or daughter knew something. Maybe they even participated.
—What are we going to do?
The man in the suit folded the sheet carefully and tucked it into his jacket.
—We'll follow that trail. Go through the whole house again, every nook and cranny. And start tracking what you can of Felix's family.
His smile widened, dangerous.
—If they're alive… we'll find them. And if they know something, they'll spill it. One way or another.
One of the men nodded.
—What if the guy survived?
—I doubt it very much, but if that's the case. Then we'll find him too. Nobody plays games with us and gets away with it. This is no longer a simple surveillance… it's a manhunt.
The boss turned and started to walk out of the office with a firm step.
—Get everything ready. This is just the beginning.
Into the passage. Althea continued walking with Mian until, in the distance, she spotted a small, solitary structure. At first glance it looked abandoned, covered in shadows and undergrowth, but as she approached she noticed an old wooden ladder leaning against the side. His heart skipped a beat.
—Mian… do you see that? —she whispered —. We're almost there.
With careful steps, she surveyed the surroundings and then began to climb the ladder, rung by rung, with Mian following close behind. When she reached the top, she looked up and discovered a wooden hatch wedged in the ceiling. She reached out a trembling hand and pushed slowly, making the rusty hinges creak slightly.
She waited a moment, holding her breath, listening for any sound. All was silent.
More decisively, she opened the hatch fully and slipped inside. Mian climbed after her with agility. Once inside, Althea closed it carefully, making sure the hatch clicked shut without a sound.
The place was dark, but warm and quiet. She leaned against a beam, feeling her legs give way, and plopped down next to a small dusty window. Looking up at the sky, he saw the moon high, round and bright.
—Has it been so long...? —she thought, with the weight of the night pressing down on his shoulders—. We can only wait.…
He sighed and looked down. Mian, exhausted, slept beside her, his small body warm against hers. She stroked his back gently, seeking in that gesture some calm.
Meanwhile, the men were still searching the shadows.
—Chief, we've already checked the surroundings. There is no trace of the wife or the girl. It's getting late... Wouldn't it be more convenient to continue tomorrow?
The man in the suit rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
—A little longer. If there's nothing in this area, we'll come back tomorrow.
—Understood.
A few minutes later, one of the men pointed into the brush.
—Look at that, boss… it looks like a hut. Do you think they could have been hiding there?
The man in the suit looked at the place with a frown on his face.
—It is possible. Let's check it out. But be careful… we are close to the forest. Those things could be lurking nearby and could take us by surprise.
— Yes, boss.
Inside the cabin, Althea was already starting to fall asleep when she heard footsteps.
Her body tensed immediately. She crawled carefully to the window and peered between the boards. Four figures were advancing with determination. One of them was wearing a suit and a wolf-shaped tattoo stood out on his neck.
His stomach cringed in sheer fear.
He backed away quickly and hid under an old dresser in the back. Mian growled softly, sensing danger. Althea gently covered his muzzle, shaking her head to make him understand that he was to remain silent.
With trembling hands, she pulled out the phone her father had given her. She dialed a number she could barely remember.
On the other end, a voice answered urgently.
—Hello?
Relief mixed with fear brought a lump to her throat.
—Miss Delma, is that you?
A brief silence, then the answer:
—Yes, Althea, it's me. Where are you?
—At the cabin... is she coming? —she whispered in despair.
— I'm on my way —Delma said quickly—. But the road was closed and I had to continue on foot. Is something wrong?
— Some men are coming this way … I'm afraid of them.
A brief silence fell over the call.
—How are they? — Delma asked, her voice strained.
—There are four of them… one is wearing a suit.
The next question came in a sharp tone.
—Does the one in the suit have a tattoo on his neck?
Althea tried to remember.
—Yes... it was like... a wolf.
Delma cursed under her breath.
— Althea, listen to me carefully. There's a back door. Use that exit and get out of there right now. Don't go into the woods. Run across the field, go straight down the avenue. Two blocks down, you'll see a men's clothing store. It has a heavy door. If you push it hard, it will open. I'll be there waiting for you.
Tears began to gather in Althea's eyes.
—I can't… I'm scared…
—I know... but you have to be strong. Do it for your parents, okay?
Althea pressed her lips together, holding back tears, and nodded, though Delma couldn't see her.
—It's okay…
—I'll call you in five minutes. Run. Don't look back. And don't worry... I'll come for you, if it's the last thing I do.
—Thank you …
He hung up just as the front door opened.
—Search carefully —the man in the suit ordered —. Start downstairs.
Boots echoed on the wooden floor. One of them moved dangerously close to the cabinet where they were hiding.
—There doesn't seem to be anyone here … —he muttered.
Althea covered her mouth with both hands and held tightly to Mian, who was trembling beside her. Her heart was pounding like a drum.
—Anything? —asked the man in the suit from another room.
—Nothing, boss.
—Let's go upstairs. If it's empty, we're leaving.
As they went upstairs, one of the men asked:
—What are we going to do when we find this guy's family?
The boss smiled coldly.
—I'll make them give me what belongs to me. They won't have a choice. Felix is dead... no one protects them anymore.
Althea felt the world crumble. Her heart shrank so hard that for a moment she thought it would stop. The promise of being reunited with her father shattered with those words. Her whole body trembled. The chill of hopelessness came over her.
—Then... what's the point of staying alive? she thought, drowning in anguish.
But then, a warm paw touched her leg. It was Mian.
The puppy looked at her with deep eyes, as if to say: you are not alone.
Althea swallowed saliva. She wiped her tears with her sleeve.
—I still have you, Mian…
She stroked his head gently. She took a deep breath. She couldn't give up. Not now.
He crept to the back door, praying Delma was right.
But as he turned the doorknob, he discovered it was locked.
—No… no…
He tried again and again, but it wouldn't budge. Desperation grew.
Until he saw a hammer leaning against the stove. He grabbed it hard and hit the lock with all his might.
CRACK!
The wood gave way. Mian jumped beside her and they both ran away.
—Something rang downstairs! —shouted one of the men.
The group ran down the stairs.
Meanwhile, Althea circled the cabin, looking for the way to the avenue, when suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. An infected, its body twisted and eyes glowing.
She froze. She had no weapons. She could not fight.
The men's footsteps sounded closer and closer.
One of the men saw her in the distance and frowned.
—Chief... that's not the girl we're looking for….
The man in the suit took a close look at her and gave a crooked smile.
—That's right… and it looks like she's alone.
He waved his hand.
—Catch her. She may know something, too.
—Yes, boss! — shouted one of the men before launching into pursuit.
The one in the suit stayed a few seconds longer, watching the darkness of the forest swallow the girl's figure.
— Run all you want, girl… you won't get far.