“Marcus! Marcus!” Gloria caught up to Marcus and pulled him by his left elbow: “What are you pnning to do? Do you have a pn?”

  “No - not really.” Marcus looked down at his phone, waiting for Kevin to answer his call: “I o find Kevin first. I knoce he would go to hide. If he’s not there, then maybe he’s at Captain Ko’s pce - I’ll find him.”

  “Okay, it might seem like a bad time for you, but you o wait.” Gloria tightened her grip: “If they would be so bzen to attack your prect, a city police prect, they would surely know where you would be going when you make it out of the forest alive.”

  “... you’re right.” Marcus took a few deep breaths before nodding at Gloria: “You’re right. I ’t just go to the obvious pces. If they dare attack our prect, they’d have some inside help. Tyler Khan, if I was him, I’d bug the entire pred steal some personal files for backup pns.”

  “That’s right, so we’ll need a pn. Even if you made tact with Kevin, you’d o figure out if he’s being held hostage as well.” Gloria pulled Marcus to sit on the side of the road: “Don’t worry, he’ll be okay.”

  “What about your friends then? Don’t you o tact them?” Marcus looked Gloria in her eyes.

  “I told them, if I don’t get back to them, they should find a pce to hide. Don’t worry, my mentor is there, so they should be fine.”

  “Yes. But this pce is closer to your pce. Go to them when you o.” Marcus stood up walking towards the side of the road, looking around and trying to see if he could catch a taxi. “I’ll - I’ll let you know what happened. And - please be safe.”

  Gloria looked Marcus in his eyes, shook her head and gave him a quick hug: “And you too.”

  “Mister, Miss.” A staffer walked out of the noodle shop: “The chef called you taxis. Please wait inside for a moment. And - he’s offered you each a new ge of clothes, if you are open to them.”

  After ging, the staffer threw their old clothes in the furnace just to assure them that nothing personal would be left behind iore. Marcus had a hat to help cover his face, while Glot a pair e suheir rides stopped in front of the store shortly after this was done.

  The taxis were obviously some kind of expensive reservation-only ride. Marcus had only heard about this kind of premium taxis with retively pierior but and luxurious interior before. The driver was mostly silent. The only sentences he spoke to Marcus were to greet him, ask him if he thought the air ditioning was too cold, and to firm with him where he wao go.

  Marcus chose to be dropped off at a pear the store where his father worked. After all of this, making sure that his father was safe was the first thing on his mind. If they were to act, he o make sure his father would be safe.

  He did not rush in directly but checked out the surroundings first. He deliberately limped while he did so to avoid being reized.

  There were no suspicious people outside of the shop. So he came in, pig up a small pack of chips while passing by a shelf.

  Elvin was busy stog up the raear the cashier, while a young woman sat behind the ter scrolling through something on her phone.

  “Thank you for ing, t credit cards only on 10 dolrs and above, if below please use cash. ” The young woman did not even look at Marcus.

  “Here.” Marcus threw 3 dolrs on the ter befoing to his father’s side and whispered to his ear: “Dad, don’t panic, it’s me.”

  Elvin almost jumped. He looked Marcus up and down before whispering back: “What? What are you doing here? I thought you were w overtime on the big case - what happened?”

  “Something serious happened. And I need you to leave with me.” Marcus whispered to his father: “Do you have a car or a truck here? Or a motorcycle? And do you sell burner phones?”

  “We - we only have a delivery moped - it won’t fit us. And - we ’t sell burner phones..” Elvin thought for a moment before answering: “But - there are some abandoned cars in the back - do you o drive?”

  “Nonono that won’t work, we o get outta here.” Marcus shook his head: “Let’s just go then. We o leave right away. Do you know a safe pce we hide?”

  “Okay. Okay.” Elvin was wise enough not to ask too many questions, he walked up to the ter: “Sabrina, I’ll o check the ste in the back to see if we have any more of this - this tiger smoke. ”

  “Alright, have fun.” The young woman behind the ter did not even look up.

  “Okay, let’s go around the back.” Elvihe way into a narrow alleyway in the back, with litter everywhere and a foul smellial dumpster resting by the wall around the midoint: “There’s a small alley here - people sneak here to smoke and ds at night. Once we’re outta here, we take a taxi, or steal a bike or something - ”

  “Shit.” Marcus cursed as he fred his nose. A faint smell of blood lingered in the air. He stepped forward a Elvin behind him, keeping one hand on the pistol he got from the stolen truck: “Stay behind me - something’s nht. I smell blood.”

  Marcus took a few steps forward to check behind the metal dumpster. A homeless man was curling up in the er, sn lightly. On his side scattered a few syringes.

  “This - this is not unusual here, unfortunately.” Elvin expined.

  Marcus’ ph. He answered it without even a hint of hesitation, even though it came from a strange number.

  “Marcus? Are you safe?” It was Kevin.