Akashic - Cradle of Evolution

Chapter Twenty-one

In the dead of night, a faint stream of smoke rose from the wreckage of a car at the dockyard on the east side of Randall's Island; evidence that the vehicle had recently caught fire. The remnant structure offered a clue that it was similar to the sedan model that Jimmy was on.

An inconspicuous van pulled up alongside the car wreck with a screeching halt. "Go," the front passenger addressed to the back of the vehicle. He watched the three men hop off and begin scrutinising the remains. The leftover was charcoal black, and the scent of burnt rubber and metal still lingered.

"Boss, We are sure this is it."

With a heavy thump, the man addressed as boss landed on the pavement. He straightened up to almost as tall as the van. The battle-scarred giant in camouflage pants and tank top walked over to the wreck. His icy eyes scanned the crushed rear right before moving to the partially dislodged wheel shrouded in melted rubber. No reason for such damage to cause a fire. Which means they set it on fire to hide something.

A man ran over to him, "Boss, we found a trail leading to a nearby warehouse."

He looked over to the building, which could roughly house four buses in two rows and two columns. Following the trail, a mental image formed in his head. One man walking ahead, two others shouldering a fourth, probably unconscious. He stopped at the entrance where his men gathered. The track led straight into the complete darkness, and there was no evidence of anyone coming out. His eyes narrowed. The earth at the side of the entrance seemed overly tidy compared to the other areas. Which means-

A man stood forward and volunteered, "I'll check it out."

"Halt, you fool," the bossman intervened, "Can't you see this is a trap?" He looked into the warehouse, a dark abyss with no hint of light. There'll be no exit once the gate shuts. He turned around and scanned the buildings along the bank across the river with his cold eyes. "We're leaving."

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In an operations room located in the basement of the XEON mansion, Audrey watched the van swing by to pick the four men up outside the warehouse before zooming off on a monitor.

"They didn't take the bait. What is your order, Ma'am." A voice came over the radio.

She turned to look at another monitor showing the photo of a man with a marine cut, a cross scar on his face and a pair of icy eyes. Among other details on the monitor, the words "FBI's Wanted List" and the name "Khan" stood out.

"Tail him to his hideout and report back," Audrey recalled Khan's expression as his eyes scanned over the area her scout was hiding. "Be careful. He might be expecting us."

"Roger."

She set the radio down and addressed the head of security beside her, "I want the security level up to maximum until departure."

"Yes, Ma'am," the lady walked over to another set of equipment and started to give instructions to her team.

Audrey continued reading the information on Khan while resting her chin on her fist. Violent, cunning, persistent and leader were words used to describe her opponent. This man spells trouble. Once we have his hideout, we can tip off the PD and FBI. Hopefully, that would save us some hassle.