Chapter 265 Ambushed
Back at the hotel room, Mako had been patiently waiting for Nathan and Leon's update. He knew that the information they gathered thanks to the help of commander Sable would be crucial in devising a plan to uncover the people behind the shadowy operations in the village.
Mako stared at his communication device, anxiously waiting for the call.
Finally, the device pinged, and Mako quickly answered. Nathan's face appeared on the screen, and his voice was filled with urgency.
"Mako, we've got some important information," Nathan began, his eyes darting around to ensure their conversation remained secure. "The computers were damaged by an EMP weapon. It's a clear indication that someone out there has access to advanced technology."
Mako's brow furrowed as he processed this revelation. An EMP weapon? It was a piece of information that opened up a host of possibilities and questions, one that Mako wasn't expecting.
Leon chimed in, "The technician confirmed that the damage couldn't have been caused by any other source like a lightning ability or something else. It had a distinct pattern consistent with EMP damage. This means that our adversary is likely an organized group with access to dangerous technology."
Mako nodded, deep in thought. "Thank you for relaying this, Nathan. This changes our approach. We need to act swiftly, but cautiously. I'll call Bill and the others back and we will start piecing this stuff together.
"Meanwhile, you guys try and see if you can find any information on the military database relating to rouge groups using EMPs or even if there were any other recent EMP attacks. If we can find any sort of relation between our scenarios and some other, we can blow this case wide open." Mako commanded.
Nathan nodded, slightly impressed with Mako's quick thinking and effective decision-making. "We're on it. We're going to gather more information and keep you updated."
"Also..." Mako said to stop Nathan from ending the call and then paused for a few seconds as a distinct and old memory flashed in his mind.
"... While you guys search for that stuff, look into if there has been any criminal activity relating to BWDs and if those cases have any connection with EMP cases" Mako added.
Nathan felt Mako's request a bit awkward as BWDs had no relation with the computers getting destroyed.
"Why would you ask for that?" Nathan inquired, unsure about Mako's thought process.
"I just have a hunch that it might be somehow related," Mako replied.
Nathan did press the issue further as after all Mako was the leader and just ended the call and started to move back to their little hideout to begin searching.
As Nathan ended the call, Mako sat back in his chair, his mind racing. He knew that they needed to piece together all the available information to form a comprehensive plan.
The revelation about the EMP weapon indicated that their adversaries were well-equipped and had the capability to cause significant harm, but the more interesting fact was the revelation itself.
Mako had racked his brain all night, barely getting any sleep, but couldn't figure out what could have caused the damage that he saw on the computers, as soon as Nathan mentioned the word "EMP", it was like a switch had been turned on inside Mako's brain and suddenly a lot of pieces started to fit together for him, but still there were many yet to solve.
Mako pinged the group to meet back at the hotel; meanwhile, he quickly put the pieces together and new a big chunk of what had happened to him last night at the campground.
Meanwhile, the rest of Mako's group resumed their exploration of the village. They began by visiting the village's marketplace which looked a bit more lively than before after the village had received a resupply just last night.
Local vendors displayed a colorful array of fresh goods, but they were all in small quantities indicating that the village was struggling economically after its main source of income had been cut short.
Many of the villagers had already left the village to try and find fortune elsewhere which was why many of the homes were abandoned throughout the village and the north wing of the village where the richer villagers lived in bigger houses was completely desolated and vacant as they had all moved out when their business was beginning to struggle.
Erin, Bill, and Iris strolled through the market, savoring the sights and sounds. They sampled local delicacies, engaged in friendly conversations with the villagers, and even purchased some souvenirs, all the while maintaining a watchful eye for anything out of place.
The day had been relatively uneventful until Erin's keen eye noticed a man who seemed to shadow their every move. Dressed inconspicuously in regular attire, he blended effortlessly into the crowd, but his relentless presence was cause for concern.
He wasn't very close to where they were, but the fact that he was always present nearby, wherever they went was causing Erin to think that this wasn't just a coincidence and that they might have just identified the person who they had been varying of the entire day.
Iris, Bill, and Erin stopped at a local carnival where there were many trivial games set up to play with a chance to win prizes. Iris called all the children who were playing on the street and told them that she would pay for their games and that they could play as many games as they wanted while they were there.
The faces of the children lit up with happiness as they rushed to be the first ones to play their favorite game. Some ran off to quickly bring their friends as well so that they wouldn't miss out on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Some of the mothers even came over thanking Iris and her friends for the kind gesture which Iris received humbly saying that she just wanted to share some of the fun with her little brothers and sisters.
However, the truth was that so many kids in the area, that an abundance of noise was apparent and that was what Iris needed so that she and her friends could discuss what to do about the mysterious man who was currently sitting at a coffee shop opposite them that sold delicious and affordable coffee without getting heard.
While playing some basketball, Iris intentionally failed to continue playing; meanwhile, Bill and Erin huddled around her to show as if they were cheering her on, but they were actually discussing their next course of action, their communication devices vibrated in unison, a message from Mako asking them to come back to the hotel.
The message looked urgent and they took it as their cue to leave; however, before they could depart, they decided to confront the mysterious man who had been tailing them. It was a hunch, but they couldn't afford to leave any stones unturned.
Exiting the arcade, they paid for all the carnival games before scanning the vicinity for the mysterious figure, but he had inexplicably vanished, leaving them with a growing sense of unease.
The abrupt disappearance did nothing to alleviate their suspicions, and they knew they couldn't allow him to slip through their fingers.
They split up, each taking a discreet route to search for the man. They couldn't afford to draw attention to themselves or reveal their true abilities among the unsuspecting villagers so they opted to just walk with haste as they searched. Minutes turned into an anxious eternity as their pursuit yielded no results.
Just as they were contemplating regrouping and returning to the hotel to report their findings to Mako, a sudden twist of fate unfurled before their eyes.
A child's ball, carelessly thrown, struck Bill from behind, rebounding into a dark alley nearby. The child's voice called out from a distance down the road, a request for Bill to retrieve the ball from him.
"Can you get that, mister?"
Innocent enough, Bill ventured into the alley, trusting the apparent innocence of the situation. However, in an instant, a searing pain erupted at the back of his neck, causing him to stumble and fall. His vision blurred, and darkness overcame him as he lost consciousness.
The same fate befell Iris and Erin as they had fallen for a similar trap. Both of them had also stepped into the dark alley with innocence as they had already given up on the chase and were about to turn back and head towards the hotel.
However, it was exactly when they had let down their guard did the ambush came, knocking them both down inside a dark alley as well. Before any of them could react, the tranquilizer darts had finished injecting inside their bodies, sending them spiraling into unconsciousness.
From the top of the rooftop, the mysterious man whom they had been tracking this entire time revealed himself, a figure of calm and calculated precision, his sniper rifle holding the answer to their sudden ambush.
"They're down. Round them up and bring them back. Make sure there are no eyes!" The man ordered through a miniature holophone as he gave commands to someone to gather their unconscious bodies and bring them back somewhere.
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