Hunting for Shade (10)

As their conversation drew to a close, Gabriel scanned the room.

"Is everything clear?" he asked, his voice carrying the expectation of compliance.

The others nodded in agreement, affirming their understanding of Gabriel's orders.

One by one, the gang leaders left the room in silence, a dance of shadows retreating into the night.

The echoes of their steps faded as they disappeared beyond the door, leaving Gabriel alone inside the room.

He had a phone call to make, a last piece of business, before he could consider their meeting concluded, and head home.

Reaching for his phone, Gabriel found, to his surprise, that it refused to work. An oddity, given the meticulous care he took to ensure his lines of communication were always operational. The screen remained dark, unresponsive to his touch.

In truth, it didn't work because Erik asked to the biological supercomputer to take care of it.