The Vanishing Trail

Chapter 5: The Vanishing Trail

That night, Satria stood atop an old, abandoned building on the outskirts of Jakarta. The night wind howled fiercely, carrying the scent of recently cleared rain. Below, the city lights flickered, casting shadows that seemed to dance among the ruins. His task for the night was to track down an informant rumored to know the location of the Apex Coalition's secret headquarters.

The information he had gathered indicated that the informant frequently operated in this slum area, selling information to the highest bidder. Satria knew that dealing with someone like this was not easy, especially gaining their trust. But it was the only lead he had.

As Satria jumped down from the building, his feet landed silently on the wet ground. He moved quickly towards a narrow alley leading to a bustling night market. The smell of discarded food mingled with the scent of damp earth, heightening the eerie atmosphere. In one corner of the market, he spotted a man sitting on a wooden crate, his body wrapped in a tattered, thick jacket.

"So, you finally showed up," the man said in a raspy voice as Satria approached. The man's face was scarred with small cuts, likely remnants of past battles.

"I heard you know something that can lead me to the Apex Coalition," Satria replied, his tone firm yet calm. He did not want to waste any time.

The man regarded Satria with wary eyes, then offered a thin smile. "You know, they won't let people like us live long once they know their secrets," he said, glancing around as if checking for eavesdroppers.

"Don't worry about that," Satria responded tersely, ensuring no one was approaching. "Just tell me what you know."

Before the man could speak further, a series of rapid footsteps approached. Satria spun around, preparing for a potential attack.

Suddenly, a group of men dressed in black emerged from the shadows between the old buildings. There were six of them, each wielding sharp weapons like knives and iron rods. One of them stepped forward, wearing a confident expression as if already familiar with the opponent they were about to face.

"Seems like your informant won't be talking anymore," one of them said mockingly. "You shouldn't have meddled in this, Satria."

Satria merely smiled faintly. "You think you can stop me with just six of you?"

Without waiting for a response, Satria lunged forward with astonishing speed. In an instant, he was in front of the first attacker. With a swift motion, Satria delivered a powerful punch to the man's stomach. The sound of cracking ribs was audible as Satria's punch landed, sending the man sprawling backward, blood spilling from his mouth.

The second and third attackers charged simultaneously, attempting to slice Satria with knives. However, Satria nimbly dodged, spinning quickly while grabbing a wooden pole lying nearby. He swung the pole at one of the attackers, striking his jaw with force. The sound of breaking teeth was clear before the man collapsed unconscious.

The third attacker was given no chance to retaliate. Satria quickly kicked his knee, causing him to fall to the ground. Before he could rise, Satria struck him with the wooden pole on his neck, ending the resistance with a single blow.

Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth attackers closed in, trying to surround Satria. One of them swung an iron rod at Satria's head, but Satria managed to block it with his bare hands. Quickly, he seized the iron rod and spun around, swinging it at the head of the fifth attacker approaching from behind. The rod struck the attacker's head, causing him to fall to the ground, blood flowing from his head wound.

The last man hesitated for a moment, watching his comrades fall one by one. He attempted to flee, but Satria would not allow it. Within seconds, Satria was in front of him, blocking his escape by swinging the iron rod at his back. The man fell face down, groaning in pain.

Satria looked at the six men lying around him. He ensured none of them were getting up before turning back to the informant, who was now trembling with fear.

"You said you knew something," Satria pressed, his voice low but intense.

The informant nodded quickly. "They… they have a secret place beneath the old harbor. But it's heavily guarded. You'll have to be very careful."

Satria wasted no time. With this new information, he quickly headed towards the harbor, leaving the man alone in the darkness. In his mind, Satria knew that his fight against the Apex Coalition had just begun, and every step forward would only become more perilous.