Chapter 21: A Desperate Search

The Enemy

Chapter 21: A Desperate Search

Kai and Noah arrived at the school, their faces grim with determination. Sarah, pacing near the security room, rushed to Kai as soon as she saw him.

"Any news?" she asked breathlessly, her eyes darting between Kai and Noah.

"Not yet," Kai replied, his voice steady. "But Noah's here to help us hack into the security cameras."

Noah nodded, already pulling out his equipment. "I'll try to access the system. It might take a while."

Sarah's desperate gaze locked onto him. "Please," she said softly, her voice trembling. "We need anything—any lead."

Noah's hardened expression softened briefly. "I'll do everything I can, ma'am," he assured her before turning to work.

As Noah's fingers flew across his keyboard, the room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the faint hum of electronics. Sarah stood beside Kai, her anxiety palpable, while Kai's gaze remained fixed on the monitors, his jaw set.

Moments later, Nimrith arrived. Sarah, seeing her for the first time since Lily's disappearance, stormed toward her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You have to find Lily," she demanded, her voice trembling with emotion.

Nimrith blinked, momentarily startled by Sarah's uncharacteristic desperation. The cold and composed Sarah she knew was gone, replaced by someone raw and vulnerable. Nimrith nodded silently, taking in the situation before her sharp eyes landed on Noah's setup.

Without hesitation, she approached Noah, who glanced up and frowned. He eyed her hoodie, its hood drawn low over her face, and the cap underneath casting shadows over her features.

"I don't need your help," Noah said curtly. "Leave."

Nimrith's lips curved into a dangerous smirk, her eyes flashing with icy anger. "Do you want to die, brat?" she retorted, her voice low and venomous.

The sheer force of her presence made Noah freeze, his defiance crumbling under her bloodthirsty glare. Lowering his eyes, he muttered, "Please... help me."

Satisfied, Nimrith slid into the seat beside him and started working. Together, their combined skills broke into the security system, granting access to the school's camera footage. All eyes in the room locked onto the screen as they rewound and scanned the recordings.

A chilling scene played out: a man dragging Lily down a hallway, her small figure struggling against his grip. Kai's fists clenched, and Sarah let out a sharp gasp.

"Zoom in," Kai ordered, his voice trembling with restrained fury.

Noah complied, but despite his efforts, the man's face remained indistinct. The poor resolution made it impossible to identify him.

Kai's frustration boiled over, but before he could speak, Nimrith stood abruptly. Her gaze met Sarah's as she said firmly, "Leader, I'll find them. Give me a day."

Sarah hesitated, then nodded, her expression both hopeful and pained. Nimrith grabbed a copy of the footage and strode out without another word, her movements purposeful and unyielding.

Kai turned back to Noah. "Keep working. I need more than this."

Noah adjusted his glasses and replied, "I can try accessing the neighborhood's security feeds, but it'll take time."

Kai sighed and placed a steadying hand on Sarah's shoulder. "We need to leave. Let's regroup and work from home." His tone was calm, but his eyes betrayed his internal turmoil.

He led Sarah to her car and opened the door for her. "Go home and rest. I'll handle this. We'll find Lily, and the ones who did this won't get away with it," he promised, his voice filled with quiet resolve.

Before she could protest, he kissed her forehead and whispered, "Trust me."

Reluctantly, Sarah nodded and drove away. Kai returned to Noah. "Let's go. There's somewhere we need to be."

---

The drive to the secret base was tense and quiet. Noah occasionally glanced at Kai, trying to gauge his thoughts. Finally, Kai broke the silence.

"Why don't you work with me?" he asked, his voice steady but probing. "I need someone like you—someone I can trust to work in secret."

Noah hesitated, his fingers gripping his laptop bag tightly. "I… don't know you yet," he admitted.

Kai didn't press further, letting the silence hang between them as they arrived at the hidden base.

The building was an abandoned industrial complex on the city's outskirts. The air was heavy with the scent of rust and oil, and the creaking metal door gave way to a dimly lit interior. Inside, the room buzzed with the hum of high-tech monitors, encrypted servers, and walls lined with tools and gadgets.

"This is your base?" Noah asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he took it all in.

Kai didn't answer immediately, powering on the central monitors. The video of Lily's abduction filled the largest screen, and he stared at it, his fists clenched. Finally, he turned to Noah. "Welcome. This is where we find Lily."

---

Hours passed, and Noah made progress tracing the van that had picked Lily up from the school. A street camera two blocks away had captured it turning onto another road. However, the footage blurred as the van sped away.

"It's like they planned this," Noah muttered, running a hand through his hair. "They knew exactly where the cameras would lose them."

Kai leaned heavily against the table, his thoughts churning.

"You asked earlier why I don't trust the police," Kai said suddenly, his gaze fixed on the grainy footage. "It's because they don't care about people like us. If we wait for them, we'll lose her."

Noah didn't respond immediately. He glanced at Kai, seeing a side of him that was raw and driven, a man willing to go to any lengths to protect his own.

"You also asked me why I won't work for you," Noah said quietly. "I didn't answer because I didn't trust you. But now… maybe I'm starting to."

Kai's sharp gaze softened. "Then prove it. Help me bring her back."

Noah met his eyes and nodded, a quiet determination settling over him. "I will."

As the night deepened, the weight of the task ahead loomed heavy. They had to find Lily. Failure wasn't an option.