Secrets buried deep

The team stood in the dimly lit living room of Eryk Tanis' house. They had searched every corner, every drawer, and every room, but found nothing. Tanis stood in the corner, a cold expression on his face as he watched them. His calm demeanor only fueled the suspicion that he was hiding something.

Xian, the leader of the group, was the first to speak. His eyes narrowed as he looked over Tanis. "There's something you're not telling us. We know you're involved."

Han, the muscle of the team, moved toward Tanis, towering over him. His fists clenched, ready to intimidate, but Tanis didn't flinch. He simply crossed his arms, unbothered by the towering figure in front of him.

"I told you everything. I'm not involved," Tanis repeated, his voice steady.

Han stepped back, clearly frustrated, but Xian remained calm. "Let's go. We're not getting anything from him today."

The team headed out, but as they walked toward the door, Xian's sharp eyes caught something unusual. A patch of freshly dug earth in the backyard. It was subtle, but it stood out against the otherwise undisturbed ground.

Without speaking, Xian gestured for the team to stay back. Quietly, he approached the area, digging gently with his hands. His heart raced when he uncovered several chemical flasks, the kind used in dangerous experiments.

His mind raced. These were the same kind of flasks that Tanis would use. He had to be hiding something.

As the team gathered around, ready to confront Tanis, Xian raised a hand to stop them. "Don't ask him about this," he said quietly. "He'll lie. And worse, he might run."

He turned to the team's assistants. "You two, buy the exact same flasks. Replace the ones we've found tonight. We'll keep these. No one else can know."

The assistants nodded, understanding the plan, and quickly left to follow Xian's instructions. Meanwhile, the rest of the team headed back to their lab, hoping the chemical flasks would hold the key to solving the mystery.

Hours passed, and the team waited anxiously for the results. When the assistants returned, the doctors, Calen and Lina, eagerly tested the flasks to see what was inside.

But as they examined the contents, their faces fell.

"There's nothing," Lina said, her voice tinged with disbelief. "These are just normal chemicals. No hypnotic properties. No trace of the chemical we thought was here."

Xian clenched his jaw in frustration. "So, we thought we had a clue, but it was nothing?"

Just as the disappointment settled in, Jimmy, the team's fastest and most alert member, spoke up. "Wait... I remember hearing something strange earlier. Beneath Tanis's house... a noise. Maybe it's nothing, but I thought I heard something coming from under the floor."

Xian's brow furrowed. "Could be a secret lab..."

The team was already on their way back to Tanis's house before Jimmy had finished speaking.

They arrived at Tanis' house to find it locked, and there was no sign of him.

Xian exchanged a quick look with Riri, the tech expert. "Break in. We need to see what's underneath this house. Now."

Riri and Jenny, the assistant officer, quickly got to work, using their skills to break into the house without causing too much damage. They weren't about to waste time with locks when they were this close.

As they moved through the house, Xian felt a chill creeping over him. There was something eerie about the place, a silence that felt wrong. They headed straight for the back where they had found the disturbed ground earlier. It wasn't long before they uncovered a trapdoor, rusted but clearly used recently.

Han didn't hesitate. With his strength, he pried the door open. The air from the underground lab was thick and musty. The team descended cautiously, their flashlights cutting through the darkness.

In the center of the room, they saw a figure tied to a chair. His hands and feet were bound with thick ropes, and his face was covered in tape.

Xian moved quickly, tearing the tape off the man's face. "Who are you?"

The man coughed, gasping for air. He looked disoriented but alive. "I'm... I'm his assistant," he stammered. "Tanis... he... he trapped me here."

The team helped the man to his feet. He was clearly shaken, his face pale. Lina quickly checked him for any injuries.

"What happened?" Xian asked, his voice steady but urgent. "Why did Tanis trap you here?"

The man took a deep breath. "I came here one day... Tanis was in his lab. When he saw me, he... he tied me up and left. I didn't know what he was doing. He didn't even explain. He just... left me to die here."

Riri looked at the man with concern. "Did Tanis tell you anything about his work? Did he ever mention hypnotic chemicals?"

The man hesitated, his eyes darting around nervously. "Yes... he was working on something like that. But he never told me if it worked. He just said it was dangerous. I never knew he would go this far."

Calen, the doctor, spoke up. "What kind of chemicals? Did you see anything unusual?"

The assistant shook his head. "No. Just the usual stuff... glass beakers, flasks, chemicals. But I didn't know what he was really making. It was all hidden away."

Xian felt a knot tighten in his stomach. This was the confirmation they needed—Tanis was creating something far more dangerous than anyone had imagined.

"We're getting you to the hospital," Xian said, his voice firm. "Then we're going after Tanis. He won't escape this time."

The assistant was taken to the hospital, and Xian wasted no time. "We need to find Tanis. He's not going to stop now."

As they prepared for their next move, Jimmy spoke up again. "I don't think we've seen the last of him. Tanis is smart. He knows we're getting closer. He's probably already on the move."

Xian nodded. "Exactly. So, we need to be ready for anything. We won't stop until we find him. Tanis may have hidden his work, but we will uncover the truth."

The team gathered, their resolve stronger than ever. The hunt for Eryk Tanis was far from over. And with each passing minute, the mystery deepened.