Ghosts in the Machine

Chapter 16

Toshiro Saito leaned back in the leather booth, turning the hard drive in his fingers like a poker chip. The glow of neon lights flickered across his face, casting deep shadows under his sharp eyes.

"This thing," he muttered, setting it on the table, "is worth more than your lives combined."

Reina scoffed. "Then you'd better start cracking it before someone else decides to collect on that bounty."

Toshiro smirked but didn't argue. Instead, he pulled a sleek laptop from his bag, fingers moving across the keys with practiced ease.

Kaito watched the screen as lines of code flashed by. His heartbeat quickened. This was it. The truth.

The Lock That Shouldn't Exist

Five minutes passed. Then ten. Toshiro's smirk slowly faded.

"This encryption…" he muttered.

"What about it?" Kaito asked.

Toshiro exhaled through his nose. "It's not normal. This isn't just military-grade—it's something else. Something alive."

Reina frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"

Toshiro gestured to the screen. "See this? Every time I try to break through, the code rebuilds itself. It's like it's watching me. Adapting."

Kaito clenched his fists. Kyosei was always ahead of the curve. But this? This was something else.

"Can you break it?" he asked.

Toshiro didn't answer immediately. He stared at the screen, lips pressed into a thin line. Then, finally—

"Yes. But not here."

The Chase Begins

Just as he spoke, Kaito felt it—a shift in the air.

The music in the club continued to pulse, but outside, the neon streets had fallen eerily silent.

Reina saw it too. "We need to move."

Toshiro shut his laptop. "Follow me. I know a place."

They slipped out the back door, emerging into a narrow alley. The city lights barely reached this far, leaving the space cloaked in darkness.

Then—

A flicker of motion. A gleam of metal.

Kaito shoved Toshiro aside as a knife buried itself into the wall where his head had been.

A shadow moved above them—a figure perched on the fire escape, face hidden behind a sleek black mask.

"Shit," Reina hissed, raising her gun.

The assassin dropped.

A Fight in the Dark

The moment his feet touched the ground, the air crackled with intent. This wasn't some hired thug. This was a professional. Fast. Silent. Precise.

He moved toward Reina first—wrong move.

She fired, but he twisted, the bullet grazing his shoulder instead of piercing his skull. Didn't even flinch.

Then he was on her.

Kaito lunged, intercepting just in time. His fist met ribs, a solid impact—but the assassin barely staggered.

In the next second, Kaito felt cold steel slash across his side.

Pain burned, but he didn't stop. He drove his knee up, catching the assassin's arm. The knife clattered to the pavement.

Reina took her shot.

The bullet tore through the assassin's leg. A sharp exhale—then, unbelievably, he still moved.

He retreated.

Scaling the fire escape in seconds, disappearing into the night.

Kaito pressed a hand to his side, wincing. That wasn't a normal hitman.

Reina reloaded. "We need to go. Now."

Toshiro was already moving. "My place is ten minutes away. If we hurry, we can still crack that drive before they come back."

Kaito gritted his teeth. Time was running out.

They had to finish this.

To Be Continued...