Chapter 24: Into the Nest

The map blinked quietly on the screen—one red dot, pulsing on the edge of nowhere.

Lady Tape crossed her arms, pacing. "We don't even know who we're dealing with. That island could be crawling with their people. Could be Crow's stronghold."

Bunnyman didn't move from the screen. "Which is why we avoid confrontation. No fights unless necessary. We're not going there to take down the organization—we're going there to save those kids."

She gave a short nod. "Smart. Quiet in, quiet out."

They traveled under moonlight, the engine of the rented boat barely humming across the cold sea. The fog thickened as they neared the island—unnamed, unmarked, forgotten.

By the time they reached the shore, a huge wall loomed ahead, wrapped in barbed wire and security cams.

Inside, they slipped past the perimeter fence, ducking through trees and dry underbrush.

They weren't prepared for what they saw.

Concrete towers, armed patrols, spotlights, vehicles. Not a hideout. A full-blown facility.

A private military installation.

Lady Tape whispered, "This isn't just some trafficking ring. This… this is a machine."

"We'll shut down the gears later," Bunnyman replied. "Right now, we find the kids."

They caught one of the guards behind the east tower, silenced him before he could yell. Bunnyman pinned him to the ground, fist at his throat.

"Where are the kids?" his voice was calm, cold.

The guard spat blood. "Second tower. Basement level… but you'll never get—"

Lady Tape knocked him out before he finished.

The second tower was massive, stretching several floors into the sky, and just as deep underground.

They moved fast, ducking behind crates, climbing pipes, using every blind spot they could find. Two more guards patrolling the inner corridor fell before they made a sound—Lady Tape wrapping one in silence, Bunnyman choking the other out.

They finally reached a door—metal, locked, guarded.

Inside, they found it.

Rows of children lined up in restraints, barely conscious. A man in a white coat stood among them, injecting each one with a thick syringe of something dark purple.

Lady Tape's hand twitched toward her tape holster. "What the hell is that?"

Before Bunnyman could respond, one of the workers turned—and spotted them.

"Hey! Intruders!"

Alarms began to blare.

Bunnyman clenched his jaw. "So much for quiet."