Fortnight

Chapter - 26

Paris,

Ethan lands in Paris after a fourteen-hour flight, the fatigue evident in his eyes but his determination unwavering. The first thing he does is check for updates from Jaehyun. He sighs in relief seeing Jaehyun's message that James is caught. Feeling more determined, he heads out of the terminal, spotting Woobin waiting for him.

Woobin nods at him and says, "You and Jaehyun both need to start visiting me for reasons that are not work-related."

Ethan shrugs, unaffected by the comment, and they both get into Woobin's car. "We have to start right away," Ethan says. "We're not sure how much time we have. James is a powerful man; with his connections, he can easily get himself bailed out."

Woobin nods, understanding the urgency. "Okay then, let's go."

They drive through the streets of Paris, the city bustling with life. Ethan stares out the window, his mind racing with the possibilities and the stakes. He can't afford to waste any time. They soon reach the place near Café Street, the scene of the blast that had altered the course of their lives.

As they park and get out, Woobin asks, "So, where do we start?"

Ethan pulls out a small notebook and checks the details Jaehyun had provided. "We need to find any security cameras that might have captured footage from that day. We'll also need to talk to any witnesses who were around when the blast happened."

Woobin nods, scanning the area. "There's a small shop over there that might have a camera facing the street. Let's check it out."

They head to the shop, and Ethan, using his fluent French, explains the situation to the shopkeeper. After some convincing and showing his credentials, the shopkeeper agrees to let them see the footage from the day of the blast.

As they review the footage, Ethan's heart pounds. They see various people walking by, but nothing unusual at first. Then, a familiar figure appears, hurrying down the street. It's James, looking agitated and glancing around nervously.

Ethan points at the screen. "There he is," he says, voice tight with focus.

They see James heading south, so they thank the shopkeeper and move in the same direction. Tracking his movements through different cameras in various shops, they observe him walking and looking around, seemingly searching for something. However, at one point, they reach a tea point that isn't covered by any camera, leaving them at a crossroads. One path leads to an alley, and the other to a street.

Ethan frowns, staring at the screen. "Which way did he go?"

Woobin looks around, eyes scanning the area. "I have a feeling it's the alley, but we have no footage to confirm it."

As they stand there, Woobin's eyes widen as he realizes something. "Wait, let's go back to the last shop."

They hurry back to the previous shop and check the recording again. Woobin points at the screen. "Look, there's a car parked right outside the alley, facing its entrance. Its dashcam must have caught something."

Ethan nods, quickly noting the vehicle number. "Smart thinking, Woobin. We need to find the owner of that car."

New York,

James sits in the investigation room, his hands cuffed while an officer stands in front of him. He's being watched by a camera in the top corner. James shouts again and again, "I told you I am being framed! I was just there to check who is the traitor in our company!"

The officer slams the table, his face inches from James's. "Shut up! There are clear records of your chats with the dealer. We also have all the financial statements. So tell me, how long have you been doing this?"