CUS 9; Cinco Encounter

ENCOUNTER 17

The room fell into a stunned silence as the gravity of Blade's words sank in. Sab's face hardened, his blue eyes narrowing with determination. "It seems that this is an illegal hunting game and this spy? This is bigger than we thought, lass."

"H-how could this intel fall on my brother's hand? This thing isn't just a simple hunting game! The people in the video seem unprepared and fighting for their lives. " Blade was still trembling.

"It seems my brother had discovered this and he's keeping this because he's trying to protect our base! I guess this is deeper than we think. I have a very bad feeling about this..." She continued.

The trembling of her voice was visible as she turned her wary gaze to the three. In the footage, several faces of the men were clearly exposed. But most of them were unfamiliar. One thing was clear to them both, these men were from those wealthy family. Cruel and heartless.

"I've seen something like this before and it was sold on the underground market or in a dark web." Sab informed. Still tensed with unrestricted anger.

Simon's masked face turned towards the screen, his body language tense. "We need to secure this information immediately. We can't risk this falling into the wrong hands. Plus, we need to investigate if this footage is true. If it's true, and the people's lives in this footage are at risk, then we should take actions to find them."

Garen's imposing figure seemed to grow even larger, his voice low and dangerous. "We must act swiftly and decisively. But the footage was taken when Blade's brother is still alive. How can we trace this?"

The room crackled with a mixture of shock, anger, frustration and urgency. As the team grappled with the implications of this revelation, they knew that their next moves would be critical not just for solving the mystery of Blade's brother's death, but potentially for the victim on the footage. "Who might be behind this cruelty, surely has a strong power in country. Wealthy people." Blade lifted her gaze to Simon and to the computer, her brows creased as she noticed something. Her heart instantly raced,

"Simon! We're being hacked!" Blade immediately announced, her voice sharp with urgency.

Simon's fingers flew over the keyboard, his focus laser-sharp. "I'm on it. Initiating countermeasures and data backup," he replied, his tone steady despite the rising tension.

"It seems someone behind this footage has a connection to this. How could it be traced so quick like this?"

"Your theory must be right."

Sab sprang into action, already moving toward the door. "Garen, secure the perimeter. No one in or out without clearance," he commanded, his voice leaving no room for hesitation.

Garen nodded curtly, immediately sprinting out of the room to lock down the base. The tension in the air was thick as the team scrambled to protect the sensitive data. Every second felt like a countdown, a race against whoever was on the other side of the system, trying to erase the damning evidence.

"How long?" Blade asked Simon, her eyes fixed on the screen.

"Just a few more seconds..."

The room erupted into a flurry of activity, the earlier shock giving way to focused determination. As Simon worked to protect the crucial data, Sab turned to Blade, his eyes intense.

"We need to identify this spy, and fast. Any ideas who it might be based on your brother's intel?"

Her heart thumping against her chest as tension engulfing her I have no idea ! My brother isn't as friendly as I am!

Sab's face tightened with concern, his voice steady despite the tension. "Alright, lass. We'll figure this out together. Lieutenant, how're we looking?"

Simon's masked face remained focused on the screen, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "Data's secure for now. I've initiated a trace on the hacker's signal."

Garen's imposing figure returned to the room, his voice low and urgent. "Perimeter secured. But we must move quickly."

The team worked frantically to protect the vital information and uncover the identity of the spy. Every second counted, and the air was thick with tension. Blade's mind raced, knowing that the mystery surrounding her brother's death had now become intertwined with a much larger and more dangerous threat. The weight of both was pressing down hard, and the pressure to solve them was mounting rapidly.

Blade's body slumped onto the couch, trembling with frustration and exhaustion. She ran a hand over her face, clenching her jaw. "Damn it!" she muttered, feeling the crushing weight of the moment. Everything was spiraling out of control faster than they could manage, but she knew backing down was not an option.

Sab moved quickly to Blade's side, his voice gentle but urgent. "Easy there, lass. We need you focused. Your brother's work could save countless lives."

"I hoped Sab..."

Sab gave her a reassuring, tender smack on her shoulder.

Simon's masked face turned briefly from the screen. "Signal trace is narrowing down. We might have a location soon."

Garen's imposing figure loomed protectively near Blade. "We will find this traitor. Your brother's sacrifice will not be in vain."

The room buzzed with a mix of tension and determination. As Blade grappled with the weight of the situation, her teammates worked tirelessly to uncover the spy's identity and secure the critical information about the illegal hunting. The stakes had never been higher, and time was running out.

"I owe you a lot..."

Sab's eyes softened with understanding, his hand giving Blade's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "We're a team, lass. Your fight is our fight now."

Simon nodded silently, his masked face tilting towards Blade in a gesture of solidarity before returning to the screen. "Location's narrowing down. We'll have our traitor soon."

Garen's imposing figure seemed to relax slightly, his voice carrying a hint of warmth.

Sab nodded firmly, his blue eyes meeting Blade's with fierce determination. "That's the spirit, lass. We'll see this through, for your brother and for everyone at risk from this bioweapon."

Simon's fingers paused over the keyboard, his masked face turning towards the team. "I've got a hit on the signal. It's coming from within the base, sector B7."

Garen's imposing figure tensed, his voice low and dangerous. "The armory section. We must move now, before the traitor realizes we're onto them."