MEETING THE DARKNESS

29

On Viktor's side:

Viktor wiped the blood from his blade as the last of OCTI's men hit the ground. The ambush had come out of nowhere, OCTI's soldiers rushing in like a swarm, but Viktor wasn't one to be caught off guard. His men fought fiercely under his command, their strikes swift and deadly as they tore through the enemy ranks. The battle had been intense, but his team was victorious. However, something gnawed at him—Alan, one of his trusted men, was missing, and Dia had gone silent. His gut churned uneasily. He attempted to reach Dia again, pressing his earpiece harder, but the line remained dead.

His instincts screamed betrayal, and Alan's absence only confirmed his suspicions. Viktor cursed under his breath. He stormed toward the nearby alley where he had last seen Dia before the fight had broken out. Empty. His mind raced as panic began to settle in—a foreign feeling to him.

Just then, Sid appeared, his expression grim.

"Viktor!" Sid called out as he ran toward him, out of breath and disheveled. "It's Dia. We just found out she's missing. Alan... he's been working for OCTI this whole time."

Viktor's eyes narrowed as he processed Sid's words. The rage inside him boiled over, his hands clenching into fists. Alan had betrayed them both, and now Dia was in the hands of OCTI.

Sid pulled out a device, a tracker he had managed to slip into Dia's jacket days ago, knowing she would resist it. "We still have a signal, but it's weak. They're moving her fast. We need to go, now!"

Without hesitation, Viktor nodded. His mind was already planning the rescue. "Rally the Bloodmoon Triad and my team. We're going after her."

Sid's voice was tight with urgency. "She's been taken for a while now, if we don't get to her soon..."

Viktor cut him off. "We will. Get everyone ready. I'm not losing her."

The convoy raced through the streets, Viktor sitting in the passenger seat of one of the black SUVs, his mind focused on only one thing—Dia. He clenched his jaw as Sid tracked her location. The atmosphere in the car was tense, charged with the understanding that they had been fooled, and the clock was ticking.

Sid glanced at Viktor, his face grim. "The tracker is pinging near an industrial area. It's OCTI's territory."

Viktor's eyes darkened. "Get us there, now."

As they approached the area, the group began preparing for an assault. Viktor's phone buzzed, and he quickly answered. "What do you have?" he snapped, listening to his team member on the other end.

"Confirmation. OCTI has a safehouse in the abandoned warehouse district. We've seen movement. Armed guards."

"That's where she is," Viktor growled, his heart thudding in his chest. "We're going in. No mercy."

Sid's voice cut through the silence as he parked the car near the outskirts. "Are we ready for this? OCTI is expecting a counterattack."

"They won't expect us to hit them this hard, this fast," Viktor replied coldly, stepping out of the vehicle. "Dia is in there. We take them down, we take her back."

Viktor and Sid led their group through the dark, labyrinthine warehouse district. The air was thick with tension, and Viktor's senses were on high alert. The closer they got to the hideout, the more his chest tightened with fear—fear that they might be too late.

They reached the edge of the compound, and Sid pointed to the small signal on his device. "She's inside."

Viktor's heart pounded as he gave the signal to move in. The combined forces split into teams, one surrounding the perimeter, while Viktor led a small team to the main entrance.