Several days after stepping into Exolus, the group had managed to gather information that could aid their mission, thanks in large part to Danny and Therese, who had secretly infiltrated the locations Arthur had assigned them to investigate.
In an open area, bustling with people moving in every direction, a man wearing a black hat and brown coat sat on a bench, reading a newspaper. Yet his eyes darted in every direction, scanning the surroundings with careful precision.
Suddenly, another man sat down beside him and unfolded his own newspaper.
“What did you find, Danny?” he asked, his eyes flicking over the newspaper as if reading between the lines.
“Good morning, Arthur. I have great news for us,” Danny replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Arthur’s gaze fixed on him, his brow rising slightly, eyes sharpening.
“What kind of great news is that?” he asked again, his tone edged with curiosity and caution.
Danny flipped the newspaper to another page and crossed his legs.
“We’ve found the place where all the documents containing military and government secrets are hidden,” he said, his voice urgent, yet clear, carrying the weight of his discovery.
Arthur’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t expected them to uncover that information so quickly. He drew a deep breath to steady himself.
“Are you sure about this? Did you double-check to make sure it’s legitimate?”
He sighed. “I didn’t, but this is the only clue we have so far. I think it would be such a waste to ignore this,” he stated as he looked at Arthur with seriousness.
Arthur shook her head and turned another page of the newspaper.
“You might be right, but I don’t want to put your lives in danger,” he said, unconsciously tightening his grip on the newspaper.
“It’s too dangerous, and there’s no guarantee that the information is true.” He pressed his lips together, the weight of the decision settling heavily on him.
“Arthur,” he said softly while a single sweat swayed in his face.
“We are not playing some kind of game where we value our own lives here,” he said.
Arthur tightened his lips as he frowned, and the silence hung in the air.
“I’m grateful that you always care about our safety, but that’s not how it works,” he said quietly. “We came here of our own free will, fully aware that one wrong move could cost us our lives. As soldiers sworn to protect our homeland, we are prepared to die.” He paused, meeting Arthur’s eyes.
“Please, Arthur, don’t let our determination go to waste. Use us as you see fit.”
His words cut deep into Arthur’s chest. He lifted his gaze to the sky and released a heavy sigh, his thoughts sinking into something far heavier.
They were serious, eager to do anything to protect the country they loved. Even if he tried to stop them using his authority as a sergeant, he knew he couldn’t.
He stood up, which made Danny take a glance at him.
“Come to the house, we will proceed to make plans on how to infiltrate this place without getting caught,” he said and started to walk slowly.
Danny sighed, and suddenly a faint smile appears on his face.
The silver moon rose into the sky, casting a cold glow over the city. A chilling breeze swept through the streets, and the streetlamps flickered to life, their soft light stretching over the quiet roads.
Night had fallen.
They stood before the worn-out building, tension settling in their chests. Brows furrowed, lips pressed into thin lines, some exchanged uneasy glances, while others narrowed their eyes in doubt. Then, as if drawn by the same thought, they all turned to Arthur.
“Are you sure this is the right place, Arthur?” Ray asked, his voice low, edged with uncertainty.
Arthur gave a firm nod, his gaze locking onto Danny. “There’s no mistake. The documents about military power and government secrets are hidden in this building.” He exhaled slowly, steadying himself.
A heavy silence settled over them. They swallowed hard, steeling themselves for whatever lay beyond the doors.
Arthur studied his team, and for a brief moment, something in the air shifted. A quiet intensity radiated from him, making them instinctively straighten.
“This could be our only chance to get the intel we need,” he said, his sharp gaze moving over each of them.
“But the greater the reward, the greater the risk. That’s why we have to be careful. And remember, your lives matter more than this mission. If things go worse, don’t hesitate to fall back.”
Back to where they planned how to infiltrate the target building without alerting security. Seated in their designated chairs, their expressions were grim, a heavy silence settling over them as they braced themselves for the storm ahead.
“Listen up, everyone. I’ve made a plan on how to infiltrate the building without getting caught,” Arthur began, his voice cutting through the thick tension that surrounded them.
They all turned toward him, eyes fixed on his every word.
“First, I’ll split the team into two groups. The first team will be me, Ray, and Therese. The second team will be Sasha, Danny, and Albert.” He gestured with his fingers, outlining the division.
They nodded in unison, making it clear they understood the gist of the plan.
“Let’s assume the building is heavily guarded, and to get the information we need, we must get inside unnoticed. That’s where the second team comes in. Your job is to distract the guards by acting as if you’re fighting,” Arthur stated.
Confusion flickered across their faces.
“How can we get their attention with just a simple fight, Arthur?” Danny asked, his brow furrowing.
“We’ve been in this country for weeks now. I’ve noticed that fighting is uncommon here—the government enforces strict laws to prevent people from turning against each other without reason,” Arthur explained.
“I want you to blend in with the locals and stage a fight right in front of the building. I’m sure they’ll step in to stop you.”
“How about us? What are we going to do?” Ray spoke up.
“As the second team keeps the guards occupied, we’ll slip in through the back door,” Arthur said, letting out a heavy sigh that drew concerned looks from the group.
“What’s wrong, Arthur?” Therese asked.
He scratched the back of his head, his lips pressing into a thin line. “The problem is, we don’t have the building’s layout. That means it’ll take us longer to find the documents.” His expression hardened, his voice steady. “And the longer we stay inside, the riskier it becomes to move freely.”
Albert raised a finger, a grin slowly creeping onto his face. “Then how about this? We’ll buy you a huge amount of time to finish obtaining the documents.”
Their eyes widened, doubt flashing across their faces. For a moment, it almost seemed like Albert wasn’t taking the situation seriously, but Arthur’s gaze stayed locked onto him.
“How?” Arthur asked.
“That’s simple. Danny and I will fight like our lives depend on it. And if one of the guards tries to break it up, we’ll
accidentally
punch him. That should buy plenty of time, right?” Albert said with a grin, clearly pleased with his idea.
A collective sigh rippled through the group, disbelief written across their faces.
“Punching a licensed security guard carries serious consequences in this country,” Sasha pointed out, folding her arms.
“You’re right, but we’re not from this country,” Albert shot back without missing a beat.
They blinked, momentarily stunned by his counterargument. None of them had thought of that.
Arthur pressed his lips into thin line. “You’re right. But even if you manage to escape the scene, there’s no guarantee that both of you will be able to leave the country. It’s too risky,” he said.
Albert was left in a complicated position. He let out a quiet sigh.
Danny coughed twice to get their attention.
“I told you earlier, Arthur, once we took a single step into this country, we were already prepared to throw our lives away.”
The words hung in the air, plunging the room into silence.
He was right. After coming this far, why would they still care about their own safety?
Arthur frowned, then let out a faint smile. “I get it. We’ve already made it this far; we’ll do whatever it takes to complete this mission,” he said.
His words were sharp and resolute, carrying a strength that surprised everyone. None of them had imagined their leader possessed such an overwhelming aura.
