Chapter 29 A Small Town Villa in Lannan

We didn't barge in blindly. We weren't fools. Parking the car in a thicket of trees a quarter mile from the villa, we fanned out, using the cover of darkness to assess the situation.

Isabella pulled out some binoculars and scanned the villa. "There are at least twenty guards around the place, all heavily armed, and they've got surveillance cameras too."

"Looks like storming in isn't an option," Harper said, frowning. "We need to find a way to dodge the guards and sneak in."

"The security system here was probably set up by Jeremy," I said seriously. "He's a whiz with tech and likely rigged the place with traps. We gotta be super careful."

"So, what's the plan?" Isabella asked.

I looked around and spotted a thick forest behind the villa. "We can go through the woods and see if there's another way in."

We crouched down and quietly slipped into the woods.

The woods were a living, breathing entity, the air thick with humidity and the incessant drone of insects. We moved like phantoms, our steps silent on the forest floor, the tension clinging to us like a second skin.

After about half an hour, we reached the back of the villa.

But to our dismay, the back door was also guarded, and there were infrared alarms, making it impossible to get close.

"Damn it! This place is like a fortress!" Isabella muttered.

Harper said, "Maybe we can create some chaos to distract the guards and then sneak in."

"Good idea." I nodded. "We can..."

Before I could finish, my phone rang.

I pulled it out and saw it was Michael.

"Hello, Michael," I said.

"James, where are you guys now?" he asked.

"We're in Lannan, right outside the 'Hecate' base," I replied.

"What? How did you get there so fast?" Michael's voice shot up. "I told you to wait for my message."

"Michael, Aiden's life is on the line. I can't just sit around!"

"James, calm down! Lannan is too dangerous, you guys..."

"Michael, I've made up my mind. I have to save Aiden!"

I hung up, took a deep breath, and said to Isabella and Harper, "We have to move now!"

"But..." Isabella started, but after looking into my eyes, she said, "Alright, we'll follow your lead."

"What do we do now?" Harper asked.

"Create chaos to distract the guards," I said. "Then sneak in."

"How exactly?" Isabella asked.

I pointed to a pickup truck nearby. "See that truck? Here's what we're going to do..."

As night fell, the small town of Lannan was cloaked in thick darkness, with only a few dim streetlights swaying in the hot night breeze, casting eerie shadows. The streets were empty and silent.

Dressed in black night suits with camouflage paint on our faces, we lurked like ghosts in the woods around the villa. The dense foliage hid us and muffled our anxious breaths.

"Are you ready?" I asked, my heart pounding, my palms sweaty.

Isabella and Harper nodded, their eyes sharp and determined, like blades ready for action.

We scoped out the area. The searchlights around the villa swept the grounds every few minutes. A few guards in black leaned against the wall, smoking and chatting, totally oblivious to us.

"Remember, our priority is finding Aiden. We avoid a fight if we can," I reminded them.

They nodded again.

I signaled for the operation to start.

I was the first to climb over the wall, landing softly in the yard without a sound.

The yard was quiet, with only the chirping of insects breaking the silence. Occasionally, distant dog barks added to the tension.

I signaled Isabella and Harper to follow, and we moved like shadows along the wall, crouching low and stepping carefully to avoid making any noise.

The villa's doors and windows were shut tight, and the inside was pitch black, like a sleeping beast ready to pounce.

We reached the back of the villa, where it was darker and more concealed.

I spotted a window that wasn't fully closed, with a faint light seeping through the gap in the curtains.

I gently pushed the window open and signaled Isabella and Harper to go in first, then climbed in last.

Inside, the light was dim, and a faint smell of blood hung in the air, making me uneasy.

We moved back to back, slowly pushing open the slightly ajar window and slipping in one by one.

The room smelled musty, and the air was stuffy, making it hard to breathe.

We scanned the surroundings with our flashlights, revealing peeling walls, broken furniture, and that faint smell of blood, all of which made me uneasy.

"Looks like no one's lived here for a while," Isabella whispered, her lips trembling slightly.

"Be careful, and keep it quiet," I reminded.

We carefully searched each room along the corridor, our flashlights sweeping through every corner and shadow like searchlights.

My heart was pounding, my palms sweaty, fearing an enemy might suddenly jump out from some corner.

Suddenly, I heard a faint groan coming from one of the rooms, weak and painful, like a wail from hell, making my heart tighten.

I immediately raised my gun, signaling Isabella and Harper to follow. We tiptoed towards the room.

At the door, I took a deep breath and gently pushed it open.

A strong smell of blood hit me, making my stomach churn, almost making me vomit.

The room was dimly lit, with only a faint desk lamp casting a weak light, illuminating a corner of the room.

A man was tied to an old chair, his head hanging limply, his body covered in wounds, bloodstained, with dark red scabs and fresh blood mixed together, a horrifying sight, clearly having endured inhuman torture.

"Aiden!" I immediately recognized him.