The fog was so thick it turned the windshield into a white canvas. The car moved slowly between the slopes, and the engine grew louder every time they climbed one of the narrow roads. Jack stared into the fog as if seeing it for the first time… and he truly was, because the world outside the facility was still completely unfamiliar to him.
Yuki held her hands together over the seatbelt, breathing deeply.She asked in a low voice:"How much longer?"Taz replied while focusing on the road:"Not much…"
His words were short as usual, but his confident voice failed to calm the tension.
A few minutes passed before the engine's tone changed. The car suddenly felt heavier.Taz muttered:"This isn't normal."Then he pulled the car over to the side of the mountain road.
He stepped out to check.Yuki stayed in her seat, watching the fog slowly retreat, while Jack stepped out and stood near the edge, looking down at the long, silent forest stretching below.
Taz spoke while bending near the back wheel:"A puncture… a rusty nail."He lifted the nail in his hand. Yuki looked at it with renewed tension.Jack moved closer, watching the process silently.
Taz sat down and began replacing the tire with quick steps.Yuki kept glancing left and right even though the road was empty except for the slowly fading fog.
After fixing the tire, they continued on. And with the first turn, the small town below the mountain came into view: scattered wooden houses, chimneys releasing thin trails of smoke, and streets that seemed to know each of their residents by name.
As the car passed down the single street, some of the townspeople lifted their heads toward them.Short glances… but enough to sharpen Jack's tension, still unused to anyone's eyes on him.
Yuki tried to sit steadily as if everything was normal, while Taz remained the same… driving with confidence.
But instead of stopping, Taz turned onto a dirt road leading out of town toward a light forest and isolated homes.
Yuki asked:"Aren't we getting off here?"He answered without looking back:"We're not here for the town."
A few minutes later, a small wooden cabin appeared at the edge of the hills. It looked old, but not abandoned as Yuki expected.
Taz turned off the engine and said quietly:"Stay behind me. And don't talk at first."
He opened the door and stepped out. Jack and Yuki followed, standing a few steps behind him.Yuki watched everything: the ashes near the entrance, the cracked wall, the narrow window.
Taz reached the door, set his hand on it, then pushed it open slowly.
The moment he stepped inside, a sharp movement sounded.Before the three of them could process what was happening, they saw a gun barrel pressed against the back of Taz's head.
Yuki covered her mouth to stifle a gasp.Jack's feet froze, but his body was ready to strike.
A man's voice came from inside:"Detective… Taz… I didn't expect to see you again."A steady voice… as if there was an unsettling past between them.
Taz raised his hands slightly and said coolly:"Calm down… if I wanted trouble, I wouldn't have come here."
And before the man's face appeared...
End of Chapter.