"Munn?" The man muttered as he saw Mia walking into the CloudWave building, surprised to see her.
"You!" she said, equally surprised. "My old friend, I didn't expect to see you here."
"And I don't think you're supposed to be here," he replied, stepping closer to block her path. "What do you want?"
Mia smiled, reaching into her pocket. "Just a quick chat," she said. "Let's skip the small talk."
The man's eyes narrowed, but before he could react, Mia pulled out a small gun and pointed it at him.
"Where is Callistus?" she demanded.
The man laughed. "No need for that," he said, smoothly grabbing the gun from her hand. "He isn't here anyway."
Mia nodded, turning away. "He's at the warehouse. Thanks."
"Need help?" the man asked.
Mia shook her head and started walking away.
"How will you go without your keys?" he called out, holding up her car keys.
"Hey—" she began, but he interrupted.
"Let's go," he said, heading to her car.
Mia stared at him in disbelief, but followed, slipping into the passenger seat. The man drove for about 40 minutes, the light fading as they reached the warehouses.
He opened the door for her, and she stepped inside. Her eyes widened as she spotted Callistus on the floor. She rushed over to him, her heart pounding.
Mia knelt beside Callistus. "Callistus! Wake up!"
"What?" he groaned softly, his eyes flickering open briefly before closing again. He was badly bruised, shivering from the cold, and his breathing was shallow.
"You don't know how mad Ivan is right now," she joked, trying to lighten the mood while she quickly untied the rope from his wrists and draped a jacket over him.
"Don't do anything dumb," Callistus muttered weakly. "Go back, I'm fine here."
Mia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Why are men always like this?
"He cannot leave," the man behind her said firmly. "Not until the meeting is over."
"You can't be serious—" she started, but was cut off by the sound of cars pulling up and footsteps approaching.
The man glanced around, his face tense. "We don't have much time. They could be here any second."
Mia tried to help Callistus stand, but he was too weak. "Come on, please!"
They heard more voices and footsteps outside. Reinforcements were coming.
The man cursed under his breath. "We can't take him now. We'll be caught."
Mia looked desperate. "We can't leave him like this!"
"We'll have to come back," he insisted. "If you stay, you're done for."
Mia glanced at Callistus, who gave her a faint nod. "The jacket is Ivan's, by the way," she murmured.
The man grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the warehouse. They slipped out the back door just as more men entered, leaving Callistus alone in the cold and dark.
"Ryan!" Valentina's angry voice echoed as she saw the damage Ryan had done to Callistus.
But they quickly turned away, leaving him in the shadows again. Callistus lay there, clutching Ivan's jacket tightly, his thoughts drifting.
"Where are you, Ivan?" he wondered before everything went black.
—
"Ryan!" Valentina shouted, furious. "I told you not to lay a finger on him!"
"What do you want?" Ryan grumbled, waking from his disrupted sleep. "I did you a small favor. No need to thank me."
"Thank you?" She grabbed his collar, pulling him close. "Did you even listen to what I said?"
Ryan pulled back, standing tall over her. "Do you remember what you said? You cried for months, begging me to kill him right in front of you. Now, I get close to doing it, and you want him alive? You're the one who's crazy."
Valentina was stunned. She opened her mouth to speak but found no words.
"What do you want now?" Ryan demanded, his eyes wide with frustration. "Want me to kill Ivan next? When he's our main source of money?"
Valentina stayed silent. Just then, the man who had been with Mia walked in.
"Sir, it's late," he said calmly. "The meeting is in a day, and everyone needs some rest."
Ryan stared at him, then nodded, agreeing before heading back to his room. Valentina turned and walked away to her bedroom, her mind racing.
—
All the lights were on in Ivan's house. The tension in the room was thick; everyone was furious about Callistus' disappearance, and now Mia's unexpected absence had made things worse.
The living room was buzzing with anxious energy. Ivan paced back and forth, his mind racing. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Mia pushed the door open, stumbling inside.
"Mia!" Ivan rushed over, bombarding her with questions. "Where is Callistus? What happened? Did you see him?"
Mia looked exhausted, her face pale. She took a deep breath before answering. "He's in the warehouse," she said.
Pavanya listened quietly from the side, while Isabell and Danish whispered in the corner, their faces tense with worry. Star had disappeared into the office room moments earlier.
Ivan's eyes darted to a stain on Mia's clothes. "Are you bleeding?" he asked, concerned.
Mia shook her head. "No… it's Callistus' blood."
The room fell silent. Shantel moved closer, looking worried. "You got in? What did you see?" she asked.
Mia nodded, her voice strained. "He's hurt badly. They beat him up, and it's freezing in there. He won't last long."
Ivan clenched his fists, his instinct to rush out immediately. But he knew better. If he charged in now, it would be a death sentence for Callistus. He turned back to the group, trying to think.
Star emerged from the office, carrying a small black suitcase. She set it on the table and opened it. Inside were pistols, neatly arranged.
"We need to be smart about this," Star said firmly. "He's strong; he can handle one more night. Mia, you'll go back first thing tomorrow. Make sure he's still breathing. The rest of us need to prepare. The authorities will be there on the day of the meeting. We'll make our move then."
Everyone nodded, a new plan forming. Ivan looked determined. "We will get him back," he promised, his voice steady but filled with anger.