Here's Chapter 16: The Search Begins:
Bran arrived at the meeting point, breathless and anxious. He quickly called Joshua, his voice tense, "Sir, we should split up. It'll help us find them faster."
Joshua, standing tall under the flickering streetlight, firmly responded, "No. The Delta region isn't safe, especially not where we need to check—the dark zone. It's crawling with rogue Rangers and convicts. You two can't handle even one rogue Ranger, let alone the entire zone." His voice softened but remained authoritative. "Stay with me. We're searching together."
Bran sighed, knowing Joshua was right. Mika, standing beside him, nodded in agreement, even though her worry for Asher and Elara made her restless. Together, they set out to search the Delta region, starting with local stores, apartments, and homes, asking if anyone had seen Asher or his mother.
Hours passed as they combed through the streets, their pace quickening as the night deepened. They even stopped by the local police station to report Asher and Elara missing, but the officers, already hostile toward Asher, refused to help. They saw him as a nuisance, a troublemaker not worth their time. Bran clenched his fists in frustration, ready to argue, but Joshua held him back. It was no use.
As they continued their search, moving through the quieter streets of the Delta region, a sense of dread began to settle in. They were getting closer to the outskirts—the dark zone. Mika, walking slightly behind the others, felt a chill creep up her spine.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows—a disheveled man with wild eyes and erratic movements. A drug addict. His gaze locked on Mika, his lips curling into a disturbing grin.
"Yes… yes… you'd make me a lot of money," he muttered, rushing toward her with alarming speed. Before she could react, his grimy hand reached out and touched her face hold her body point a knife to her side saying If you speak or make any noise you die . Mika froze in terror, tears welling up in her eyes as he dragged her to the corner bran looked wanting to talk to Mika as he notice her shoe at the edge of the Dark alleyway notify Joshua the rushed to get her but did she her.
Without hesitation, she bit down hard on the man's hand to escape, causing him to scream in pain . Her cry for help immediately alerted Bran and Joshua on her location in the alley .
Bran's blood boiled as he spun around, shouting, "GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!"as the drug addict grinned enraged want to grab Mika back
In a blur, Joshua moved faster than Bran had ever seen, appearing behind the man in an instant. With one swift motion, he knocked the drug addict to the ground, his eyes cold as he subdued him effortlessly.
Bran rushed over to Mika, his anger dissolving into concern as he held her close, carefully lifting her onto his shoulder. "I've got you. You're safe now," he whispered, feeling her shivering in his arms.
Joshua stood over the unconscious man, his face unreadable. After a brief pause, he turned to the others and said "Mika are you alright", Joshua asked Mika responds "yes I'm alright thank you sir". "Let's keep moving," he said, his voice calm but commanding. "We still have to find Asher and Elara."
The group continued their search, the weight of the night growing heavier with each step. Despite the danger, none of them were willing to give up. They couldn't afford to.