In the office, Handoko's face tightened with a mix of anger and determination. They had been looking at the clues too narrowly, missing the broader tactic behind the attacks. This flexibility in the terrorists' methods was both genius and horrifying, as it could exploit any number of vehicle types to inflict maximum damage.
Meanwhile, inside the cold forensic discussion room, Yenny's desk was covered with a chaotic array of molar teeth molds, each carefully printed with tiny codes in a precise, consistent hand. Spread around her workstation, they resembled a strange, grotesque collection of trophies from the dead. Each tooth held a string of letters and numbers, and Yenny's task was to decipher the pattern, if any, behind them. The room felt heavy with tension as she struggled to connect the dots, her mind swimming in the endless permutations.
Rano, a fellow investigator known for his analytical mind, hovered nearby, sifting through the pile and muttering to himself. He'd spent hours sorting and categorizing the teeth by code style, organizing them by similarities and frequency, but it was a daunting task. "Yen, look at this," he said, pulling one molar from a pile. "The code style here… don't you think it's different?"
Yenny squinted, her gaze fixed on the delicate numbers inscribed in neat rows. She sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "Maybe. But we've seen different handwriting styles before," she replied. "Could mean it's from another set of attacks, or another group entirely."
"Or it could mean nothing," Rano muttered, biting his lip as he studied another molar under the harsh fluorescent light.
The two exchanged glances, both feeling the weight of their shared uncertainty. They knew that any overlooked detail could be the key to deciphering the terrorists' messages. Yenny looked away, momentarily defeated. "Maybe we're overthinking this. Maybe it's a bluff."
"Or maybe we're under-thinking it," Rano shot back, irritation creeping into his voice. "Look, I just can't get over how '8T' keeps showing up. Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence?"
Yenny took a deep breath, trying to stave off the growing headache that pulsed behind her eyes. The codes swirled in her mind, a messy tangle that refused to unravel. The wall beside her was covered in an acrylic board filled with scrawled notes, each line of code annotated and color-coded, a testament to their hours of grueling work.
They both took a moment to stand back and study the board. "If '8T' means eight trucks, like we thought… why haven't we seen similar codes for other types of vehicles? Or for numbers that correlate with fewer casualties?" Yenny asked, voice tight with exhaustion. She sounded desperate for an answer.
Rano leaned against the board, crossing his arms. "Maybe it's because trucks are the most effective. They're big, they're inconspicuous, and they can cause maximum damage without anyone suspecting."
Yenny nodded but frowned, still unconvinced. "But there's got to be more to it. Look," she said, pointing to a pattern on the board. "In some places, the numbers seem to hint at dates. But in others, they're just… random."
Rano scratched his head, his frustration mounting. "What if the numbers are layered? Like, the first part could indicate the date, the second could be location-specific, and the last part…" He hesitated, trailing off. They both stared at each other, sensing the same creeping dread: that they were getting close but couldn't quite see the full picture.
Feeling overwhelmed, Yenny threw her pen down. "I need a break," she muttered, her voice thick with exhaustion. She grabbed her coat and headed for the door, motioning for Rano to join her.
Outside, Yenny lit a cigarette and took a deep, satisfying drag, letting the smoke clear her mind for a moment. She leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes briefly. Rano, who'd followed her out, pulled out his phone and began playing Mobile Legends, his fingers tapping furiously across the screen.
After a few minutes, Rano broke the silence. "Do you ever wonder if we're just chasing ghosts?" he asked, eyes still glued to his game.
Yenny exhaled a cloud of smoke and shrugged. "Sometimes, yeah. But what else can we do? If there's even a chance this leads to something… we owe it to those who died to follow it through."
Rano sighed, finally looking up from his game. "Maybe you're right. But Yen, I swear, if I see another one of those codes, I'm gonna lose it."
She chuckled, a brief release of tension. "Me too, Rano. Me too. But let's try one more time. Something's got to give. We're close—I can feel it."
After a few more moments of rest, they went back inside. Determined, they resumed their positions and went through each code again, debating and analyzing until disagreements started to arise.
"Look here," Yenny pointed at another line on the board, frustration lacing her voice. "These numbers don't fit with the dates we've mapped. We've been over this. Maybe it's not a date at all!"
Rano frowned, shaking his head. "No, I still think it's the date. We're missing a piece, Yen. Look harder."
"And what if you're wrong, Rano?" she shot back, her patience wearing thin.
They fell into a tense silence, each mentally retracing their theories. The quiet was broken only by the occasional tapping of Rano's pen against his teeth and Yenny's intermittent muttering. Hours passed, and their minds grew weary.
Finally, Yenny straightened up. "Alright," she said. "Let's go over the codes again. Slowly this time. We're looking for anything that doesn't fit."
With a nod, Rano complied, his earlier irritation melting into shared resolve. Together, they dove back into the codes, inching closer to uncovering the terrorists' next moves.
In that quiet, sterile room, Yenny and Rano sat again, both focused on the small, inscribed molar resting in Yenny's gloved hand. The code on this second driver's tooth, "8T101109100," stared back at them, mysterious but strangely methodical.
Yenny squinted at the code. "It's clear now that the numbers are specific. '8T' could mean… what? Eight trucks? Or eight cities? Maybe even eight toll roads."
Rano rubbed his temples, frowning as he leaned over the board covered in notes. "Yeah, and the next part, '101109,' that's got to be the date—November 10th, 2024."
"And the '100,'" Yenny muttered, voice low, "it could mean the minimum number of casualties. A target for them." She dropped the tooth gently on the table, as if it were something unholy. "They must have meant for at least a hundred people to die that day."
Rano nodded slowly, his face grim. "It's a formula," he said quietly. "A method for each attack, each one crafted like clockwork. If we'd cracked this code earlier…"
"We could have prevented it." Yenny's voice wavered with anger and regret. She clenched her fists, the weight of the missed opportunity crashing over her. "So many lives could've been saved."
They sat in heavy silence, the implications sinking in. The code wasn't just a set of random numbers—it was a plan. A recipe for disaster. Yenny jotted down her notes, working to ensure every possibility was considered.
She picked up another molar, this one with a different code: "3C1212071000."
"Rano, look at this one," Yenny said, her voice tight with anxiety. "3C1212071000. Same format."
Rano leaned in, his eyes darting over the numbers. "So '3C' could mean three locations or three cities this time?" He shook his head, growing tense. "And '121207' would be… December 12th, at 7 a.m. or 7 p.m."
Yenny's face blanched as she processed this new date. "And the final '1000'... that's not one hundred this time, is it?" Her voice dropped to a horrified whisper. "It means one thousand."
"One thousand casualties." Rano's voice shook. He looked up at Yenny, his expression mirroring the terror they "One thousand casualties." Rano's voice shook. He looked up at Yenny, his expression mirroring the terror they both felt. "That's... that's catastrophic. They're planning to kill a thousand people on December 12th."
The two locked eyes, the full horror of the plan sinking in. Yenny's mind raced, trying to process the scale of this next attack.
Rano ran a hand over his face. "A thousand deaths, Yen. That's not just an attack—that's mass slaughter. We need to alert Handoko right now."
Yenny nodded, swallowing the growing knot in her throat. "But what if it's a diversion?" she said, doubt creeping into her voice. "What if the real attack is somewhere else?"
Rano shook his head. "No, it's all right there, Yenny. We're not dealing with amateurs here—they're systematic, meticulous." He glanced at the molars scattered across the table, haunted by the thought of missing something crucial.
"Then we need to move fast," Yenny said, her voice resolute. "If they really intend to carry out an attack on December 12th, we've only got a few weeks. We can't lose another chance to stop this."
They both fell silent, feeling the weight of the revelation. Yenny looked back at the coded numbers, unable to shake the images of the destruction they foretold.
-------------------------------------------End of Chapter 13--------------------------------------------