The rain struck my skin like daggers while I dashed through the streets, my breath escaping in quick, asured gasps. My boots splattered in puddles, creating ripples on the shiny pavent. The park stretched out before —opaque, thick, and filled with darkness. If I were Logan Pierce—if I were Cipher—that's the place I'd choose.
The storm obscured the outlines of the structures as I walked by, yet I didn't require clarity at the mont. My intuition buzzed like an electric current, drawing toward the woods.
Until sothing caught my eye.
A flickering neon sign on the left. District 48 Police Station.
I skidded to a halt, rainwater sloshing beneath my feet. My pulse thundered in my ears. Logan was fast, but if he was running into the woods, I could use every bit of backup I could get.
Without hesitation, I veered toward the glass doors, shoved them open with my shoulder, and stepped into the station, dripping water across the marble floor.
The room froze.
Desks, telephones, officers sorting through files. The instant I walked in, heads turned. Recognizing . My mask was practically calling out the na of my alias, but it was my na itself that carried weight.
Mr. Dust. Registered B-Rank Detective with association to A-Rank firefighter Mr. Fox.
The officer nearest to the front desk, a man with graying hair and a thick mustache, straightened in his chair. His eyes widened slightly as he took in. "Mr. Dust?"
I slapped my ID on the counter. "I need a firearm. Now."
The man blinked, hesitated. "Uh, sir—"
"I'm chasing Cipher."
His eyes snapped to full alert. The entire station seed to exhale and then inhale as one. Cipher. That na was the number one topic circulating since yesterday. It was whispered in investigative briefings and late-night etings across districts. An arsonist with a knack for precision. And now I was giving them a chance to catch him.
The officer snatched the ID, confird it with a glance, and yelled, "Get this man a sidearm!"
The room burst into motion. Drawers opened, safeties clicked, weapons checked. A young officer sprinted over within seconds, presenting with a standard-issue Glock 17. I accepted it with a curt nod, checking the chamber. Loaded. Safety off.
"District 48, listen up!" I barked, voice slicing through the commotion. "Cipher's on foot. He's headed toward the park. Spread out and block every exit. We stop him tonight."
The officers didn't question . Radios crackled to life, dispatchers repeated my orders, and within seconds, boots hit the pavent behind .
I was already gone.
The rain had intensified into a solid curtain by the ti I reached the park entrance. My heart pounded not from exhaustion, but from focus. My Instinct (Lv. 4) tugged at like an invisible leash, pulling deeper into the shadows.
Behind , faintly, ca the sounds of sirens. Police from Districts 47, 48... maybe even further out. Cipher had been marked as a high-priority criminal after Sasha's interrogation. They wouldn't stop until he was in cuffs—or in a body bag.
A sharp ping sounded in my head. The system interface flickered across my vision.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: EVENT QUEST: The Hunt for Cipher ACTIVATED]
Target: Cipher (Logan Pierce)
Objective: Capture or eliminate Cipher within 6 hours.
Completion Reward:
Rank Upgrade: Detective (B-Rank) → Detective (S-Rank)
Special Recognition: Citywide Comndation for Public Safety
The stakes had just skyrocketed. Not only for —but for everyone connected to the system. The police officers behind saw it too. I heard it in their sharp breaths, the curse words whispered under their breath. Every cop in the city was now sprinting toward the sa ghost.
Cipher.
The man who killed Chief Ryan. The man who turned fire into a weapon. The man who ran when his web of lies collapsed.
I was going to find him.
The park swallowed whole as I pushed deeper through the muddy pathways. My boots slipped on wet leaves as I ducked beneath sagging branches. The scent of damp earth filled the air.
Behind , footsteps crunched in unison—officers forming a loose periter across the eastern paths. I glanced to my right, activating Scan as I looked at the n alongside .
[SCANNING...]
Nas and stats shimred faintly in my periphery.
Officer Delaney: C-Rank, Combat Proficiency (Lv.5)
Officer ndez: B-Rank, Hand-to-Hand Combat (Lv. 5)
Officer Grant: A-Rank, Firearms Expert (Lv. 6)
"Grant!" I called out, slowing slightly. The broad-shouldered officer adjusted his grip on his shotgun and moved up beside .
"Sir?"
"Stick to my right. Cipher might try to circle back toward the service trail."
"Got it."
We advanced together, the rain muffling our footsteps. The deeper we ventured, the more my Instinct pulsed.
He's here.
Fifteen minutes passed.
The forest thickened. The other officers had spread out, their shouts growing distant. My pulse quickened with each step. My eyes scanned the terrain—footprints half-washed away in the mud, broken branches, disturbed moss.
"He's close," I whispered.
Grant gave a short nod and raised his shotgun. We moved slower now, step by step. The rain trickled down my collar, cold and sharp.
Crack.
Behind .
I spun, weapon raised.
A squirrel darted across the ground, seeking shelter beneath a rotting log. I exhaled sharply, lowering the gun. Grant did the sa, muttering a curse.
But the second I turned back around—
Thunk.
Pain exploded along the side of my head. The world tilted. My knees buckled. I hit the ground hard, the mud swallowing my shoulder. The Glock slipped from my grasp, landing sowhere beyond my reach.
"Grant—!" I tried to shout. But the word ca out slurred.
All I heard was a gunshot, before a figure moved in my fading vision. It was similar to a shadow bending over .
And then—
Everything went dark.
I awoke to the sound of rain. The tallic scent of blood lingered near my nose. My head throbbed with every heartbeat.
The room was dim. Wooden walls. A fireplace crackling in the corner. Thick rope bound my wrists and torso to a chair, tight enough that the coarse fibers bit into my skin. My coat was gone, and so was my hat. My holster was empty.
Footsteps creaked across the floor.
I raised my gaze.
Logan Pierce stood there, arms crossed, eyes glinting in the firelight. His lips curled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Evening, Mr. Dust," he said softly. "Took you long enough to find ."
Reviews
All reviews (0)