CHAPTER 213: The Hunter

CHAPTER 213: The Hunter

Minutes later, in the main hall of Enid Corp, the enormous lobby was almost empty. The white lights illuminated the immaculate marble of the floor, reflecting the elongated shadows of the columns and the security screens that flickered in silence.

Enid stood in front of Fenix, arms crossed and expression tense.

—You let them escape —she said coldly—. It was a simple task. Two disoriented fugitives. There was no margin for error.

Fenix, with his imposing height of over two meters, leaned carelessly against a column. His expression was almost mocking, as if the situation were of no importance whatsoever.

—Bah… you dramatize too much —he replied, shrugging—. A couple of frightened beings won't get very far.

Enid fixed her gaze on him.

—Don't underestimate Selene. Or the investigator. Every minute they're loose is a risk to the company.

Fenix tilted his head, pretending to listen to something.

—Hey… do you hear that? —he said suddenly.

—Hear what? —Enid asked, annoyed.

Fenix opened his mouth and imitated a ridiculous sound.

—Brrr… brrr… ring, ring.

Enid frowned.

—This is not the time for stupidity.

But Fenix did not stop. He raised his own hand, curling his fingers as if it were a telephone, and brought it to his ear.

—Hello? Yes, yes, of course… What do you mean the boss is in a bad mood again? —he changed his tone of voice, exaggerating—. No, no, no… today she doesn't want to smile either. She says everyone is useless except her.

He made a theatrical pause, as if listening to an imaginary response.

—What? That I should take a deep breath and relax a little? Ugh… that's going to be difficult, my friend.

He let out a brief laugh, clearly provoking.

Enid's patience reached its limit. She took a step forward, her eyes burning with contained rage.

—Enough, Fenix.

The giant slowly lowered his hand, still with a lopsided smile, but perceiving the change in the atmosphere.

—Listen to me well —Enid continued, with a firm, cutting voice—. I don't want games, I don't want excuses, and I don't want failures. You have a clear order.

She moved close enough that her gaze was level with Fenix's chest, without losing an ounce of authority.

—Silence the fugitives. They cannot remain alive. Under no circumstances.

Silence fell between them like a slab.

Fenix tilted his head slightly, with an ambiguous smile that mixed obedience and defiance.

—Understood, boss… —he murmured—. This time they won't escape me.

Enid turned on her heel without adding anything more, making it clear that the conversation was over.

Fenix watched her walk away, still with that indecipherable expression, while his fingers slowly closed, as if anticipating the hunt about to begin.

The sewers stretched like an endless labyrinth beneath the city. The echo of drops falling from the ceiling marked an irregular rhythm, and the smell of dampness and rust permeated the air. Selene and Joe advanced cautiously, illuminating themselves barely with an improvised flashlight that projected elongated shadows on the concrete walls.

After several minutes of walking, the tunnel opened into an enormous underground room. The space opened up like an artificial cavern, with thick pillars supporting the ceiling and multiple conduits branching off in different directions.

—It looks like a crossroads —Selene murmured, observing the different accesses.

—Too many options —Joe replied—. If we choose wrong, we could wander for hours.

Selene pointed to one of the side tunnels, narrower and with less accumulated water.

—That way. The ground is drier.

Joe nodded, and both of them entered the new passage.

They walked in silence for a few meters, until Selene broke the stillness.

—Joe… earlier you said you'd been investigating Enid Corp for a while —she remarked, without looking at him directly—. What led you to get into all this?

Joe took a few seconds to respond. His breathing became a little heavier, as if he were organizing memories.

—Twelve years ago… in 2000… I had a family —he said at last—. A wife. Two small children.

Selene lowered the flashlight a bit, listening attentively.

—We lived in Berlin. We weren't rich, or anything special… just normal people. The kids went to school, I worked almost all day. I came home tired, but there was always noise in the house, toys thrown around, arguments over silly things… those kinds of things.

He made a brief pause.

—On October thirty-first, the Hell in Berlin happened. At first no one understood what was going on. Explosions, fires, people running. I was far away, in another part of the city… when I tried to go back, it was already impossible.

He clenched his jaw.

—My wife and my children didn't make it out of there. Like almost everyone. They say ninety-nine percent of the inhabitants died.

Selene swallowed.

—I'm sorry…

—No need —Joe replied, without resentment—. It's been a long time. But from that day I started looking at things differently. I started noticing there were too many official versions that didn't add up. Too many missing pieces.

They advanced a few more steps.

—At first it was curiosity —he continued—. Then it became an obsession. I wanted to understand what had really happened, who was behind it. That's how I came across hidden reports, names that kept repeating… corporations, covert operations… Enid Corp appeared more times than it should have.

Selene glanced at him sideways.

—And you never thought about giving it up?

Joe let out a small, dry laugh.

—Many times. But when you've already lost everything, there's not much left to protect. Moving forward is the only thing you know how to do.

The tunnel narrowed a bit more, forcing them to walk almost in single file.