Pika sat quietly on the floor, his mind drifting elsewhere.
"Hajime," he whispered, his eyes narrowing. "Haji?"
The granny didn’t linger long after mentioning her grandson’s name. And Pika didn’t probe further or let his tongue run loose — he might be the weakest member of the team, but he wasn’t foolish enough to speak recklessly.
Moreover, the granny had said her grandson was dead.
Once again, his gaze shifted to the portrait hanging on the wall. A shallow breath escaped him.
"Haji said his grandfather used to work in the underground tunnels," he murmured. "That’s why he’s more familiar with them than the surface." His brows knitted. "But the granny and the man she said was her husband looked well-off."
Not just well-off — comfortable even — but wealthy, living a truly luxurious lifestyle. Pika could tell from the jewelry the woman wore in the photo and the quality of clothing the men had on.
"Tsk." He clicked his tongue, snapping his gaze back to the compact laptop in front of him. "I shouldn’t be thinking about anything else."
This was his task, not unraveling mysteries.
So Pika forced the thoughts to the back of his mind and began working. His brows drew together as his fingers moved across the keys.
He checked his modified wristwatch, scanning the time.
"What’s the holdup?" he muttered. "How could the Bellemonte guys not have established the connection yet?"
The Bellemonte group had already exceeded the estimated completion time for their task. If everything had gone smoothly, they should have finished by now. The delay suggested a serious problem. Possibly that the team assigned to set up the temporary signal towers had run into trouble.
"..." Pika pressed his lips together, exhaling heavily. "We can’t keep going without communication."
He ran a hand through his hair. "Madam is no longer with us, and the other team... we haven’t heard from them."
There was no way for their group to relay information to the camp or the other teams—not even to report that they’d found two injured Bellemonte men. Communication was vital to this mission. Moving forward without it was reckless.
Pika froze, then his eyes widened.
Without a word, he scrambled to his feet and rushed outside. As soon as he stepped into the hallway, he saw the granny and Izu speaking quietly.
"Izu," he called out, interrupting them. "Is the operation about to start?"
Izu nodded. "Ransom is scrubbing in," he said, referring to their medic. "Florida’s assisting him."
Each group had its own structure: Pika handled tech and communications. Ransom was a licensed medical professional. Izu and Florida specialized in combat. And Lola was their lead.
The other teams followed the same setup.
"What about you?" Pika asked. "Doesn’t Ransom need more help?"
"He does," Izu admitted. "But our group is small." He glanced at the granny. "That’s why I asked if she could assist."
The granny smiled. "I can hand him the tools."
She had experience treating the injured. Her help would be far more valuable inside the operation than Izu’s presence.
Besides, someone needed to stay alert outside to make sure nothing reached the inside of the establishment. Pika wouldn’t be enough on his own.
"I see." Pika nodded, only for Izu to frown.
"Why?" Izu asked.
For a moment, hesitation flickered in Pika’s eyes as he glanced between Izu and the granny. Then he decided it was better if she heard it too. She seemed trustworthy.
"The connection hasn’t been established," Pika said gravely.
Izu’s brow furrowed. "It hasn’t?"
Before he could process the current problem, Pika continued.


Haji...
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