The Outskirts of Berlin
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7F0MwLtVNc
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrtneU0ecp
As they left the airport, silence fell between them, heavy like an unspoken question. A note of tension lingered in the air as Mathis sat in the passenger seat, his gaze distant, his mind wandering. He had learned to live with silence, almost preferring it now—it drowned out the noise of his thoughts and the memories of all he had lost. Beside him, Bree kept glancing over, her fingers gripping the wheel a little too tightly, her lips pressed into a thin line. She was worried about him, but she was also relieved. He was back, and that was something.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWThRpOgtN
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGWKwnOjjFm
Mathis caught her looking and turned his head slightly. His eyes, sharp yet tired, flickered with a curious light. "So... where are we really going?" His voice was low and steady, but an edge of suspicion remained.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡld46OzsRwY
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2mnTNhtmS
Bree didn't answer right away. She kept her eyes on the road, watching the city fade into the distance and the long stretch of highway ahead. "We're going to visit a friend," she said finally, her tone careful and measured. "He might be able to give us some information."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLy5FUoxxDs
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14aBvuJVWe
Mathis raised an eyebrow. "Might?"
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMbc1tf7fds
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvj73Nz09Nx
"He's not exactly... reliable," Bree admitted with a sigh. "But he's the only lead we have right now."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhxPQjelCt
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9BbGEgITu
Mathis leaned back in his seat, considering her words. He trusted Bree—he had to, given their circumstances—but his instincts were on high alert. He couldn't shake the feeling they were being followed, watched even. The Shadow Front had eyes everywhere, and after what had happened, Mathis had learned never to let his guard down. He wasn't just hunting the people responsible for Bram's death; he was hunting shadows, and he knew how dangerous that could be.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsaoI99B2S
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzJwWfocAT
"Does he know about the drone?" Mathis asked, his tone shifting to something more businesslike, pushing away the vulnerability that had briefly surfaced.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuArObC69c0
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OfgGssGKr
Bree hesitated again, deepening the unease in Mathis's gut. "I'm not sure," she confessed. "But if anyone's got a clue where it's headed, it's him. He's been in contact with people connected to the black market... arms dealers."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEvtev3xZ0
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRrJtdn39i
Mathis's jaw clenched. Black market dealings, the Shadow Front, missing drones—everything was tangled, and he had no idea how to unravel it. For a moment, he thought of Bram, of the betrayal that had set this entire mission in motion. Then he pushed it down, deep, where guilt and grief couldn't reach him. He had to focus, or everything he fought for would unravel.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5nCPIwS6V
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4ZwY0TQSC
"Fine," he muttered. "Let's see what your friend knows."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotGaEeWXq4
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nIHFGMPHP
Mathis shifted in his seat, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at the rearview mirror. For a second, he thought he saw the shadow of a motorbike trailing them. The way it stayed in the blind spot, never fully visible, stirred something in his gut—a feeling he couldn't shake.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvnhd5Hlv0
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJCldEuv4b
He looked again, but the road was clear, nothing out of the ordinary. Just the hum of distant cars and the endless ribbon of highway stretching ahead. Still, the unease remained.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAA9xxDqhIx
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpdn5uyBvc
"Do you see that?" Mathis asked, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNe8JGTDf9
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzAhtKCr5h
Bree didn't take her eyes off the road, but her fingers tightened around the wheel. "See what?"
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuXYBiQ5Df
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrY6GridArD
"Thought I saw someone... following us." He turned his head slightly, trying to catch another glimpse of the shadow, but it was gone—if it had even been there at all.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34E57Pbat2
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0QZsXptQy
Bree's jaw clenched. "You sure?"
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGqCNiRjkh3
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQgDESIdea
Mathis hesitated. He wasn't sure. But the instinct—the one that had kept him alive all these years—buzzed in the back of his mind like a live wire. "No," he muttered. "But let's not take any chances."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJboaA4fUI1
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFihVcDQXw
Bree nodded subtly, her posture straightening as she eased the car into the middle lane, her eyes scanning the road with new focus. The city had long disappeared behind them, and the open highway felt more exposed now.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzNbTTxuIo
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvH7P5tP6tT
Mathis leaned back, still watching the rearview mirror from the corner of his eye. Whether it was real or just paranoia, he couldn't tell. But he knew one thing: they weren't safe yet.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNJ5HMWmnZ
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCY5cs9K3ac
The rest of the drive passed in tense silence, the imagined shadow of the motorbike lingering in Mathis's mind. He kept stealing glances at the mirror, but the highway behind them remained empty. Still, something didn't sit right.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULMxEJw7DF
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQsFD8Z10d
Bree turned off the main road, the tires crunching on gravel as they entered a narrow, winding lane. The city was far behind now, and only fields and clusters of trees surrounded them. The further they drove, the more isolated it felt, as if they were stepping outside the world altogether. Finally, a small, weathered house came into view, tucked between thick patches of trees. It looked abandoned, the kind of place no one would notice.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqrmtIBIkw
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPadCYUP1W
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfsAFtAae4
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GfZKnPpDF
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FznlkPYRN
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgRWRXdzUz
"We're here," Bree said quietly, though there was an edge in her voice. She parked the car a short distance from the house and cut the engine. The silence that followed was deafening.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3g3rCUxB3N
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4O3qAirdy5
Mathis scanned the surroundings, his senses prickling. The house was dark, the windows covered by old, threadbare curtains. No signs of life, no movement. It seemed too quiet. Too still. The motorbike he thought he'd seen earlier returned to his mind, an invisible presence lingering just out of reach.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1iu3N6nXM
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2koDgdqKx
"Doesn't look like anyone's home," Mathis muttered, his eyes narrowing.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkbI6JbzOB8
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RfN6y6s91
Bree shook her head. "He's here. He likes to keep a low profile."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL00tYR2Ycz
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclxVZj6RfL
They stepped out of the car, the cool air biting at their skin. Mathis moved with calculated caution, his hand instinctively hovering near the gun holstered at his side. Bree walked ahead, her shoulders tense but confident. She knew this contact, and Mathis had to trust that. But still, the knot in his stomach tightened.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEmlIi0pQ8
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyo8xr1kUX
They approached the house, and Bree pushed the door open with a soft creak. Inside, it was dim, the faint smell of dust and old wood clinging to the air. A single light flickered in the hallway.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqeyvXm7Fo
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8XRA8r1on
"Wait here," Bree said, her voice low. "Let me talk to him first."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qvVzcK15z
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4bvCYrvau
Mathis nodded, though his instincts told him not to let her out of his sight. He watched her disappear deeper into the house, swallowed by the shadows. Alone, he kept his back to the wall, listening, waiting. Every sound—the groan of floorboards, the wind rustling through the trees outside—seemed amplified.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCGXveSEIm
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8x8eOgEIlD
For a moment, Mathis considered checking the rearview mirror again, just to see if that motorbike had finally caught up with them. But then Bree's footsteps returned, and he pushed the thought away.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUzQVtHkKm
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH5lFFloIqE
"He'll see us now," she said, her expression unreadable.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLo2GVwEeML
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssTFFTAto6
Mathis nodded once and followed Bree.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesfD0ad0tc
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPGvwKW6CT
The house looked like it had been abandoned for years, with the planks along the entryway so rotten that Mathis half-expected the entire structure to collapse under his weight. The garage beside it sagged dangerously, its roof threatening to cave in at any moment. As they stepped inside, the stale air hit him, thick with the scent of damp wood and decay. Peeling wallpaper clung to the walls like dead skin, and heaps of collected scrap and debris littered the hallway. Mathis's mind reeled with words like "charming," though the sarcasm did little to lighten the pit forming in his stomach.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH199XyaYA4
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87AC7b1FaX
The deeper they went, the worse it got. In the kitchen, plates of old food had grown mold, untouched for what must have been years, while thick layers of dust and dirt coated every surface. It looked as if someone had simply walked out one day and never returned. Bree, walking ahead of him, glanced over her shoulder and caught his expression, stifling a laugh.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTHuVKeT3U
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT78HOuTkro
"Don't worry," she said, smirking. "It's not as bad as it looks."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66xzrXF0Ok
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKO9oIHrbv
"Charming," Mathis muttered under his breath, his distaste apparent.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdt64JbT6Iv
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvFUuftVDw
Bree led him to a door in the hallway, and as she swung it open, a cold draft swept up from the darkened stairwell. Thick cables snaked along the walls, disappearing into the cellar below. Mathis hesitated for a moment before following her down the creaking wooden steps. His senses were on alert, the scent of mildew stronger now, mingling with the metallic odor of something more recent—perhaps the faint trace of machinery.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHOrELiEYG
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9fpR8pWwG
The last step landed him in a completely different world.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffJLfSxHZ0
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJiyIgsMPXQ
The basement was lit by the glow of multiple computer screens mounted on the walls, their displays flickering with streams of data. The low hum of machines filled the air, mingling with the faint, acrid scent of overheated electronics. In the corner, a man sat hunched over a keyboard, his fingers moving so fast they sounded like drumsticks tapping out a steady rhythm. The room was cluttered but meticulously organized, a stark contrast to the decaying ruin above. Rows of servers lined the walls, their blinking lights casting an eerie glow that reflected off the concrete floor.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS84MiCVJaT
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGwe96eMWG
Mathis scanned the setup, his tension easing only slightly. He'd seen plenty of hidden bases, but the stark contrast between the deteriorating house upstairs and this high-tech lair made him uneasy. His eyes flicked to Bree, who seemed unfazed, as if this was exactly what she expected.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JROaERpLy
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7zwMsTYRC
The man at the computer looked up, pausing for a moment before nodding at Bree. "Mathis Kristensen, right?" he said, his voice rough but controlled. "She told me you'd be coming. Name's Vincent."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OhrOB7sRr
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbm4Od4ETa
Mathis gave a curt nod, his eyes narrowing. "You have information?"
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKGQjFQc7T
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7YnkTWhj3
Vincent smirked, revealing a hint of yellowed teeth. "Always do. I tracked the drone you asked about. It wasn't easy, but through various networks and some less-than-legal means, I managed to trace it to a van heading to Rome. I lost track of the van, but it reappeared after the police investigated an explosion. The van is a wreck now. From intercepted communications, it looks like there's still something significant happening in Rome."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63KghdSx4D
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5BdcGHgGe
Bree's eyes lit up with a mix of excitement and determination. "So, what do we do next?"
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwo3pIssbJk
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tiSvE3WRQ
Vincent leaned back in his chair, his expression serious. "You'll need to dig deeper in Rome. The explosion and the wrecked van are just the beginning. There's more to uncover. Time's running short—if you don't act quickly, the opportunity to find out what's really going on might slip away."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBPmjdCdHh
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHy2vzntcP
Mathis felt the weight of urgency press down on him. "Understood. We'll head to Rome."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LIu0wSIbt
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqd2NQbR8Y
Vincent nodded, his fingers already returning to the keyboard. "Be careful. There's a lot more at stake than you might realize."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7M4b0pCTed
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEmwfwEpyEA
As Mathis and Bree emerged from the basement, the chill of the night air seemed to press down on them, intensifying the weight of their new intel. They moved quickly toward their car, their steps hurried by the urgency of their mission.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNFtF4zAC4
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqALLBej5e
Suddenly, the roar of a motorcycle engine pierced the silence. Mathis's instincts kicked in. He grabbed Bree's arm and pulled her behind a nearby car just as a bullet sliced through the air, embedding itself in the concrete where they had stood moments earlier. The sharp, metallic scent of gunfire hung in the air.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAR1VJaRjn
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwk2FS5n2h
The rider, dressed in black with a tinted visor obscuring their face, circled them with menacing precision. The engine's growl was a constant threat as the bike swerved, preparing to take another shot. Mathis yanked Bree further behind the vehicle, his pulse quickening as he scanned for an escape route.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOPZNsTmNs
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigCOQUUaeg
"Get down!" he barked, his voice cutting through the chaos.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlZe1TK4Wz
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrp6JRmXsGm
They crouched, their breaths shallow and fast, while the rider circled again, the tension thick in the air. Mathis drew his weapon, the cold steel a stark contrast to the heat of his anger. Before he could aim, the rider seemed to sense the danger and sped off into the night, disappearing around a corner.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jhWfsVYNp
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjk3ADOaQT
A deafening silence followed. Mathis and Bree remained crouched, their hearts pounding in their chests. As the sound of the motorcycle faded into the distance, Mathis cautiously stood, his eyes scanning the dark, deserted street.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMJDZTt6c7
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfKJFbM3nc
"Where did that come from?" Bree's voice trembled, her eyes wide with shock. "Was Vincent's location compromised?"
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALdq5jevpA
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡddcYXgwkxj
Mathis's jaw clenched, suspicion gnawing at him. "If the Shadow Front is tracking us, they might have known we were here all along," he said grimly, frustration evident in his tone. "I saw a motorcycle tailing us earlier. Should've trusted my gut."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZvisInF9k
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWn8L4Jalk
Bree's face was a mix of frustration and fear. "The Shadow Front? Not this again, Mathis." Her voice carried a hint of exasperation. "You pushed me away, chasing this vendetta. What if it's just a thug hired by the gray-clad man? It's too convenient that they show up just as someone tries to kill us."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfjUh9Blys
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWljO3pGMzU
Mathis's gaze hardened, his mind racing. The attack only confirmed his fears—the Shadow Front was still very much a threat. The possibility of betrayal by Vincent or someone else loomed larger with every second.
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGdobz0lhL
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5F1Se5dEak
He looked at Bree, the shared weight of their predicament clear in her tense posture. "No, Bree. If Vincent's intel is accurate, the gray-clad man isn't working alone. The Shadow Front has the reach for something this significant. It makes sense."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmNGHqrIZU
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtx4pZKXq3
Bree's frustration boiled over. "And if you're wrong? Vincent has always been loyal. There's no way he'd be involved in an assassination plot."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfS5V1C1gc7
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Bpe6LtIVw
Mathis met her gaze, conflicted but resolute. "We can't afford to take chances. We need to find out if Vincent's involved or if we've been played. We need to be ready for anything."
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCTQjKFwav
291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxB7Z8wGqR
Bree nodded, her expression hardening with determination. "Okay, but we need to be smart about this. Let's regroup and plan our next move."
ns216.73.216.116da2
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.