Chapter 18: Chapter 18: The hidden Force

The squad room had been quiet for hours—the kind of quiet that meant something was about to break.

Santa flipped through files, leaning back in his chair. "Thupa's dirty money is everywhere. But there's a pattern."

Perth, eyes locked on his screen, murmured, "Not just a pattern. A funnel."

Joong frowned. "Explain."

Perth zoomed in on a financial trail—a long, complicated web of transactions.

"This isn't just drug money moving between shell companies. It's being consolidated—pulled into one place."

Santa raised an eyebrow. "So? Big guys always hoard money."

Perth shook his head. "Not like this. Someone isn't just collecting. They're absorbing."

Dunk whistled. "Like a corporate takeover. But for crime."

Perth clicked again. A name popped up on the screen.

And Nani froze.

Jason Blackwood.

The squad stared.

Joong exhaled. "Who the hell is that?"

Santa squinted at the name. "Doesn't ring a bell."

Dunk tilted his head. "Some rich dude?"

Perth started typing, pulling up a profile.

A photo appeared. A sharp suit. A cold, business-like stare.

And a long history of investments in international trade.

Joong narrowed his eyes. "Looks legit."

Santa smirked. "They always do."

But Nani wasn’t smirking.

He was staring.

Something about the name—about the face—made his stomach twist.

He knew this man.

But he didn’t know why.

Sky, standing nearby, caught the shift in Nani’s expression. "Nani?"

Nani inhaled sharply. "...I've seen that name before."

Joong frowned. "Where?"

Nani’s jaw tightened. "I don't remember. But it wasn't in a business report."

Santa leaned forward. "Meaning?"

Nani exhaled. "Meaning he wasn't just funding crime. He was in it."

Perth's fingers flew over the keyboard. "Checking deeper now."

The screen flashed again.

This time, the results were different.

✔ Multiple offshore accounts.

✔ Ties to known traffickers.

✔ Unconfirmed Interpol watchlists.

Santa exhaled sharply. "Well. That's not normal."

Dunk muttered, "I thought rich guys were supposed to hide their crimes better."

Joong, still staring at the profile, murmured, "He didn't need to hide. Because no one thought to look at him."

Sky spoke, voice calm but firm. "Now we do."

The squad absorbed the weight of it.

Jason Blackwood wasn't just backing Thupa.

He was replacing him.

And then—before anyone could process further—

Captain Ohm walked in.

---

Confirming the Threat

The tension had barely settled when the door swung open.

Captain Ohm stepped in, looking more serious than usual.

“We need to talk. Now.”

Sky turned immediately. “What happened?”

Ohm tossed a file onto the table. “Thupa’s on the move.”

Perth opened the folder, scanning it. “Define ‘on the move.’”

Ohm exhaled. “He’s pulling his operations out of Bangkok. Fast.”

Santa frowned. “That’s not normal.”

Joong’s jaw tightened. “Means he’s running. Or repositioning.”

Ohm’s eyes flickered toward Nani.

“He’s not running. He’s regrouping.”

The room stilled.

Sky’s voice was low. “Why?”

Ohm didn’t hesitate. “Because he’s got a new backer.”

Perth’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. “…Jason Blackwood.”

Ohm’s eyes sharpened. “You already figured it out?”

Sky, flipping through the file, exhaled sharply. "He's real, then."

Ohm nodded. "Very real. And very dangerous."

Joong frowned. "So why the hell is no one talking about him?"

Ohm's expression darkened. "Because Jason Blackwood doesn't operate like Thupa. He doesn't run a gang. He runs an empire."

The squad exchanged glances.

Dunk muttered, "So... he's what? A supervillain?"

Santa smirked. "Worse. A businessman."

Nani, still staring at the file, felt his pulse quicken.

Everything was falling into place.

Thupa wasn’t just stepping down.

Jason wasn’t just expanding.

Something bigger was happening.

Santa exhaled. “Well. That’s bad news.”

Dunk muttered, “No shit.”

Joong tapped the crime board. “So now we’ve got both Thupa and Jason to deal with?”

Ohm nodded. “Not just that.”

Sky’s expression darkened. “There’s more.”

Ohm’s jaw tightened. “Yeah. Because Jason’s not just targeting Thupa’s enemies.”

His eyes met Sky’s.

“He’s targeting you.”

The room went deathly silent.

Sky’s grip on the table tightened.

Nani inhaled sharply.

Because this wasn’t just about him anymore.

Jason was hunting them all.

And that meant war.

-----

The room became more eerily quiet after Captain Ohm left.

Santa, scrolling through his tablet, was the first to notice. “…Does anyone else feel like something’s off?”

Joong, flipping through reports, didn’t look up. “We’ve been hunting a ghost. Of course it feels off.”

Santa frowned. “No, I mean—now.”

Nani, standing near Perth, felt it too.

A quiet unease settling in his chest.

Dunk, typing something on his phone, muttered, “Pretty sure it’s just paranoia, man.”

And then—Perth stiffened.

The small movement was enough.

Sky’s attention snapped to him. “What?”

Perth’s fingers hovered over his keyboard. “…I just got an alert.”

Joong straightened. “From where?”

Perth’s expression darkened. “External security sensors.”

The room stilled.

Sky’s voice was calm, measured. “Trigger?”

Perth exhaled. “…That’s the thing. There’s nothing there.”

Silence.

Santa slowly set down his tablet. “That’s not possible.”

Dunk frowned. “Glitch?”

Perth’s fingers moved swiftly. “No. The system isn’t wrong. Someone—or something—tripped our sensors without actually appearing on the cameras.”

Joong’s jaw tightened. “Which means they know how to avoid them.”

Sky’s grip on his pen tightened slightly.

That wasn’t paranoia.

That was calculated.

Deliberate.

And that meant one thing.

This wasn’t an attack.

It was a test.

Nani felt his pulse spike.

Because he knew—he had seen this tactic before.

Someone was watching. Studying.

And then—the phones rang.

-----

It wasn’t just one phone.

It was all of them.

Every single line in HQ.

Santa’s brow furrowed. “…That’s not normal.”

Joong muttered, “You think?”

Sky, already standing, grabbed the nearest phone.

No caller ID.

His voice was steady. “Wongravee.”

For a second—just silence.

Then—

A voice.

Calm. Cold. Unbothered.

“You’re taking too long to notice.”

The squad froze.

Perth’s fingers flew across his keyboard. “Tracing—”

The voice continued.

“You’ve been so focused on watching others, you forgot who was watching you.”

Sky’s blood ran cold.

Because this wasn’t a threat.

This was mockery.

Perth’s voice was sharp. “The call’s bouncing between multiple locations. It’s a professional reroute—I can’t lock it.”

Joong’s voice was quiet but tense. “Who the hell is this?”

The line clicked.

Dead air.

Then-the power flickered.

Once—twice...

And then—

Gunfire outside.

One shot.

Two.

Then—chaos.

Sky moved first.

"Lock down HQ. Now!."

-------

The first shot

The first bullet shattered the glass doors at the building entrance.

Joong was already moving, gun drawn, as he pulled Dunk down behind cover.

Santa yanked his own pistol free, muttering, “And here I thought today would be boring.”

Another shot. Too close.

Sky didn’t flinch. “Dunk, Joong—secure the entrance.”

Dunk, still pressed against the wall, groaned. “Why do I always get the front seat to death?”

Joong shoved him toward cover. “Move faster, complain later.”

Sky’s focus snapped to Perth. “Find out where they’re breaching from.”

Perth’s fingers flew over his laptop. “Already on it—shutting external access now.”

Santa, sliding behind a pillar, grinned. “Sky, you ever think maybe you piss off too many people?”

Sky reloaded. “Less talking. More shooting.”

---

Controlled Chaos

More shots rang out.

The attackers weren’t rushing in.

They were testing them.

Tactically. Precisely.

Sky’s jaw tightened.

They weren’t dealing with random mercenaries.

This was organized.

Joong crouched beside him, eyes narrowing. “They’re holding position.”

Santa ducked, firing a return shot. “Yeah, I noticed. What’s the plan?”

Sky’s mind calculated options in seconds.

✔ Defensive counterfire – They didn’t have the numbers to push out.

✔ Close combat strategy – Couldn’t risk it, too many unknowns.

✔ Redirect their focus.

Sky grabbed his comm. “Ohm! You still in the building?”

Captain Ohm’s voice crackled through. “You think I’d leave my guys in this mess? I’m in the west corridor with my unit.”

Sky nodded to himself. “Good. We’ll push them toward you. Flank them from the sides.”

Perth interrupted.

“Wait.” His voice was sharp. “They’re not breaking in.”

Sky’s brow furrowed. “What?”

Perth’s fingers moved across the screen. “They could’ve stormed the building already. But they’re not.”

Joong’s grip on his gun tightened. “Then what the hell are they waiting for?”

Then—

Nani’s phone buzzed.

The screen glowed.

Unknown Number.

One message.

“Come outside, Ghost. We’re waiting.”

---

The Hard Choice

Silence hung in the room.

Nani stared at the text.

Santa exhaled. “Well. That’s personal.”

Dunk frowned. “Wait. Ghost? That’s what they used to call you, right?”

Nani’s grip on the phone tightened. “…Yes.”

Joong’s voice was calm but firm. “It’s a trap.”

Sky’s gaze stayed locked on Nani.

Measuring. Calculating.

He could see it.

The flicker of fear.

The weight of his past is catching up.

Sky stepped closer.

“You’re not going out there.”

Nani looked up. His expression is unreadable. “If I don’t, they’ll keep coming.”

Sky’s jaw clenched. “And if you do, you might not come back.”

The tension was suffocating.

Santa muttered, “I don’t like where this is going.”

Dunk nodded. “Same. Can we vote? I vote we don’t let Nani get kidnapped today.”

Joong exhaled sharply. “Nani. Listen to me. We’ll find another way.”

But Nani wasn’t listening.

His mind was already elsewhere.

Blood in the dirt.

A mission that went wrong.

People he couldn’t save.

If Jason knew he was alive, then he’d never stop.

Not unless Nani ended it first. This time he will protect what matters to him.

---

The Breaking Point

Nani moved.

A single step toward the exit.

And Sky grabbed him.

Hard.

Pulled him back.

Slamming him against his chest.

The squad froze.

Santa’s brows shot up. “…Okay, damn.”

Dunk blinked. “Is this a protective thing or a romantic thing?”

Perth, still typing, muttered, “Does it matter? He’s not letting go.”

Joong exhaled. “Sky.” His voice was a warning.

But Sky wasn’t moving.

His arms were still locked around Nani.

And Nani?

For the first time in years, he felt small.

Not because he was weak.

But because someone else was strong for him.

Sky’s voice was low. Firm.

“You are not doing this alone.”

Nani swallowed hard. “…Sky.”

Sky tightened his grip.

“You’re not walking into a death sentence. You have us now, you have me.”

Nani’s pulse pounded in his ears.

He should argue.

Should push him off.

Should say something sharp.

But he didn’t.

Because for the first time in a long, long time he realised-

He wasn’t alone.

---

The Shift in the Game

Perth’s screen flashed.

“Shit.” His voice cut through the tension.

Joong snapped to attention. “What now?”

Perth turned his laptop around.

Camera feeds.

One showing the attackers retreating.

Joong narrowed his eyes. “They’re pulling back?”

Dunk frowned. “Why the hell would they do that?”

Santa muttered, “If they wanted to test us, they already did.”

Sky’s expression darkened.

“No.” His voice was cold. “They got what they came for.”

Nani stiffened.

Because Sky was right.

This wasn’t a failure.

It was a warning.

This is Jason's first game.

And then—his phone buzzed again.

Another message.

“This is just the beginning, Ghost.”

---

The squad sat in stunned silence.

Santa let out a breath. “…That’s unsettling.”

Dunk rubbed his temples. “I need a drink.”

Joong muttered, “We need a plan.”

Sky’s eyes didn’t leave Nani.

“Who sent the message?”

Nani’s fingers curled around his phone.

He didn’t answer.

Not because he didn’t know.

But because he wasn’t sure he wanted to remember.

Sky watched him carefully.

Then, quietly—he reached for Nani’s hand.

Grounding. Steady.

Sky’s voice was low. Unshakable.

“We’ll figure this out. Together.”

Nani gripped his hand back, tight. He exhale slowly.  "Ok." He said faintly.