Carter drove on, the familiar roads stretching ahead until they blurred into nothing.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
Jake.
Carter listened in silence as Jake explained everything. For the first time in a long while, his calm, steady demeanor cracked.
"What?" Carter said.
"Carter," Jake said urgently. "Turn your car toward the NACHIO Organization. I'm heading there too."
The call ended.
Jake stood up from his computer and walked toward his car.
It was his newest design — built specifically for speed, with several weapons and advanced systems installed.
He slid into the driver's seat, pulled the lever, and tapped a few commands on the car's touchscreen.
Suddenly, the ground beneath the vehicle shifted upward.
A hidden tunnel opened.
Jake pressed down on the accelerator.
The car's turbo began to glow.
In an instant, it shot forward like a streak of light.
A location appeared on the dashboard screen.
"To NACHIO's headquarters," Jake muttered.
As he covered some distance, a thought crossed his mind.
Jake abruptly turned the car and sped in another direction.
The city blurred past him in seconds.
Soon, he arrived at Locki's house.
The door was locked.
Jake made quick work of it — his skills bypassing the lock in moments.
Inside, the house was silent… and unsettlingly empty.
It had two bedrooms, two living rooms, and a kitchen.
Jake searched both living rooms first — nothing.
Then he moved toward the bedrooms — still nothing.
Jake wasn't careless. He knew Locki wouldn't leave sensitive information unprotected.
"If I were Locki… where would I hide it?" he thought.
He closed his eyes, trying to focus — when his phone rang.
Carter.
"Jake… where are you?" Carter asked.
"I'm standing outside NACHIO's building," Carter continued.
"Go ahead without me," Jake replied. "I'm at Locki's. I want to find everything he gathered on this mysterious organization."
There was a pause.
"Alright," Carter said.
The call ended.
At NACHIO's Headquarters
Carter stood in front of the towering building and exhaled slowly.
"I don't know what really happened in the past with our predecessors…" he murmured to himself. "If anyone knows the full truth… it's probably Locki."
He straightened, then stepped inside.
At the reception desk stood a woman.
She noticed him immediately.
"Yes, sir. How may I help you? Are you one of our clients?" she asked politely.
"No. I'm Carter Klien, from the Hero Town Space Department."
He showed his official ID.
For a split second, the receptionist froze — a cold tension flickering across her face — but she quickly masked it with professionalism.
"And how may I assist you, sir?" she said with a practiced smile.
Under the desk, her left hand moved — pressing a hidden button.
In another room, a guard monitoring security cameras was jolted awake by a sudden ringing alert.