"Bara," Baskoro's voice weakened, almost like a desperate whisper. "You heard it yourself, right? Twenty-four hours. If that cargo isn't found, Marten will activate the cleansing protocol. Me, you, and everyone in this mansion—all our lives will be at risk."Arga stepped closer, wearing an expression of determined resolve that was utterly convincing. "Sir, we don't have time to lament. If Marten is the sun, then we must move in the shadows. Give me access to the backup route database. There's no way Hendri could have taken that cargo far without significant logistical support."Baskoro looked up, his red-rimmed eyes staring at Arga. "You're right. He must have a hiding place. But there's something you don't know, Bara." Baskoro took a heavy breath. "Cargo A-09 wasn't just a hundred billion in money. Inside it was the core component of Project Icarus. If that component falls into the hands of Red Viper or the government, Marten won't just kill us. He'll make sure we suffer forever."[S

Total darkness swallowed the pier in an instant. Without light, Marten’s tactical team saw their coordination falter, but Arga knew better—they would certainly be equipped with night vision.He immediately activated the thermal overlay on his contact lenses, highlighting friends from foes in the pitch-black night."Rio, launch a reverse frequency jammer! Scramble their comms!" Arga barked, supporting Wijaya, who was limping from the previous impact.BANG! BANG!Blind fire from the tactical unit splintered the wooden crates beside them. Arga returned fire with three precise shots from his Glock-19. He deliberately aimed for a small nitrogen tank near the enemy, triggering an explosion to halt their advance."Get to the boat, Sir!" Arga shoved Wijaya onto the deck of the patrol boat, which was tossing violently against the waves.Arga dove behind the helm and reached beneath the dashboard. His fingers brushed against cold metal—the spare key. Without hesitation, he turned it, and the di

Arga forcibly lowered his heart rate. His focus locked onto a single point on the wall behind Marten, allowing his body to slip into the "autopilot" mode of a seasoned mercenary."I didn't repel them alone, Sir." Arga’s voice was heavy and flat, devoid of even the slightest tremor. "I simply exploited their panic when the nitrogen tanks on the pier exploded. My priority was the primary asset, Mr. Baskoro. The rest was just luck and a superior firing position."Marten stopped directly in front of Arga. They were so close that Arga could smell the scent of expensive tobacco and the sterile aroma of a medical lab. Marten reached out, straightening the collar of Arga’s tactical jacket—which was slightly askew—with a slow, deeply intimidating gesture."Luck is just another word for unacknowledged readiness," Marten whispered. He glanced toward a massive monitor beside the hall, linked to the security AI.[SYSTEM: BIOMETRIC STATUS]Heart Rate: 72 BPM (Stable).Pupil Dilation: Normal.Status

"Jump!" Arga barked, shoving Hendri into the newly formed hole.Without a second's delay, Arga tossed two smoke grenades into the center of the room and slid down into the darkness of the sewer line. Below, he was met by Amelia, who was already in full tactical gear, flanked by two loyal members of the Aegis unit."Secure Hendri! He has his daughter's data!" Arga shouted, handing the briefcase to Amelia."What about you?" Amelia asked anxiously, watching Arga climb back toward the opening."Baskoro is still up there. He might be a coward, but he’s the key to dragging Marten into open court. I can't let them silence him," Arga replied as he squeezed the trigger of his Glock-19, firing cover shots at an operator trying to peer down the hole."Rio! Activate maximum signal jamming in this area now! Cut off all their communication access to Tartarus!" Arga commanded through his collar pin."On it, Uncle! North Port is becoming a blind zone in three... two... one... NOW!"Indiscriminate aut

Marten slammed his whiskey glass down, the crystal clinking sharply against the mahogany desk. His once-arrogant face had turned pale and restless. He stared at the holographic screen, watching his daughter, Elena, who looked fragile inside the cryogenic tube."You are a demon!" Marten hissed, his eyes reddening with a mix of rage and terror."I am merely a mirror of what you created," Arga replied coldly. "Thirty seconds, Marten. Decide now."Marten pressed a hidden button beneath the desk. A holographic keyboard emerged. With trembling fingers, he typed a complex series of alphanumeric codes."Rio! Now!" Arga shouted into his earpiece.At his base, Rio—already poised with his fingers over the control panel—immediately intercepted the data stream. "Got it! Rerouting the data flow to the Aegis backup servers! Encryption breached! Download starting... 100%!"The red light on the Dead Man’s Switch, which had been blinking menacingly, suddenly turned a stable green. The countdown froze a