The Zetta Sonic
Footages

At the headquarters, more precisely in the command room, Nadira's face was already plastered on the big screen. Henrietta paced behind him. The thin-faced woman made a different frowning face. Not angry or upset, but anxious. Nadira himself clucked in annoyance with a pouting mouth. The wrinkles on his face were more obvious. The disappearance of Jayden is definitely not a good thing for all of them.

Besides Nadira, there was professor Otto. There was not much change in his face. His eyes stared at the screen, only when Alex entered did he turn around for a moment. Alex doesn't like being around the professor. He chose to sit quite far away from the professor even though that meant he had to circle the big table.

[Who has the idea of going to university?] Nadira gave a rough sigh. However, that does not mean he is ready to start a game of blaming each other. Then Nadira said again. [I've asked the operators to look for Jayden's whereabouts. Unfortunately, they managed to hack security cameras on the streets.]

From behind, Henrietta said. [Our opponent seems to have planned all this. They killed all the shooting suspects.]

“Wait! They're related?” ask Alex.

Nadira was upset. [Of course. They made it like two different events, but the mastermind behind it was the same. First, they pay people to make mass shootings. Second, he sets up a team dressed in police and medical clothes to rescue Jayden and finish off the shooters.]

Alex wails. He can't believe what he heard. Of course, all that makes sense. He himself knew something was wrong when he saw that the medical team was only helping Jayden. He feels upset at himself. Maybe he didn't realize it sooner.

“What do they want exactly?” Alex asked me.

“As I've told you, ICPA.” technology Tiger gave a reply while taking a position beside him.

“Then, there will be no negotiations,” he said again.

Nadira gave a long sigh. [I've contacted the best negotiators just in case. Who knows they changed their mind and contacted us.]

“If not, then what?” Alex asked with doubt.

[Simple, Alex. We're done. Including you. Your papa. Your pals. If our technology falls into the hands of the enemy, we better not imagine it.]

“Jayden won't say anything.” Emil put the broken drone on the meeting table. “She... I believe she will not betray us. He... too good to betray Alex.” Emil throws his eyes at Alex.

Tiger looked over. “I won't admit it, but I think it's true.”

[Then, there's no point in him living.]

Nadira's words make Alex gawk now. “You mean, they will..”.

When Alex let his words hang, Tiger shook his head. “There's no point in holding a hostage who won't talk, Alex. They'll kill him sooner or later.”

Unknowingly, Alex's hand clenched tightly.

[Don't jump straight to conclusions, Tiger. If that's true, it means I didn't choose him wrong as a Special Force member even though he died in the end. Even if that's not true, we'll hunt him down as a traitor. Either way, he will die in the end.]

Alex finally uses the word ‘kita’ there. “Then, what will we do?”

[Waiting, Alex. Waiting.]

“Jayden can be killed at any time. He's been shot.”

[They will save him if they want his head.]

“But, what if he dies before saving him?”

[You can't think? They did so far just to get Jayden. Such a big act to kidnap someone. Then, now you think they'll just let him die?]

Henrietta comes to Nadira. He whispered something. Initially Nadira was wide, then he shook his head while twitching his temple. Not wanting to hide anything from the Special Force, Nadira also informed of his latest discovery.

[Listen, someone saw the gunmen's car at the dock.]

Nadira shakes. [I'm not sure. I think it's a trap. They just disappeared without a trace. After all the security cameras recovered, there were still no signs. Then, all of a sudden, this car came to the dock. Take a good look at the recording.]

The screen in front of them turned into a video player. There, they saw a white ambulance. The driver came down, dressed in black. The hat covered his face from the surveillance cameras, even so, his figure was seen as a small-bodied man with black skin. This man sauntered leisurely out of the sight.

[This ambulance is the same ambulance as Jayden's ambulance. The driver is the same.]

Nadira's voice is heard again as the appearance of two images on top of the recording that has stopped. One picture shows a picture of an ambulance on the side of the road. Another showed when the driver opened the door for medics. Alex felt his heart twisted to see Jayden's figure on the medical stretcher.

This time, the figure of Nadira again replaced the video. [You understand?]

“That's a trap,” replied Tiger.

[Reason?]

“Easy only. Jayden is no longer in the ambulance.”

[Fright, Tiger. Now we just have to wait again.]

Alex shakes. He knew Tiger's thinking was right. However, he did not want to keep quiet while Jayden was out there without a trace. “We need to check that place. We need to see the driver. He— He must know something.”

Tiger sneering. “You bet? He won't know anything. Most evil masterminds always break the chain. Subordinates only know the limited tasks and wages only. Not more. No less.”

Alex insists. “Tapi—”

[We will wait until there is a response from the kidnappers. I've also set up a joint team to search for Jayden—'s whereabouts]

“What? Why not us?”

[Zetta Sonic must be prepared to deal with high-level criminal problems that can happen at any time. Not all agents can fight killer robots and stay alive. You stay here if there's another case. Understood?]

“I can't be quiet. After all, Jayden is responsible as operator—”

[Emil could replace Jayden.]

“No!” Alex was surprised when his rebuttal came out in a high tone and loud voice. But still, he continued. “Jayden. We have to save him.”

[We'll save him.]

“You told us to wait when we already had a clue. Why are you afraid to send us there?”

[There's a big difference between brave and rash, Alex. Now, sit!]

“No!” yell Alex. “I'll save him Jayden!” Without saying much more, Alex squandered out. At a glance, his gaze met with Emil. The young man made an expression Alex had never seen before. However, he wasted no time in asking.

After the door of the command room closed, Tiger became the first to break the silence. “Should we drag him back?”

Nadira shakes. [Sometimes we should let him learn. Even if it hurts him.]

“Our trip to the university was just a spontaneous event,” Emil said. “How can they know that we will be there?”

Nadira hates to admit it. [There are only two reasons. They may have been looking forward to this or there was a leak inside the Special Force.]