England – On the Road Near Military Base | 10:42 PM
The night had a bone-deep silence to it. The kind that didn't just settle—but watched.
Kiaan parked his black matte bike near the side of the overgrown trail flanking the Swindon military base. His boots crunched quietly over fallen gravel and dry leaves as he walked along the narrow road illuminated only by the low hum of a distant lamppost and the full moon hanging like a silent sentinel above him.
His coat flapped slightly in the wind, and his eyes scanned every inch of the forest-line fencing. There were signs here—minor disturbances no civilian would notice. A broken twig. A deep shoe print at an angle. A hidden path camouflaged by careless shrubbery.
Kiaan (muttering): "The bodies are always found outside the base… The killer never strikes inside. That means they're sneaking out. But for what? A call? A signal? Or are they being lured?"
He pulled out his phone, dialing Tara.
TARA (over the phone): "Kiaan? What's going on?"
KIAAN (walking, alert): "Tara, I need you to run background again on all cadets who ever requested leave slips unofficially. Cross-check their movement logs with night patrols in the last 40 days. Someone's getting these boys out at night. Maybe under a fake order, maybe—"
Suddenly, a faint metallic clink echoed from behind the trees.
Kiaan froze mid-step.
TARA (over the call, now alert): "Kiaan? What was that?"
KIAAN (quietly): "...Wait... I think someone's here."
TARA: "Kiaan, don't do this alone. Wait for backup."
But he didn't answer.
A faint whirring noise filled the silence—then a rustle in the bushes to his left. Kiaan's eyes sharpened. He turned immediately, pulling out the small tactical flashlight clipped to his belt, aiming it straight into the dense brush.
Nothing.
He took a slow step forward, scanning the area—body tense, breath controlled.
Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind—and the call cut off.
TARA (back at HQ): "Kiaan? Kiaan! Are you there? Kiaan?!"
The screen read: Call Ended.
Tara stood, eyes wide, adrenaline rising as she turned toward Zid and Dev.
TARA (shouting): "His call just went dead. He was near the military base."
DEV (grabbing his jacket): "On it. We need to move now."
ZID (already alert, eyes narrowing): "Something's wrong. The killer's not done yet."
---
Back in the woods, the road lay still again. Kiaan's flashlight rolled into the ditch, faintly flickering. His bike remained parked by the roadside, keys still in the ignition. But Kiaan—was gone.