FAR GONE

Chapter 14

I leaned back against the damp wall, eyes fixed on Jessica.

“What about you?” I asked, my voice low. “What’s your plan going to be?”

Her lips curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “I’m gathering everything I can. Evidence, testimonies, anything that proves Milton for what he really is. The election is coming, Kael. He’s riding on a halo, the world sees him as a messiah. But if I play my cards right, when the world is watching, I’ll rip that halo from his head.”

I studied her, skeptical. “So I’m supposed to sit tight until that day comes? Wait for the show?”

Her gaze sharpened. “Unless you want another tragedy like six years ago,” she said flatly. “Back then, it was just your comrades who paid the price. But this time… you have a wife, a child, an elder brother. Do you want to see them burned in Milton’s game too?”

Her words stabbed sharper than any blade. I clenched my jaw, fighting the storm inside me.

Still, one thing gnawed at me. “There’s something that doesn’t add up,” I muttered. “Milton and the president. What the hell happened between them? What reason could be strong enough to turn allies into enemies?”

Jessica shook her head slowly. “I don’t know for sure. But, Kael…” She hesitated, then leaned forward. “Don’t put blind trust in Seraphina—or the president. Their actions are… off. Like they’re moving pieces we don’t see. If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself their pawn as much as Milton’s.”

I gave a stiff nod. Her warning didn’t settle me—it only added another layer to the weight crushing my chest.

Then my phone buzzed. The name flashing on the screen made my heart tighten. Seraphina.

I answered.

Her voice slid through the line, crisp, urgent. “Kael, we’ve located Raven. I’ll send you the address immediately.”

“Alright,” I said. My tone carried no hesitation, but inside, my pulse had quickened.

The line went dead.

I turned back to Jessica. “I need to be somewhere.”

She raised a brow but didn’t press. “Then go.” A beat passed, then she tilted her head, a sly glint in her eye. “But before you leave… can I finally call you my partner?”

I snorted, shaking my head as I pushed off the wall. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.” My sarcasm dripped like venom.

Her laugh followed me as I walked away. “You’ll come around, Kael. You always do.”

I didn’t bother to answer. I stepped into the night.

The streets was alive with music playing at the background . The pavement was still damp from a drizzle earlier. My boots struck quietly against the sidewalk as I walked, my hands tucked into my coat pockets.

The café came into view. Through the window I spotted Seraphina already inside, seated by the corner. She hadn’t seen me yet, but her posture was the same as always—back straight, one hand around a coffee cup, the other draped lightly over the chair.

I pushed open the door. The bell above chimed softly. Her eyes met mine immediately, sharp and unwavering.

I walked over, slid into the seat beside her. “What’s this all about?” I asked, my voice low. “And what’s the development on Raven?”

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she reached for a slim folder at her side and set it down in front of me. Her nails tapped the cardboard once, as if urging me to open it.

Inside were photographs. The first showed Raven stepping into a black sedan, his face caught clearly even though he tried to shield it. The second—him by the seaside, a cigarette pressed between his lips, the smoke curling around his face as if mocking the ocean breeze.

“He was seen at the local seaport,” Seraphina said evenly, her gaze still on me, watching my reaction. “He came in disguised aboard the MV Ironclad Voyager, a cargo ship. A few unknown men were with him. Our people traced him last on CCTV… then nothing. He disappeared. No one knows where he’s staying now.”

I stared at the photographs for a long moment, the edges digging into my fingertips. Then I exhaled sharply. “I saw him too. Two days ago. Lost him at Leighton Cross intersection. Slipped right through my grip.”

Seraphina’s lips pressed into a thin line. I looked at her. “Do we know why he’s here?”

She leaned back slightly, crossing her arms. “Raven isn’t Malik Radwan. Malik’s obsession is chaos—killing people, spreading Black Serpent like a plague. Raven…” Her voice lowered, rougher now. “Raven sells weapons. And people. Human trafficking is his empire. If he’s here, it’s not by accident. He’s working something in the city.”

Her words sank into me like a stone in water. My jaw clenched.

“There’s one way to find him,” she added after a pause.

I raised my head. “Tell me.”

“The Silver Dusk Motel.” She let the name hang in the air, as if she knew it would sour on my tongue. “Reports say Raven works with the manager there. Sometimes he buys girls straight from that place.”

“I’ll go,” I said without hesitation.

“There’s a problem,” she countered immediately.

I frowned. “What problem?”

“If you show up alone, the guards outside won’t let you in. And if you fight your way in…” Her eyes narrowed. “We lose Raven before you even reach him.”

A short, humorless laugh escaped me. “Who said I planned on asking their permission?”

Her gaze sharpened. “And who said your recklessness won’t ruin everything? Can I make a suggestion?”

I turned to her fully, meeting her eyes. “Go on.”

“Take Miss Mia with you.”

For a second, I didn’t answer. The idea sat between us like an uninvited guest. Finally, I muttered, “Mia? Won’t that be too risky? Too dangerous? What if things spiral out of control?”

“There’ll be backup,” she said, her tone unyielding. “I’ll guarantee both of your safety.”

I leaned back, rubbing my thumb over the edge of the folder. “…I’ll think about it.”

“Fair enough,” she replied softly, though her eyes told me she believed she’d already won.

I stood, tucking the folder under my arm. “I’ll take my leave now.”

The night air outside was cooler, quieter. I walked home with my thoughts circling like vultures. But when I reached the house, I stopped cold. The lights were off. The door was locked.

I tried the handle again. Nothing.

“Where the hell are they?” I muttered, my chest tightening. I pulled out my phone and dialed Aria. It rang. Once. Twice. A dozen times, but there was no answer.

I stood there for a while, the silence pressing down harder than the city noise ever could. Finally, I turned and walked away, each step heavier than the last, until the company gates came back into view.

The dormitory loomed ahead. And then—

I stopped.

Mia was there.

She stood at the entrance, her arms folded, but not with impatience. Her eyes kept flicking to the road, then to the ground, then back again—as if she’d been waiting. Her brow was furrowed in quiet worry, her lips pressed tightly as though she was holding back words.

When her gaze lifted and landed on me, her shoulders dropped just slightly, though she quickly tried to mask it.

My heart thudded hard in my chest. Too hard.

The memory of what happened between us earlier echoed in my head. My pulse quickened as if my own body wanted to betray me.

I stood there a moment longer, staring at her, unable to shake the unease tightening around my ribs.