“Tarquin, I think there was a mole in the extraction team!"


    "The mole must have secretly contacted Mr. Bradford and Elizabeth. And Bradford and Elizabeth, not knowing they were traitors, met with them privately and handed over the fake virus."


    "The mole didn''t know the virus was a fake. As soon as they got it, they immediately arranged for Mr. Bradford and Elizabeth to be killed!"


    "By the time the mole realized the virus was a fake, Mr. Bradford and Elizabeth were already dead. They had no way of finding out where the real virus was, so they had no choice but to turn their attention to you!"


    Lowell analyzed the situation, clenching his fists in anger.


    Tarquin''s brow was furrowed, his face dark and grim, and a dangerous stillness settled over him.


    If Lowell could see it this clearly, he could see it even more thoroughly.


    There was no doubt. That had to be what happened.


    The story they''d been told about the team sent to retrieve his parents-that they''d died in a car crash before the team even made contact was a lie.


    The truth was, someone had met them, taken the virus from their hands, and, believing it to be real, had them murdered.


    The mole and the mysterious figure were both culprits.


    Unfortunately, there was no way to know which faction of the team his parents had met with. They had recorded the video before going to meet their contacts, so the footage offered no clues.


    And if they didn''t know who they met, they didn''t know who the mole was.


    Furthermore, his parents hadn''t mentioned the mysterious figure at all...


    Still, the video was packed with information. That final blueprint, especially, would be


    a huge asset in their eventual counterattack. The photos of the members of those dark organizations also provided new leads for their investigation.


    With a stone-cold expression, Tarquin copied the video to an encrypted file, pulled


    out the sh drive, and ced it back in the small box. He lit another cigarette. The


    atmosphere in the small, spartan room was heavy and oppressive.


    Finding the virus was a good thing, but the story behind it was infuriating and heartbreaking.


    After a long silence, Lowell spoke again. "Now that we''ve found the virus, what''s our next move? Can we start the counterattack?"


    Lowell had been furious before, but after watching the video, his anger had intensified. He was burning with a rage that made him want to hunt down the mysterious figure, catch the mole, and turn the tables. He wanted to go on a rampage.


    But Tarquin, frowning, tapped the ash from his cigarette. "We wait." Lowell was baffled. "We''ve found the virus, and you still want to wait?" Tarquin''s tone was firm. "We wait."


    Finding the virus was only the first step. The crisis would only be truly over when they developed an antidote. Until then, he wouldn''t make a reckless move, So


    ?????


    hany


    people had already been sacrificed because of the 8th-generation virus; he couldn''t allow any more mistakes. The torch had been passed to him, and he had to handle it with absolute patience.


    Revenge was secondary. Resolving the crisis was the priority.


    Until the crisis was averted, he would lie low and endure. After it was over, then it would be time to strike back. He would personally hunt them down and settle the score.


    After a moment of thought, Tarquin stubbed out his cigarette. “Keep the discovery of the virus a secret for now. I''m packing my things and heading to Oceanopolis."


    Lowell was stunned. "Now?"


    "Yes." Tarquin took off his jacket and strapped the small box containing the virus to his waist, keeping it close to his body. "I''ll go alone. You stay here under the guise of recovering from your injuries and clean up the mess. Take out all of his informants before you leave."


    ''His'' referred to the mysterious figure. They knew he had nted spies all over Border City to watch them.


    Tarquin knew that, given the man''s personality, he wouldn''t make a direct move against him easily. But he was surely suspicious about what had happened in Border City. After Tarquin left the man would definitely have his people interrogate Dáne and the others.


    Tarquin wasn''t worried about them leaking secrets, but he was worried they would be tortured. They had guarded the 8th-generation virus for so many years and had been implicated for too long. They deserved to live the rest of their lives in peace.