<h4>Chapter 396: Chapter 396 Dangerous Games</h4>


    Cecilia’s pov


    I stared at my phone as another message appeared.


    [ Come up to the rooftop. Grandma’s waiting, sweetheart. ]


    A photo arrived secondster.


    Two elderly women sat side by side on an open terrace. The night pressed down like wet ink, the mountains behind them fading into a blur of fog.


    The moon hid behind clouds, leaving only a pale halo.


    A line of LED lights traced the bottom of the railing, throwing a ghostly glow upward that caught in their white hair.


    Their faces didn’t show fear. They just looked empty, like they had no strength left.


    Tang leaned over from the driver’s seat, eyes narrowing.


    "This looks like the rooftop of that old sanatorium, "he said, frowning. "But wasn’t that ce sealed off ? The railings look scratched up, like someone’s been there recently. "


    The coordinates pointed to a building we’d already checked.


    It was an old private sanatorium built into the hillside, ten stories of gray concrete falling apart after the money ran out.


    People in town still talked about it, like they do with any ce that feels a little haunted.


    From a distance, it looked like a shadow stuck to the mountain.


    Our security team went in ten minutes ago.


    A minute ago, they said the ce was empty. Then this photo showed up.


    "This isn’t that terrace, "I said, shaking my head as I studied the image.


    I forced myself to focus. "I looked at the satellite maps earlier. That building faces south and has a pitched roof. If there’s a terrace, it would have to be on the north side. "


    I zoomed in, pointing to the top corner. "It’ste summer, around eight. The moon should be in the southeast. But the light in this photo hits from the opposite side. That angle’s impossible from a northfacing terrace. "


    Tang leaned closer, his expression hardening. "You’re right. Which means they’re not in that sanatorium at all. "


    Our phones buzzed again—messages from the team inside :


    [ Building clear. No one here. ]


    Tang : [ Is there a rooftop terrace ? Which direction does it face ? ]


    [ Yes. North. ]


    [ Then why send Miss Cecilia there ? What’s the point ? ]


    Tang opened the map on his phone, set the sanatorium in the middle, and circled a few spots. Then he sent the photo and map to the team.


    Tang : [ Check these areas along the hillside trail. Move quiet. Don’t let them see you. ]


    [ Why those spots ? ]


    Tang replied with a single emoji : a sniper rifle.


    [ Got it. ]


    I watched him type, my breath quick and shallow. "So what you’re saying is... if I go up there, someone might shoot me in the head ? "


    Tang’s mouth twitched. "Or the chest. Depends on the shooter. Head’s just easier. "


    I shot him a look. "Can you not talk about me getting shot like it’s target practice ? "


    He didn’t answer.


    I closed my eyes, pressing a hand to my chest, trying to steady my heartbeat.


    I opened my eyes, my voice steady now. "Let’s move. Time to flip the script. "


    Tang blinked, then smiled. "You got it. "


    We drove toward the mountain trail.


    The road twisted upward, the headlights cutting through damp air that smelled faintly of pine.


    While Tang focused on driving, I texted back to "Grandma’s "phone :


    [ I’m nearby. I’lle up, but I need proof they’re safe. Send a video or I’m not moving. ]


    After I sent the message, nothing came back.


    The silence felt thick and heavy.


    My anxiety kept climbing with every second. It could all be a setup.


    For all I knew, the two elderly women might already be gone.


    I pushed the thought away before it could finish forming.


    The car reached the trailhead.


    Ahead, the mountain path curled into the dark, a string of golden lights marking its curve like a ne around the hill.


    A few tourists walked along the trail.


    Everything looked so normal, and that made it feel even stranger inside the car.


    Tang frowned. "How do we blend in ? Not to brag, but I kind of stand out. "


    I ignored him, scanning the area.


    A few electric carts rolled by, driven by staff in matching uniforms and face masks, hauling crates of bottled drinks and trash bins.


    An idea clicked instantly. The perfect disguise.


    A few minutester, an electric cart rattled up the lower service road with two "workers "on board. The uniforms didn’t fit quite right, but the masks would do the job.


    I tilted my head up. From there, I could see tourists walking on the elevated trail above us, unaware of anything unusual.


    Then my phone buzzed. The video had arrived.


    I slipped in my earbuds and hit y.


    The footage shook slightly. Both women had duct tape over their mouths. Helena was crying, shaking her head hard as if begging me not toe. Martha, by contrast, sat still, her eyes cold and steady on whoever was holding the camera.


    The videosted barely a minute.


    Seeing them alive eased the weight on my chest for a couple of seconds.


    Then another message popped up :


    [ Five minutes, Cece. If you’re not here by then, they’ll be waiting for you in heaven. Ticktock. ]


    Five minutes.


    My pulse spiked again. I handed the phone to Tang.


    I didn’t ask for the video just to see if they were alive. I needed time to stall, to think, and to look for clues.


    Tang slowed the cart, reying the footage three times before forwarding it to the security team.


    "Listen, "he said quietly. "There’s a helicopter in the background. "


    "Are you sure ? It sounds like wind. "


    Tang nodded. "I know that sound. Trust me. "


    Then something on the screen caught my eye. "Wait... there’s a helipad symbol right there. "


    Tangpared the coordinates on his phone, frowning. "That puts it near the restaurant up the slope. That’s our spot. "


    "I trust you, "I said, no hesitation.


    Just as we were about to move, Tang’s phone buzzed again.


    A new message shed on the screen :


    [ I see Cassian ! ]