Ethan and Asher returned to the car, carrying a fresh handful of hidden surveillance tech. "Sir Asher, I found four more cameras," Ethan reported.
Asher nodded, holding up his own haul. "I found four." "Let's get them to Liam."
As they approached the vehicle, Liam leaned out the window with a triumphant grin. "Haha! I traced it. I am a literal pro." "We found more," Ethan said, dumping the new cameras onto the seat.
"Doesn't matter, I already cracked the first one," Liam shrugged dismissively. "It's connected to a satellite, and that satellite is going to lead us straight to the villain."
Asher picked up one of the new devices, examining it closely. "Liam. The models are different."
"What?" Liam blinked.
"Look at them," Asher insisted.
Ethan's eyes widened as the realization hit him. Liam narrowed his eyes, grabbing one random camera from Ethan and another from Asher.
Is that really the case? he thought, quickly plugging the two new devices into his diagnostic rig.
When the data flashed across his screen, Liam's jaw dropped.
"What happened?" Ethan asked.
"These two trace back to completely different locations," Liam muttered.
"So, we should check all the locations," Ethan suggested.
Liam shook his head, staring at the map. "The first one is connected to a satellite. But of these two? One traces back to Australia, and the other is in Argentina."
Ethan gasped.
"That means every single camera is operating from a different coordinates around the globe," Asher deduced calmly.
"Whoever is behind this is incredibly cunning," Liam admitted.
Meanwhile, back at the villain's headquarters.
The mastermind erupted into laughter, listening to the trio's frantic conversation through the audio feed. "Dumb fools," the man chuckled to himself.
"The clue is staring them right in the face, and they're distracting themselves with the decoys." He tossed a piece of popcorn high into the air, catching it perfectly in his mouth.
Right at that second, the heavy office doors burst open. A henchman sprinted in, shouting, "Boss!"
The mastermind violently choked on his popcorn, coughing fiercely before gasping, "Damn it, you scared me!"
"Sorry, Boss..." The henchman stammered.
The boss recovered, tossing another piece of popcorn into his mouth. "Go on." "...But it looks like they found it," the henchman finished.
The mastermind choked again, hacking loudly as he bolted out of his seat. Popcorn spilled from his lap, scattering across the floor. "What?! But how?!"
Back at the scene, Liam was typing furiously on his laptop. He connected one camera model, watched the code scroll, and smiled. Then, he connected a different model and smiled again. Finally, he brought up the data from the very first camera they had discovered.
"What is going on, Liam?" Ethan asked, growing impatient. "The others are just a smoke screen. They're routed through hacked, everyday office computers in other countries," Liam explained. "So the villain hijacked innocent networks to throw us off his scent," Asher noted. "Exactly. But the first camera we found? That one is legitimately connected to a dedicated satellite. And according to the registry, it was manufactured recently..." Liam paused, locking eyes with Ethan. "...Just a few days before the summit."
Ethan nodded grimly. "Where was it built?" "New Jersey," Liam replied.
Without another word, Ethan and Asher climbed into the car, slammed the doors, and tore off down the road toward New Jersey.
Back at the office.
The mastermind lunged forward, grabbing the henchman by the throat for a tense, terrifying second before shoving him away. The henchman collapsed to the floor, gasping for air.
The mastermind smoothed down his suit and sat back in his chair, forcing a laugh. "No, no... I am getting angry over nothing. So what if they found my hideout? I have a surprise waiting for them." He pointed a finger at the trembling man on the floor.
"Go. Bring me another bag of popcorn."
The henchman scrambled to his feet and nodded frantically before rushing out.
Left alone, the mastermind pulled out his phone and pulled up a secure chat with a contact named Beast.
"Hey big guy, have they reached yet?" he typed.
The reply was instant: "Is the money ready?"
The mastermind sighed, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry about the money. Just handle everything." He hit send.
Beast replied with a salute emoji, followed by: "Don't worry, everything is in place."
Locking his screen, the mastermind muttered, "That big guy thinks about nothing but cash and food."
Elsewhere,
On the rooftop penthouse of a luxury hotel.
Beast slid his phone into his pocket. Nearby, a man stood at the edge of the balcony, staring out over the glittering city skyline, visibly carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Why the long face, Mr. Murphy?" Beast called out.
It took a few seconds for Murphy to break his silence.
"It's nothing."
Beast shrugged. "Well, let me tell you something interesting. Someone is about to engage with Loop."
Murphy turned his head slightly. After a few seconds,
"After a thought?"
Beast spoke, "Don't know. But they're heading straight for Loop's fourth branch. The one in New Jersey."
The balcony doors slid open, and a waitress stepped out. She placed a platter of crispy fried chicken legs in front of Beast and poured a glass of fresh apple juice for Murphy before quietly retreating.
"Man, Murphy, I love it when you invite me to dinner," Beast grinned, rubbing his hands together. Murphy stepped away from the ledge and approached the table. Seeing him get closer, Beast narrowed his eyes and defensively pulled the platter of chicken toward his chest. "Ah, ah, Murphy, my son. I don't share food."
Murphy ignored the comment, leaning in. "There is something I need you to do."
"Sure, I'll send some of my boys," Beast mumbled through a mouthful of chicken.
"No," Murphy said, his voice dropping to a serious whisper. "I want you to handle this matter personally."
Beast paused, looking up. "Well, as you know, my personal services are... premium."
"In terms of compensation..., Beast... have I ever disappointed you...?" Murphy asked smoothly.
A massive smile spread across Beast's face. "Fair enough. Alright, tell me. What's the play?" Beast said.
Murphy opened his mouth and whispered the instructions.
Beast's smile turned predatory. "Consider it done," he said, standing up from the table and took a few steps, then suddenly, he stopped. He turned and took the entire platter of chicken with him as he walked away.