Chapter Nineteen: The Storm Before the Rescue

The hideout was dimly lit, with the faint hum of electronic equipment filling the silence. Taehyung stood at the center of the room, his jaw clenched, eyes scanning the holographic map projected on the table before him. Marked points indicated potential locations where Lisa might be held, but none had yielded results so far.

“Taehyung, we can’t keep hitting dead ends,” Daehyun said, his voice tinged with frustration. He leaned against the edge of the table, his sharp eyes watching his friend. “We need a new approach, or we’ll run out of time.”

Taehyung didn’t respond immediately. His thoughts were a chaotic mix of worry for Lisa and frustration at his own failures. “We’re not giving up,” he said finally, his voice cold and resolute. “She’s out there, and I’m going to find her.”

Daehyun sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I get it. But Kane isn’t stupid. He’s always two steps ahead. We need to think like him if we want any chance of getting to Lisa.”

At that moment, Soojin, their tech specialist, burst into the room. Her face was pale, her hands clutching a tablet tightly. “Taehyung, you need to see this.”

Taehyung turned to her, his eyes narrowing. “What is it?”

Soojin placed the tablet on the table, tapping the screen to display a video feed. It was grainy but clear enough to send a chill down everyone’s spine. Lisa was sitting in a small, windowless room, her face pale but defiant.

“They’re toying with us,” Taehyung growled, his hands balling into fists.

“That’s not all,” Soojin said, her voice trembling slightly. She swiped to another file—a distorted audio recording. Kane’s voice was unmistakable, smooth and calculated.

"You see, Lisa, Taehyung isn’t the man you think he is. Did he ever tell you about Eunha? About the woman he loved before you? No? That’s because she was his greatest failure. He couldn’t save her, and he won’t save you either."

The words echoed in the room like a dark curse.

Daehyun shot Taehyung a worried look. “What is he talking about? Who’s Eunha?”

Taehyung’s face hardened, his eyes fixed on the map. “No one that matters.”

“Taehyung,” Daehyun pressed, stepping closer. “If Kane is using this against Lisa, it matters. You need to tell us the truth.”

Taehyung slammed his hand on the table, the sound reverberating through the room. “I don’t have time for this! Lisa is what matters now. Not my past.”

Soojin exchanged a glance with Daehyun, her voice cautious. “We’re not questioning your commitment, Tae. But Kane knows how to manipulate people. If Lisa believes his lies—”

“She won’t,” Taehyung interrupted sharply. “Lisa knows me. She won’t fall for his games.”

The room fell silent, the tension thick.

Daehyun crossed his arms, his tone firm but not unkind. “We’re with you, Taehyung. But you need to be honest with us. If there’s anything Kane can use to drive a wedge between you and Lisa, we need to know now.”

Taehyung hesitated, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Eunha was... a mission. She was an asset Aegis assigned to me to protect. She trusted me, and I failed her. That’s all there is to it.”

Soojin’s brow furrowed. “And Kane’s twisting that to make it sound like she was more than that?”

Taehyung nodded, his jaw tightening. “Exactly. He’s using her memory to hurt Lisa. To hurt me.”

Daehyun placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Then let’s make sure he doesn’t succeed. We’ll find Lisa, and we’ll make Kane pay for everything he’s done.”

Soojin tapped a few buttons on her tablet, her expression determined. “I traced the signal from the video feed. It’s heavily encrypted, but there’s a pattern in the data packets. I can narrow it down to three possible locations.”

Taehyung’s eyes lit with determination. “Then we move now. Prepare the team. We’re bringing Lisa home.”

---

The team mobilized quickly, gearing up with precision. Taehyung checked his weapon, his mind singularly focused on Lisa. As they moved out, he felt the familiar weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders.

Failure wasn’t an option. Not this time.

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