Chapter 158

Chapter 158

Jack's pupils shrank. In a flash, he moved to the floor-to-ceiling window, pressing his body against the wall. He only showed half an eye as he looked down.

Lucy followed nervously, her heart jumping into her throat.

She looked where Jack was looking and spotted the man.

He looked ordinary, like any tourist you’d see on the streets of Bangkok. He held a box of mango sticky rice in one hand and a plastic spoon in the other, eating slowly and casually. He even watched the people passing by on the street with interest.

If it weren’t for the photo Alex sent, no one would connect this guy with the KGB’s top assassin known as “Shadow,” whose hands were soaked in blood.

“Did he… find us?”

Lucy’s voice was low, with a slight tremble she couldn’t hide.

“I don’t know,” Jack said, his voice cold and steady. “It could be a coincidence. This stall’s mango rice is pretty famous. Or maybe… he’s saying hello.”

Jack didn’t move. He stood like a statue, watching every move the man made below.

He was analyzing. Every small action.

Shadow’s stance looked relaxed, but his feet stayed at a distance that let him move fast or dodge at any moment. He ate at an even pace, but his eyes never stayed on one spot for more than two seconds. He seemed to be looking at the street, but the corners of his eyes had already swept over everything around him—the shops across the road, passing cars, and every window upstairs that could be a lookout point.

This was a top predator checking his territory.

“What do we do now? Should we—”

Lucy made a downward striking gesture.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Jack cut her off. “If we attack here, we’ll just expose ourselves. Every gang in Bangkok will come after us like mad dogs.”

“He’s standing right there in the open. It means he’s not scared of us making a move.”

This was a mind game.

Shadow was announcing he was here and testing Jack’s reaction. If Jack lost his cool and sent people down, it would play right into his hands. Shadow could slip away in the chaos, and Jack and Lucy’s hiding spot would be blown wide open.

If Jack did nothing, it would show he was calm enough—and dangerous enough—to be a real threat.

Down below, Shadow finished the last bite of rice and tossed the empty box into a trash can. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, then did something that made Jack and Lucy’s skin crawl.

He looked up. His eyes locked straight onto their window.

Two hundred feet away, through thick glass, Jack could almost feel the cold, sharp stare. Shadow’s face showed nothing. But the corner of his mouth, hidden under the shadow of his cap, seemed to twitch upward slightly.

Then he turned, put his hands in his coat pockets, and walked slowly into the crowd.

“He knows we’re here!” Lucy gasped.

“He’s only guessing,” Jack said in a low voice, but cold sweat had already formed on his back.

This “Shadow” was even scarier than he’d imagined. Not only was he skilled, but his mind was sharp as a blade.

“Alex!” Jack spoke into the tactical terminal on his wrist. “Track him. I want to know where he goes, who he meets, and where his base is.”

“Got it! The satellite’s locked on. He won’t get away,” Alex replied, his tone serious now. “This guy’s too arrogant.”

The room fell silent for a moment.

That scene had put huge pressure on Lucy. It felt like being watched by a venomous snake—you never knew when it would strike.

“Am I… slowing you down again?” Lucy said, sounding down. “I almost told Gecko to send people down.”

“You didn’t,” Jack turned to her. “Your reaction was normal. Anyone without training would think the same.”

He walked to the weapon cabinet, took out two pistols and some magazines, and tossed one gun to Lucy.

“From now on, keep the gun on you at all times. Even when you sleep, put it under your pillow.” Jack’s voice was flat. “I can’t protect you every second. In this city, the only one who can keep you alive is you.”

Lucy took the cold, heavy pistol and nodded. She didn’t say anything else discouraging. Instead, she walked to the side and started practicing loading and changing magazines, though she was clumsy at it.

She knew Jack wasn’t trying to scare her.

The war had started.

Just then, Alex’s voice came through the terminal again, sounding confused.

“Jack, something’s off. Shadow didn’t go to any hotel or hideout.”

“He went into a Muay Thai gym.”

“A Muay Thai gym?” Jack frowned.

“Yeah, a place called Red Scorpion Gym. It belongs to the Red Scorpion gang. What’s he doing there? Trying to team up with the local thugs?”

“Send me the gym’s floor plan and camera access,” Jack ordered.

“No problem. I can only hack the outer cameras though. The inside ones will take a bit more time.”

Soon, a huge screen on the apartment wall showed the Red Scorpion Gym’s layout and live feeds from a few outside cameras.

Jack studied the floor plan, running his finger across it like he was looking for something.

“What kind of guy is Basone, the boss of Red Scorpion?” he asked.

“Typical local thug. Greedy, brutal, and full of himself,” Alex answered. “He won’t want to split anything with an outsider like Shadow. If Shadow wants to work with him, he’ll have to pay a big price.”

“Shadow’s not there to work with him,” Jack said, staring at the screen.

“Then what’s he doing?”

“He’s scouting the place.”

Jack’s finger stopped on a small corner of the floor plan marked “electrical room.”

“A top agent always learns every detail of the area before a mission. That includes enemy numbers, firepower, and every weak spot.”

Jack’s eyes grew sharp.

“Looks like our neighbor doesn’t like too much competition.”

He turned to Lucy, who was still practicing magazine changes.

“Get changed. We’re going out to visit our neighbor.”