The air was thick in the precinct as I sat at my desk, the events of the past few days replaying in my mind over and over again. The message scratched on the cell wall a key focus in my mind; "WE WARNED YOU" I couldn't shake the feeling that the escape of El Diablo, and the whereabouts of the real El Diablo was only the beginning of a larger even more dangerous plot.

  "Flint. Grant. Up here NOW." Captain Howard barked which snapped me back to the present moment. His tone urgent, commanding and a little nerve wracking.

  I exchanged a concerned glance with Jacob who was seated across from me. His normal easygoing persona was replaced by a look of concern as well. We both knew that when Captain Howard was this intense, when he called you up to his office. You were either going to get ripped a new one, demoted or your head bitten off. Or all at once. Who knows.

  We both made our way down the hallway to his office, where Howard stood behind his desk. A map of the city sprawled out on the wall behind him. His stern face looked angered.

  "I put you two on the case of finding El Diablo because for years you two have been the star officers in my station. You work great together. You're smart. Or at least that's what I thought. You brought in the man. You captured one of the most dangerous cartel leaders Miami has ever seen. We were supposed to be on HIGH ALERT. HIGH AUTHORITY. to make sure that nobody broke him out of his cell. But what happened? Just that. His escape is a direct challenge to our authority." Howard began, his voice ripped with anger.

  "We can't let this slide. We need to find him as soon as we can. DEAD or ALIVE."

  Jacob and I nodded in unison, the gravity of the situation heavily played on our shoulders. The room was filled with a tense silence as we waited for further instructions.

  "I want every single available unit dedicated to this manhunt. Grant. Flint. You both will be in charge of the operations." He added, his eyes locking onto mine for a moment.

  "I trust you two won't screw this up." He added finally.

  We briefed Howard on the warehouse factory lead that Ortega had given us. he was rough but instructed us to bring backup one way or another. Our mission was to Find El Diablo.

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  "Remember. Find El Diablo. Dead or Alive. NO more slip-ups." Howard said.

  I nodded, I definitely felt the weight of what he was expecting from us but I tried my best not to let it get the best of me. "Understood Captain."

  We climbed into my car, the city lights blurring past us as we sped towards the outskirts of town. The drive was silent. At least in my part since I was still lost in my thoughts. My mind kept drifting back to the clues that kept pointing towards Darius and his involvement in all of this. The watch. his presence at the gas station and what he had to do with the guy who was robbing it. If he is not in the hospital, where is he?

  "You're still thinking about your boy huh?" Jacob said which snapped me back to the present moment.

  I sighed. "What if he's involved? What does that mean for us?"

  "I don't know. But we shouldn't start jumping to conclusions yet." He said, which sort of made me feel a little bit better.

  "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP"

  "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP"

  Jacob and I looked around. "That's like the fourth time that has went off, what is that beeping noise!" Jacob muttered out as he continued to drive.

  I looked all over, under my seat, then I checked my duffle bag. At the very bottom an object laid with a screen.

  "What is it?" Jacob asked as he tried his best to look whilst also driving.

  "This is Darius's pager?" I said as I flipped it over and noticed his name engraved on the back of it.

  "How did it end up in your bag?" Jacob asked.

  "I-... I honestly don't know." I said in return.

  "What is that?" Jacob asked, trying his best to look whilst also driving.

  "This is Darius's pager..." I said dropping it on the floor, my hand beginning to shake.

  "How did it get in your bag?" Jacob asked.

  "I- I haven't a clue..." I said.

  I put it back in my bag, the feeling of doubt refused to leave me. The factory loomed ahead. We parked a good distance away to avoid being seen, we moved slowly towards the entrance. The building was old, its broken windows and rusted walls stood as a testament to years of neglect.

  We entered cautiously, our flashlights cut through the darkness. The air inside was thick with the smell of mold and oil and every sound seemed amplified in the eerie silence. As we moved farther, the tension grew quicker.

  In the main hall, we saw signs of recent activity. Fresh footprints in the dust, empty cans and the remnants of an abandoned camp not only suggesting we were on the right track but that someone was here. Jacob and I split up to explore each side further.

  I continued to search, I used my flashlight in every nook and cranny I could.

  All of a sudden, I felt a force hit the back of my neck, which made me fall forward and hit the ground with a resounding thud.

  My vision is blurry, I can barely see what's in front of me.

  I thought I saw a figure stood above me.

  It doesn't look like Jacob.

  My vision is tunneling more and more.

  "Nigh- Nig- Dete-..."