Owen led Nikki down several flights of stairs before finally taking the elevator to the hotel lobby.
Everything looked normal in the lobby. As they stepped out of the elevator, no one paid them any attention—no sign that anyone had a clue a murder had just taken place upstairs.
Feigning nonchalance, Owen wrapped an arm around Nikki's waist and leaned in to whisper, "Stay calm. Act like nothing happened."
Nikki didn't respond, just nervously swallowed. She'd always worked in intelligence and support—though she'd been out in the field before, this was her first time experiencing close-quarters, life-and-death combat.
Feeling the tremble in her body, Owen tightened his hold, and the two of them walked out like a couple on vacation. Once outside, they strolled down the street for a bit. After confirming that no one was tailing them, Owen turned sharply into a side alley.
A few minutes later, they emerged on another main street, then ducked into a busy market. The place was crowded, with plenty of foreign faces, buzzing with noise and motion.
They blended into the crowd and quickly vanished. A few more turns brought them out at another intersection. Owen hailed a cab, and they headed toward a nearby tourist attraction.
The Philippines had been a Spanish colony for centuries, and many of its landmarks carried strong Spanish influences. Owen and Nikki were headed for Rizal Park—a public park with many charming themed areas near its entrance.
After getting out of the cab, they made their way toward the busiest part of the park. A sign at the gate read "Orchid Pavilion."
The entire time, Owen was carefully scanning their surroundings. So far, there were no signs of surveillance. Unless the enemy was using advanced tech, they were likely safe for now.
Then Owen's phone rang. He found a quiet corner and answered—it was Jack.
"Owen, we've identified them. The man who tried to kill you was named Chebi Dan. He wasn't CIA—he was part of the Core Group. The dead man you found was confirmed as the CIA liaison in Manila. Looks like the Core Group silenced him. I just confirmed with CIA—none of their operatives in Manila are responding."
"You're saying the Core Group wiped out the CIA's Manila division?"
Owen found it hard to believe. If the Core Group could locate and eliminate an entire CIA cell that easily, then they were far more powerful than anyone thought.
"Seems that way," Jack said, anticipating Owen's reaction.
"Director Martin from the CIA said a list of undercover operatives was leaked. This incident in Manila and that female agent caught by Mikhail may both be related. But that's not our concern—they've got a special team following that lead."
"Then why ambush us?"
That was the part Owen still didn't understand. Technically, he hadn't even had contact with the Core Group yet.
"Probably because we intercepted the video. I suspect Chebi Dan was working for Makarov. They wanted the footage released. When CIA blocked it, they targeted CIA. Then you showed up. From their perspective, you were just loose ends."
It made sense. CTU had no Manila branch, so the video had to be intercepted by CIA. Makarov's entire plan hinged on the video getting out. If the Philippine government released it, it would carry far more weight than him doing it himself. That way, even the moderate faction would have no grounds to oppose him.
Owen imagined a scene: Chebi, after killing the CIA contact, didn't get what he needed. Then the man's phone rang—a message from HQ, saying to pick up a CTU contact at the airport. Chebi took the chance, posed as CIA, and the rest played out as they'd experienced.
"Owen, be careful these next few days…"
That was all Jack said before ending the call. But Owen knew exactly what he meant.
Normally, all it would take was one phone call to the CIA. They'd send a team to clean up the bodies, and thirty minutes later, it would be like nothing ever happened. You might even question if it had been real.
But now, with the CIA cell in Manila wiped out, no one was coming. Those bodies were just going to sit there—until housekeeping found them, or worse.
And Owen and Nikki hadn't avoided surveillance during their arrival. Their faces were definitely on file now. If they became suspects, the Philippine government would never admit they were working for the US. They'd be disavowed. If arrested or killed here, Washington wouldn't lift a finger to help.
Owen put his phone away and pulled Nikki into a corner.
"Erase all footage of us with that man. Every camera. Can you do it?"
Nikki looked at him, then gave a confident nod. She found a nearby bench, opened her laptop, and got to work.
Owen watched as her fingers flew over the keyboard. Soon, security camera feeds began appearing—angles from the airport, the streets, the hotel. With a flurry of commands, the images began disappearing.
Airport—gone. Transit—gone. Hotel—gone. Every trace of their journey vanished like a ghost trail.
"All done!" Nikki said, grinning.
They high-fived. Without her, they'd be fugitives right now. But now? Even if the police later pieced together the truth, they'd already be long gone.
Though CIA's personnel were all dead, their safehouses remained.
Using an address Jack had given him earlier, Owen soon found one of those locations. According to the plan, they were supposed to resupply and conduct an initial intel exchange here. But with CIA out of the picture, they were on their own.
The building looked the part—discreet, solid, well-defined. Inside, it had everything: weapons, data terminals, medical supplies. Owen finally had access to gear again.
He chose his usual: a SIG Sauer P226. He was used to this sidearm and wouldn't switch unless absolutely necessary.
Clearly, CIA had more than one safehouse in Manila. Owen had picked a secluded one. Judging from the condition, no one had been here in a while. The agents were compromised, but the locations weren't.
That was something.
(End of Chapter)
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