The Ka-50 hovered steady, the rotors thundering overhead like the heartbeat of war itself. Through the HUD, the infrared silhouettes of Hana, Suzune, Ichika, and Miko glowed faintly inside the van. His jaw unclenched, but only slightly—because safety in this world was measured in moments, not absolutes.
He pressed the comm switch. "They're in the van. Now step away from it. All of you. No tricks."
The scarred man's voice crackled back, laced with reluctant submission. "Fine. They're yours. But once they leave, you leave us. You hear me?"
"Not yet," Riku snapped. "Hand one of them a walkie-talkie. I want direct communication. That's the only way this works."
There was a pause, followed by muffled arguing on the other end. Finally, the boss barked an order, and seconds later Riku saw one of the guards shove a handheld radio into the van.
"Condition met," the boss muttered.
