A Costa Rican Paradise - Part II

Takina’s POV

I move swiftly through the front section of the warehouse, avoiding the guards.

Thankfully, this place is a mess—tons of debris and abandoned machinery provide plenty of cover.

I manage to position myself on the left side of one of the warehouses. It seems to be connected to the others by metal bridges.

If I can get inside here, I’ll be able to move more easily between the buildings.

I fire a tension cable toward a small metal awning and quickly climb up.

Once at the top, I lie flat to avoid being seen from below.

There’s a broken window just above me.

After waiting for the right moment, I slip inside.

Inside, what once looked like an office is now completely trashed—papers everywhere, worn-out furniture, dust covering everything, empty alcohol bottles, wrappers, and leftover food.

I hear footsteps in the hallway.

Guards are moving around.

I duck behind a desk, waiting until they pass.

The briefcase doesn’t seem to be here, but I need to be sure.

After a quick search, I find nothing.

Then, I overhear a conversation from the hallway.

"We checked the traps—only one was triggered, but there’s no sign of anyone."

"Everyone needs to stay alert. If we screw this up again, the boss will beat the crap out of us."

That guy seems to be in charge. If only I could get a look at his face…

"I want everyone checking the forest perimeter, the buildings… and don’t leave the meeting room unguarded!"

Meeting room?

That sounds interesting.

As their footsteps fade, I pull out my phone and send a message to Chisato.

"There seems to be an important meeting room. I think the briefcase might be there."

Less than five seconds later, Chisato responds.

"As expected of Takina. Well done! Let’s find that room and get out of here."

I catch myself smiling at a simple text message.

Enough! I need to focus.

This is just beginning.

I move into the hallway.

At the far end, a metal bridge connects this building to another.

I can see several guards hurrying toward it.

If they’re prioritizing that area, it means something valuable is there.

And considering where they’re headed…

It’s the building Chisato was searching.

I hurry forward, turning a corner—only to come face-to-face with a guard.

Before he can react, I catch him with a tension cable and knock him unconscious with a quick strike to the head.

I drag him into an empty room and lock the door.

I keep moving, reaching the entrance to the bridge.

On the other side, I see that the guards are completely focused on the building.

I send another message to Chisato.

"Guards are concentrating on your building. I'm even more certain the briefcase is there."

Just as I press send, I hear gunfire.

I look up—a cloud of red dust explodes at the far end of the bridge.

Through the chaos, Chisato emerges, sprinting full speed across the bridge—briefcase in one hand, gun in the other.

"Takina! We’re leaving!"

She yells, grinning.

Behind her, guards chase after her.

But it’s fine.

I start firing directly at Chisato.

As always, she dodges every bullet effortlessly, letting them hit the men behind her instead.

She reaches me, and we run together.

"Follow me! We can escape this way!"

I lead Chisato to the window I entered through.

We jump out, landing on the metal awning below, and then drop to the ground.

The landing is rough, and I can’t help but worry about Chisato’s wound.

But when I turn to look at her, she’s completely focused.

She scans the area, secures the package, and then glances at me— checking if I’m okay.

She smiles warmly. This is a professional.

"Takina, I don’t think we can run all the way back to the car."

"Honestly, I’m not even sure it’s still where we left it. We need a new escape plan."

"Leave it to me, Chisato." Before she can protest, I rush toward the entrance of the facility.

By now, every guard knows we’re here. This stopped being a stealth operation a long time ago.

I intercept one of the returning guards riding a four-wheeler. I take him out, hijack the vehicle, and head straight for Chisato.

I extend my hand as I approach. Just in time, Chisato grabs it and jumps onto the back.

"That’s my partner!"

Chisato shouts behind me.

"Best assist as always, Takina!"

I can’t help but smile.

We speed through the exit, guards scrambling to block our way.

But before they can, Chisato shoots them all down.

We burst through the main entrance, kicking up a cloud of red smoke from Chisato’s bullets— straight out of an action movie.

And while we always pull off movie-level stunts… I have to admit, Chisato is right about one thing.

We never stop looking cool while doing it.