Angelo, Henry, and Ben were back in the hotel, the dim light of the room making the shadows in the corners feel alive. The note, the glass, and the strange gun were spread across the table, and the code from the backyard cave was still gnawing at them.

Charles appeared on the screen again, his eyes sharper than ever. “I’ve started decoding the numbers,” he said. “There’s a pattern… someone’s tracking movements. But it’s fragmented. Whoever left this… they want you to follow it. Carefully.”

Henry frowned. “Tracking movements? Like… they know where we are?”

Charles nodded slowly. “Yes. And there’s more. Whoever wrote this… they’re leaving traps. Subtle, but intentional. This isn’t just a game. It’s a warning.”

Angelo felt a chill run down his spine. He glanced at the window. The streets outside were busy, but his gut told him—someone was watching.

A few moments later, a shadow moved past the curtain. Angelo froze. “Did you see that?”

Henry shook his head, gripping the edge of the table. “See what?”

“The movement… someone outside. Watching us.”

Ben leaned forward, lowering his voice. “We’re being followed. This isn’t just about the codes anymore. It’s personal.”

Suddenly, the hotel phone rang.

Angelo picked it up slowly. “Hello?”

Silence. Just breathing. Heavy, slow. Then a click. The line went dead.

Henry swallowed hard. “Yep… definitely being watched.”

Charles pointed at the camera. “Focus on the code. Right now, it’s the only safe lead. Everything else—danger lurks in every corner.”

Angelo nodded. “Alright. Let’s start mapping this. Any movement we trace… might lead us closer. But we stay alert. No mistakes.”

Hours passed. They wrote down patterns, compared numbers, connected dots. But the more they worked, the clearer it became: this mystery was bigger than just Lily’s missing father.

A faint sound from the hallway made them all jump. A tray clattered in the hotel corridor. Footsteps faded.

Angelo whispered, “Someone’s close. Too close. And they’re patient… waiting for us to make the first mistake.”

Henry rubbed his temples. “Man… this is getting harder. Every clue just leads to more questions.”

Ben’s voice was calm, but tense. “Exactly. That’s how they want it. Keep digging. But trust no one outside this room. Not yet.”

Angelo stared at the code again. Each number, each letter… it’s a map. But a map to what?

And as the night deepened outside, one thing was certain: whoever was behind this mystery wasn’t going to reveal themselves anytime soon.