The countdown glowed in every mind long after the screens went black.
01:00:00
Now fifty-nine minutes.
Then fifty-eight.
Time had become Adrian's weapon.
Inside the ruined theater, security teams moved fast—sweeping exits, tracing signal routes, securing prisoners, collecting devices.
Oliver stood center stage like the eye of a storm.
Still.
Silent.
Terrifying.
Anna approached carefully.
"You're thinking too loudly again."
No response.
Veronica, rubbing her freed wrists nearby, muttered, "That's his family hobby."
Oliver finally looked at her.
"Can you trace the broadcast?"
She straightened slightly.
"Can you ask nicer?"
"No."
She smirked.
"Then yes."
Within minutes, the theater lobby became a temporary command center.
Screens lined the marble floor.
Cyber teams worked across portable stations.
Maps of Milan pulsed with signal triangulations.
Anna stood beside Oliver as data streamed in.
"Broadcast bounced through six relay points," an analyst said. "Two fake, three burned, one still active."
"Location?" Oliver asked.
"Old freight district near Porta Romana."
"Send teams."
Anna touched Oliver's arm.
"Too easy."
He looked at her.
"I know."
She turned to the analysts.
"What else?"
A younger technician spoke nervously.
"There was background audio under the feed."
"Meaning?"
"Train horns. Water echo. Industrial fans."
Anna's eyes sharpened.
"Not Porta Romana."
Oliver was already moving.
"Canals."
Another analyst nodded.
"Navigli warehouse zone fits better."
He looked at Anna once.
"You keep being useful."
"Try gratitude sometime."
"Unlikely."
00:43:12
Rain hammered Milan again as their convoy cut through wet streets.
Oliver sat beside Anna in the armored car, reviewing building schematics on a tablet.
Thirty warehouses.
Twelve private docks.
Seven underground access points.
He handed her a second tablet.
"You're with team two."
"No."
His jaw tightened.
"We don't have time."
"Exactly why I'm with you."
"Anna."
"Oliver."
Their eyes locked.
Veronica, seated opposite with a bandaged shoulder and two guards beside her, sighed dramatically.
"If you two could flirt less aggressively, we have a hostage clock."
Neither looked at her.
Oliver finally said, "Stay behind me."
Anna replied, "Invent a new sentence."
00:31:48
The Navigli warehouse district was a maze of rusted gates, silent canals, and abandoned industry.
Perfect for disappearing.
Oliver's teams spread wide.
Thermal drones lifted.
Signal jammers activated.
Then a drone feed flashed live.
One warehouse still running full power.
Fresh tire marks.
Roof heat signatures.
Oliver's expression sharpened.
"There."
Inside the warehouse, rows of crates formed dark corridors.
Water dripped somewhere in the distance.
Generators hummed.
Anna moved beside Oliver, both wearing earpieces, security teams advancing in synchronized silence.
A door at the far end.
Steel reinforced.
Two guards outside.
Oliver signaled.
Three seconds later both guards were down.
The steel door opened.
Empty room.
Chair.
Monitors.
Medical equipment.
No father.
No Adrian.
On the wall, a projector flickered to life.
Adrian appeared smiling.
"Faster than expected."
Oliver didn't blink.
"You're running out of places."
Adrian laughed.
"No, nephew. You're running out of minutes."
The screen shifted.
Another live feed.
This time Oliver's father was visible on a moving boat cabin, oxygen tank beside him.
Water rocked the camera.
Canal reflections.
Anna's pulse jumped.
"He was never here."
Adrian bowed theatrically on screen.
"You chase buildings. I prefer movement."
The timer now read:
00:20:00
Then the feed cut again.
Oliver slammed a fist into the steel table so hard it bent.
Everyone in the room froze.
Anna stepped in front of him.
"Look at me."
His breathing was sharp, controlled only by force.
"Look at me."
He did.
"This is what he wants."
"I know."
"Then stop giving him your anger for free."
A long beat.
Then he exhaled once.
The room steadied.
Veronica, from the doorway, spoke quietly.
"I know the boat."
Everyone turned.
She crossed her arms.
"Adrian keeps one private vessel for exits. Old family habit. Hidden marina under the western locks."
Oliver's gaze chilled.
"And you remembered this now?"
She smirked faintly.
"I enjoy suspense."
Anna muttered, "I may shoot her myself."
Oliver was already moving.
"All teams to western locks."
He looked at Anna.
This time no argument.
Just command and trust blended together.
"Stay with me."
She nodded once.
"Always."
And with nineteen minutes left, the hunt entered open water.