Stanley stood in the vast, cold control room of the base, staring at the empty seat. The fury in his chest threatened to explode.
Xeno was not merely the central leader of his faction. He was also his childhood friend, the only person Stanley had ever followed wholeheartedly and trusted unconditionally.
Now an enemy squad had spirited Xeno away without a sound. Despite holding such a massive base with a fully armed force, Stanley had not even had a chance to stop them. Rage surged through him.
"Everyone, assemble! Pursue them immediately!"
Suppressing his anger, Stanley issued the pursuit order in a low, icy voice.
Brody, Maya, and the other team members dared not delay. They immediately geared up and led their forces out of the base, following the tracks toward the shore at full speed.
But Li Xiang had already prepared for this.
From the moment she confirmed the plan to infiltrate the base and abduct Xeno, she had been certain that Stanley would throw everything aside and lead a pursuit once he learned Xeno had been kidnapped.
So when the infiltration squad set out, she had already stationed Ukyo and Nikki nearby, ready to extract them at any moment.
Kohaku and the others had barely withdrawn from enemy territory with the bound Xeno and the successfully rescued Gen before they rendezvoused with their support.
The boat raised its sails and left shore, following the current out to sea at full speed.
By the time Brody and Maya led their people sprinting onto the beach, only the silhouette of a boat remained, receding into the distance.
The boat had already cleared the coastal shallows and entered the open sea, putting a considerable distance between them.
Staring out across the vast water, they could only watch their target sail away.