Leo glanced at the road outside. "Any pizza delivery to that place will come through here, so once we spot the delivery guy, we'll move in."
He did have a question. "What if they don't order pizza?"
"Then there's nothing we can do. I've been watching them for days, and all they ever order is pizza. They're ridiculously picky." Linari checked the time on her phone. "It's afternoon now. By tonight, we'll be heading back."
So they waited at the vantage point, letting time slip by. Evening came, and night fell. Many streetlights were dead from neglect, and the ones still glowing flickered and buzzed ominously.
Leo checked his watch. It was 7:30 p.m.
"Officer Linari, you realize it's already half past seven?"
Linari looked a little embarrassed.
"Maybe they ate too much at lunch and plan to eat late."
Leo made up his mind: if they still hadn't ordered pizza by nine, he'd storm in there himself. He wasn't about to waste a whole night babysitting a pack of rats. But first, dinner.
Suddenly, Linari remembered they hadn't eaten yet.
"What do you want? I'll order takeout."
"How about pizza..." Leo would've liked a full meal, but taking advantage of his partner here wasn't his style, and they also had a job to do. Simple was better—pizza, burgers, or street pancakes.
"Got it," she said, and dialed the pizzeria. Soon, a delivery arrived with a wagyu supreme pizza. When they opened the box, a rich, smoky aroma wafted out: thin-sliced wagyu, lightly curled at the edges, dripping with savory juices; premium smoked bacon; chicken thigh; mozzarella; cherry tomatoes; green peppers; pineapple—meticulously chosen ingredients piled high. Linari's eyes lit up, and she devoured a slice without bothering to maintain any poise. The pizza vanished in no time.
...
Another hour and a half flew by. It was now 9:00 p.m. Even if the Scavs had been stuffed after lunch, they'd be hungry by now. Leo started suspecting they might've already left the underground mall. He hadn't scanned it yet because it was over a thousand meters away—beyond his tactical goggle's range.
But the fact that they hadn't shown up all day made him think those rats might have moved on.
He rose to his feet and headed downstairs.
"Come on. Let's go check."
Linari looked alarmed. "Won't that alert them?"
Leo didn't stop moving. "Don't worry. We won't go all the way inside. Once we're close enough, I can scout the interior my own way."
"But..."
Despite her misgivings, Leo was already downstairs, climbing onto his Fenrir bike.
"You coming or not?"
From his tone, it was clear if she didn't hop on, he'd leave her behind. Biting her lip, Linari decided waiting around was pointless. She also had a hunch those Scavs had moved on. Staying put might waste more time and let them miss any chance to pick up the trail.
She got on behind him.
...
A thousand meters wasn't far on a powerful motorcycle. In no time, Leo and Linari arrived outside the unfinished underground mall. He flipped on the tactical goggle's scan mode. A red light swept outward, invisible to anyone but him. When the results fed back, there were no red humanoid outlines at all, meaning the place was deserted.
"They're gone," Leo said.
"Huh?" Linari froze. "How can you tell?"
"Don't believe me? I'll take you down there, see for yourself."
Without waiting for her to reply, he revved the bike and barreled straight into the dark entrance, ignoring Linali's protests to stop. Within seconds, he brought the Fenrir to a halt.
"Look around," he said. "No one's here."
She finally noticed how silent the place was. If people had been lurking, they would've left some sign—light, noise, anything. But the only sounds were their own breathing and the Fenrir's headlamp hum.
"But they were here yesterday," she said, stunned.
"They probably left this morning," Leo replied. Whether or not they saw Linari and got spooked or just decided to relocate, they'd cleared out. He hopped off the bike to check for clues.
Linali, equally unwilling to give up, did the same.
...
After a few minutes, they met back where the Fenrir was parked.
"Find anything?" Leo asked.
Linari wore a disgusted expression. "Some moldy pizza slices, dirty clothes, and a used—" She didn't finish. It was clear the Scavs had taken everything valuable with them, leaving only trash.
She sighed, frustrated. "If I'd called you sooner..."
"You did what you could," Leo reassured her. Based on what she said, the Scavs had been here for days. Who would've guessed they'd move out on the very day she decided to bring him in? It wasn't her fault. Plenty of cops in the NCPD couldn't care less about clearing out Scavs. Linari was at least trying.
They were about to leave when Leo noticed something. His tactical goggles suddenly picked up two red silhouettes approaching the underground mall. They weren't just passing by; they were headed straight for this place.
"There's someone coming," he murmured.
Linari reflexively looked toward the entrance. It was pitch black; she couldn't see a thing.
"How do you..." she started.
"Trust me," Leo cut in.