The pressure on Lucas was mounting to an unbearable level. Ranger, the police, Lea, and Mike—everyone seemed to pose a threat. He realized that if he didn’t act swiftly and wisely, he might lose control of the situation entirely. As he reached home, frustration gripped him, but he forced himself to remain calm. The room around him was dark and eerily silent, a perfect reflection of the chaos brewing in his mind.

  Sinking into his chair, Lucas allowed his thoughts to flow freely, analyzing every detail of his predicament. The hours passed, and the tension in the room was almost palpable. Then, an idea struck him—a plan so precise that if executed correctly, it could extricate him from his troubles. Determined, he stood up, resolved to set his plan into motion.

  Lucas grabbed his phone and jotted down Ranger’s number on a piece of paper. Recognizing the risk of contacting Ranger directly from his personal device, he left his phone at home and headed out. His destination: a public phone booth. Walking briskly, he reached a booth located in front of a small market store within five minutes. Someone was already inside, so Lucas waited patiently, glancing at his watch. It was 3 p.m.

  The man inside the booth finally stepped out, offering Lucas a polite smile before walking away. Lucas nodded absently and entered the booth. Sliding a coin into the slot, he dialed the number scribbled on the paper. The line clicked, and after a moment of silence, Ranger answered, his tone wary. Not recognizing the number, Ranger hesitated before speaking further.

  "It’s me," Lucas said, his voice steady.

  Ranger’s tone shifted to one of suspicion. "Why are you calling me from another number?"

  Lucas explained his reasoning, emphasizing that it was no longer safe for either of them to communicate via their private lines. He proposed that all future contact occur through public phones.

  Ranger understood Lucas's point about avoiding direct communication through private phones and reluctantly agreed to use the public phone method for future contact. After a moment of silence, Ranger, impatient and direct, asked why Lucas had called. "Have you gathered the money yet?" he demanded.

  Lucas, listening intently, waited for Ranger to finish speaking before responding calmly, "I want to meet you. Same place as before, in an hour. I have something that might interest you—a way to earn more money."

  The mention of "more money" caught Ranger off guard. His greed overtook his suspicion, and though confused, he agreed. "Fine. Four o’clock. Don't be late."

  Lucas hung up without another word and began the walk back to his home. The brisk air seemed to match the turmoil in his mind, but he forced himself to remain composed. As he entered his dimly lit house, he prepared a pot of tea, letting the familiar ritual calm his nerves. Once the tea was ready, he poured it into a thermos, grabbed two paper cups, and slipped into his jacket.

  Carrying the thermos and cups, Lucas placed them gently in his car and began driving toward the forest. The fifteen-minute drive passed in a haze of carefully crafted thoughts and plans. When he arrived at the usual meeting spot, he parked his car on the roadside and began the short walk to the clearing.

  The forest was quiet, save for the crunch of leaves beneath his boots. As he approached the meeting spot, he saw Ranger already there, pacing impatiently. The rugged man turned to face him, his expression skeptical as he noticed the thermos in Lucas’s hand.

  “What’s that?” Ranger asked brusquely.

  “Tea,” Lucas replied with a disarming smile. “I thought we might need it for the conversation ahead. Besides, it’s not every day you get tea in the middle of the forest.”

  Ranger eyed him suspiciously, his arms crossed. “What are you playing at, Lucas? What’s this really about?”

  Without responding immediately, Lucas crouched down and set the thermos on the ground. He opened it, letting the warm aroma fill the crisp air, and began pouring tea into the cups. He offered one to Ranger, who hesitated.

  “Relax,” Lucas said, keeping his tone light but firm. “It’s just tea. Look.” To prove his point, Lucas picked up the other cup and took a long sip.

  Ranger’s suspicion wavered, but he still didn’t move to take the cup. “You’ve got five minutes to tell me what’s going on. I don’t have time for games.”

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  Lucas lowered his cup and fixed Ranger with a steady gaze. “I called you here because I have a proposition. A way for you to make more money than you were expecting. But first, we need to talk.”

  Ranger, now seemingly at ease, took a sip of the tea. The warmth of the drink and Lucas's calm demeanor worked to lower his guard. "Alright," Ranger said, his tone less gruff, "tell me how this is going to make me more money."

  Lucas leaned forward slightly, adopting a conspiratorial tone. “The case isn’t as straightforward as you think,” he began. “You’re looking at me like I’m the only one involved, but there are two other people tied to this mess. They’re the ones I’m working for too. Last time I was in the forest? It wasn’t random. They sent me there to clean up any evidence they might’ve left behind.”

  Ranger narrowed his eyes, his expression a mix of skepticism and intrigue. “Why should I trust you?” he asked, his voice sharp.

  Lucas let out a steadying breath. “Because it’s the truth,” he replied evenly. “Think about it: I’m in the same boat as you. If I screw this up, it’s not just me—they’ll come after us both. I can’t pay you what you’re asking. But they can. And if we play this smart, we can both walk away with a lot more than you’re demanding from me now.”

  Ranger’s gaze flicked down to the half-empty cup in his hand. He took another sip, weighing Lucas’s words. “What’s your plan?”

  “For now,” Lucas said, refilling Ranger’s cup, “I’ll do some digging. Figure out how we can exploit the situation. Tomorrow, same time, same place, I’ll bring you the full plan.”

  Ranger studied him for a long moment before nodding. “Fine,” he said, though his voice carried a note of warning. “But if you’re lying to me, Lucas, it won’t end well for you.”

  Lucas smiled, unbothered by the threat. “You don’t need to worry about that. I’m just as motivated as you are—if not more.”

  With a slight wave of his hand, Lucas gave Ranger a small goodbye gesture and turned to leave the clearing. The walk back to his car felt lighter, his mind buzzing with the satisfaction of having successfully manipulated Ranger.

  As Lucas drove home, he allowed himself a moment of relief. The encounter had gone better than he’d hoped, and now he could set the next part of his plan into motion. In his mind, everything was aligning perfectly. His goal wasn’t just to escape unscathed—it was to ensure that Mike, Lea, and even Ranger would pay for dragging him into this chaos.

  The evening’s darkness enveloped Lucas’s home, signaling the end of a day that had left him satisfied with his progress. Lucas felt an unusual sense of relief—his encounter with Ranger had gone exactly as planned, and for the first time in days, he believed he might finally get a good night’s sleep. As the clouds rolled in, the night passed without incident.

  The next morning greeted him with an overcast sky. The sun was hidden behind thick clouds, casting a dull, gray hue over the world. By 8 a.m., Lucas was awake, brimming with energy and anticipation. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was excited about the day ahead. The clock ticked steadily toward 4 p.m., the hour he would meet Ranger again to set his plan into motion.

  Elsewhere, the day unfolded uneventfully for Samuel and his team. They combed through case files, leads, and witness statements, but progress seemed elusive. Frustration simmered beneath the surface as they struggled to piece together the truth behind Marcus’s disappearance.

  In an effort to maintain their facade of innocence, Mike and Lea paid an unexpected visit to the station. Their pretense of concern was thinly veiled as they inquired about updates in the case. Lea even took the opportunity to subtly disparage Lucas, sowing seeds of doubt in Samuel’s mind. Though Samuel listened attentively, he remained baffled by the tangled web of deceit surrounding the case.

  By 3 p.m., Lucas was back at the phone booth. He dialed Ranger’s number, his voice calm and measured as he confirmed their meeting for 4 p.m. at the same location as before. Returning home, Lucas repeated his routine: brewing tea, filling the thermos, and gathering the necessary items for the meeting. Jacket on and thermos in hand, he set out for the forest.

  When Lucas arrived at the clearing, Ranger was already there, his demeanor noticeably lighter than the day before. A faint smile crept across Ranger’s face as he saw Lucas approaching, thermos in hand. “Tea again?” Ranger remarked with a chuckle.

  Lucas returned the smile as he poured tea into two paper cups and handed one to Ranger. “Tea makes for better conversations,” Lucas said, his tone light yet deliberate. Ranger took the cup, sipping the familiar warmth, and waited for Lucas to speak.

  As Ranger took another sip of tea, he leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. “So, what’s the plan?” he asked, his tone cautious yet eager.

  Lucas placed his cup down deliberately, locking eyes with Ranger. “Listen,” he began, his voice steady and measured. “This is a delicate situation. We have to act carefully.” Lucas leaned in slightly, as if sharing a guarded secret. “There are two people involved—a man and a woman. They’re the ones behind everything. I don’t know all the details yet, but I know they’re hiding something big. This is more than just some minor scam; this is a murder case.”

  Ranger’s eyes widened slightly, but he said nothing, waiting for Lucas to continue. “If we play our cards right, we can make a lot of money from them,” Lucas added, letting the lure of greed sink in.

  “And how exactly are we going to do that?” Ranger asked, his skepticism evident.

  Lucas smirked, pulling out a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket. “I’ve done some digging,” he said, spreading the paper . Written on it was the name and location of the hotel where Lea and Mike were staying which he came to know about during their meeting with Samuel. “Their names are Lea and Mike. Lea is the woman, and Mike is the man. This is where they are.”

  Ranger nodded, his expression sharpening as Lucas outlined the plan. “Go to this hotel and ask to meet Lea and Mike. Once you meet them, tell them you know something about the case that no one else does.”

  Ranger raised an eyebrow but stayed silent, letting Lucas lay out the plan. “Tell them,” Lucas continued, “that you saw Lea with me at midnight. Don’t give away too much. Just enough to make them nervous. If they want to keep it quiet, they’ll pay you. Don’t name a price. Let them decide.”

  Lucas paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle. “Before you leave, hand them your office number. Tell them they can contact you tomorrow to negotiate. And remember—visit them today after 8 p.m. It’s safer that way.”

  Ranger nodded slowly, a grin spreading across his face as the promise of easy money took hold. “And what’s my cut?” he asked, his tone laced with greed.

  Lucas leaned back, feigning generosity. “Seventy-thirty. You get seventy percent.”

  Ranger’s grin widened. “You’ve got yourself a deal,” he said, standing up, clearly pleased. “But remember,” he added, his tone darkening, “if you’re playing games with me, it won’t end well for you.”

  Lucas met his gaze with a calm smile. “No games,” he said confidently. “We’re in this together.”

  As Ranger left, his excitement evident, Lucas watched him disappear into the trees. Returning to his car, Lucas drove home, taking the back roads to avoid being seen. Once inside, he lit a cigarette, gazing out of the window with a faint smile. “Game on,” he whispered to himself, the thrill of his plan coursing through him. This time, he was more excited than nervous. He was ahead in this game and already plotting his next move.

  To be continue........