Mastermind Behind The Scenes

Around 10 a.m., after fulfilling his daily routine of seeing his wife and daughter, Alex carefully avoided surveillance and human sight, heading toward a sewer entrance in a dark alley to return to his temporary hideout. However, something felt off.

It was too quiet.

This part of Greenway Community, an old area neglected by Riverton City's rapid development, was usually alive with the sounds of children playing and the aroma of food from nearby apartments. But today, there was nothing—no noise, no smells. Alex instantly became alert.

On the rooftop to the left of the alley, Daniel and Adam lay motionless, not even daring to poke their heads out to observe Alex below. They were joined by over 20 other officers stationed on rooftops and in the old buildings opposite the alley.

In fact, the Riverton City Police Department had tracked Alex's movements five days ago. Despite his heightened senses and careful maneuvers, the city's extensive surveillance network had eventually caught traces of him. Moreover, with confirmation that the lizard man was likely Alex, micro-cameras had been discreetly placed in Greenway Community to track him.

The delay in action wasn't due to a lack of evidence but the time required to formulate a plan. Capturing a lizard man—an unprecedented and potentially deadly threat—required precision. To complicate matters, the government wanted to handle the situation discreetly, avoiding public awareness of such a creature.

"Captain, the target has stopped. He seems to have noticed us. Should we proceed with Plan B?" Daniel's teammate's voice came through his earpiece.

Daniel's heart tightened, but he replied calmly, "Hold your position. Don't act rashly. Keep observing."

For this mission, the Riverton City Police Department had devised two plans:

Plan A: Allow Alex to enter the sewer and detonate the C4 explosives placed at the entrance, eliminating him in one blow. However, this plan hinged on Alex not sensing any danger—an unlikely scenario, especially given the gaps in their evacuation efforts. It wasn't feasible to fully populate the area with fake residents, particularly children, without arousing suspicion.

Plan B: If Plan A failed, the officers would block both ends of the alley and attack.

"Captain, the target is turning around! He's trying to leave!" came another urgent voice.

Daniel's pupils contracted, and he gave the command without hesitation. "All units, proceed with Plan B. Detonate the bomb!"

Boom!

The explosion shook the area as several C4 charges detonated at the sewer entrance. The impact hurled Alex into a nearby wall, leaving him momentarily stunned. Smoke and debris filled the air, while the sound of the explosion startled nearby residents, including Gina, who was at the local market buying groceries.

"What was that?!"

"An explosion! Where did it come from?!"

"Are they filming a movie?"

A wave of panic spread as curious onlookers rushed toward the source of the noise. Gina, too, joined the crowd, her heart racing.

She saw armed police officers with explosion-proof shields and submachine guns rushing into the alley. Seven or eight police cars screeched to a stop, blocking the area.

"What's going on?!"

"Is this a movie set?"

"No way. Where's the director? Where are the cameras? Something serious is happening!"

Speculation ran wild among the crowd.

"Do you think it could be the murderer behind those two big cases? The Brightpath lab massacre and the North City killings?" someone whispered.

"The lizard man? That's just an urban legend. The government already debunked it!"

"But who else could pull off crimes like those? And in broad daylight, too!"

While most dismissed the idea of a lizard man, Gina knew the truth. Her pupils shrank as she pieced things together. "It's him," she thought. "They've found him."

In the alley, Alex slowly regained his senses. The explosion had torn apart the black cloth concealing his body, exposing his true form. His scaled, bloodied body was riddled with shrapnel and debris, some embedded deep within his flesh.

Despite the damage, Alex wasn't out of the fight. His muscles spasmed as his wounds began to heal, pushing out shrapnel and debris. New granulations formed over the injuries, rapidly regenerating his body.

Above, Daniel and the other officers stood up, weapons aimed at the alley. They waited in tense silence for the smoke to clear, hoping Alex had been incapacitated.

Their orders were clear: capture him alive if possible. A living Alex held immense value—for research and interrogation. How had he become this monster?

As the gray smoke began to dissipate, the officers braced for what lay ahead.