Chapter 419 Target Locked

The group had searched all over, but Johnathan was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t answering his phone, either.

Sierra’s heart dropped. Her face paled instantly.

“He’s probably fine,” Stone tried to reassure her. But suddenly, he turned to Mateo, his voice sharp. “Check the tracker—quick!”

Mateo smacked his forehead. How could he have forgotten?

Ever since the last incident, with Johnathan’s permission, he’d installed a GPS tracker in his smartwatch.

He pulled out his phone, confident this would lead them straight to him.

But there was nothing. No signal.

Mateo’s face darkened immediately.

If earlier they could still believe they’d simply lost track of Johnathan in the chaos, now there was no doubt—something was wrong.

There was no way the tracker wouldn’t work unless it was being actively jammed.

And before, he might’ve arrogantly claimed no one could tamper with his tech—but after what happened with the hidden camera, he couldn’t be so sure.

Johnathan had been taken.

“Seal the campus. Now!”

Mateo barked orders. “Something’s happened to Johnathan!”

Everyone’s expression changed in an instant. Stone and the rest scrambled to make calls. The team Wayne had sent were already searching like madmen.

Sierra felt like her brain was about to explode. Mateo’s words kept echoing in her ears.

His tone, his face—everything confirmed it. Johnathan was gone.

And that meant the truth hit her like a freight train.

She was never the target. She was just the decoy.

The real target had always been Johnathan.

Mateo’s call for a lockdown wasn’t blind panic—it was tactical.

North Salem University was large, but the auditorium sat at its center. None of the gates were close enough for anyone to get far in that short amount of time.

They couldn’t have escaped by air either. This was a no-fly zone—air traffic was completely restricted.

Which meant—Johnathan was still somewhere on campus.

Every available body was mobilized. No one dared waste a second.

The university responded instantly, locking down the campus. Troops, SWAT, and police forces swarmed in. They began a full, ground-level sweep. The guests were temporarily held in small meeting rooms, each one to be checked individually.

News of Johnathan’s disappearance was tightly contained. Most people believed the massive search was about the earlier gunshot.

North Salem University wasn’t huge—but it was big enough. Several million square feet. Finding one person in a space like that was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Military personnel, officers, and special forces combed the campus room by room.

Sierra could do nothing but wait.

Mateo and Draven stayed with her.

Sensing her rising panic, Draven offered comfort. “Their goal is to take him—not to kill him. That means for now, he’s safe. But until we know whether they’re after him alone or both of you, we need to keep you secure. If Johnathan returns and you’re gone… we’ll have no way to face him.”

Sierra nodded faintly. “I understand.”

She was furious with herself. She should’ve figured this out earlier. Why had they all been so sure she was the target? They hadn’t even considered Johnathan.

But looking back, it made too much sense.

Johnathan had created several critical medications. If she were in their shoes, she would’ve gone after him too.

Even Quinn’s strange behavior had been a warning sign—but none of them caught it. Arrogance had blinded them.

They’d assumed no one would dare touch Johnathan. Not in Capital City.

But these people were insane.

They dared to do it right under the nation’s nose.

Wayne and Chase had received the news immediately. They arrived at North Salem University within minutes. Their expressions were grim.

Sierra watched as Wayne was pulled aside by Stone’s superior for a private talk.

Soon after, Chase approached her. He gave her a firm look and said, “Don’t worry. We’ll find him. Even if we have to tear Capital City apart, we’ll get him back.”

At that moment, North Salem University had become an impenetrable fortress.

With the place sealed so tight, not even a fly could get out.

Inside one of the dorm buildings, someone was scowling.

They hadn’t expected Johnathan’s people to respond so quickly. The campus was already locked down. Now, there was no way out.

They could see search teams moving toward the dorms.

It was only a matter of time.

“What do we do now?”

He turned and asked the other figure in a hushed voice.