The man with the dirty blond hair approached, his sharp gaze scanning the group before settling on Sky. "You must be the Ghost Department," he said with a forced smile, extending his hand. "I'm Martin, head of operations at this facility." Sky gave a brief nod, ignoring his outstretched hand, her focus unwavering. "Let's skip the pleasantries and get to the point. Show us where the Iron Wood was stored." Martin's smile faltered but he quickly motioned for them to follow, leading the team through the front entrance and down a long corridor. On either side, half-glass walls revealed adjacent rooms where machines hummed and workers stood at their stations.
Damian glanced to the side. "These are the machines you use to make the hoverboards?"
Martin nodded. "Yes, though work has halted temporarily due to the disappearance of the Iron Wood."
Damian's eyes narrowed. "Are all the workers for today's shift present?"
"Yes," Martin replied. "All who were scheduled for today are here."
Damian added, "Good. Call the rest of the workers in. We need everyone present."
Martin paused, closing his eyes for a moment as if sending a message with the BIT, before opening them again. "The message has been sent."
Rain, observing this, realized Martin must be a genetic warrior, though not one who had opened his spiritual gate. As they reached a large room with a massive door surrounded by scanning machines, Lily spoke up. "Was there anything in the warehouse besides the Iron Wood?"
Martin nodded, "Yes, the hoverboards we've made and materials for production."
Martin stood in front of the large door and tapped on it. A light wave spread outward, surrounding him. Rain watched in fascination, thinking, 'The technology in this world really is advanced.' The light wave seemed to be scanning Martin, and after it receded, the door opened automatically. Martin motioned for them to follow.
As Rain stepped into the room, he noticed racks lining all sides, filled with various materials. In the middle, another rack stood prominently.
"The Ironwood was kept in the back," Martin said, leading them toward an open space with a large platform in the center. Pointing to the platform, he added, "This is where the Ironwood was stored."
Sky scanned the area and turned to Martin. "Check the entire warehouse. Is there any damage?"
Martin replied confidently, "We've already checked."
Sky's tone remained firm. "We'll check again to be sure."
Damian handed Rain a small torch-like device. "Rain, check the right side of the wall with me. You start at the gate, and I'll cover the back. Shine this on the wall—it'll scan for any damage. The light will stay blue unless it detects something, in which case it'll turn green."
Rain nodded, taking the device and starting his scan. As he worked his way along the wall, he found only minor cracks, nothing significant. However, he did spot a section that had been recently repaired—a hole that had been patched up.
Once everyone regrouped, Sky asked, "Anything?"
When the group shook their heads, Martin looked noticeably uneasy, but Sky remained calm, her sharp gaze lingering on him. "Martin, do you have anything you want to share?"
Martin, now visibly nervous, stammered, "N-nothing, Madam."
Sky's eyes narrowed. "Without insider help, the Ironwood wouldn't just vanish on its own."
Martin frantically shook his head. "I don't know anything. I was visiting Palmer with my family. I only returned yesterday and found out about the theft then."
Damian spoke up, his tone measured. "So while you were on vacation, the factory was still operational?"
Martin nodded quickly. "Yes, they sent Hector, a guy from the city office, to take charge while I was away."
Sky's expression remained sharp. "Where's Hector now?"
Martin hesitated. "I told him to report at 8 this morning, but he hasn't arrived. He's not answering his phone, and the company office here hasn't seen him either."
Damian raised an eyebrow. "And during the week you were gone, while Hector was in charge, no one raised any suspicions about him?"
"We suspected him, yes," Martin admitted, his voice shaky. "But the door scanner runs 24/7, and no Ironwood left the warehouse while it was under his watch."
Lily chimed in, "Were any hoverboards sent out during that week?"
Martin nodded. "Yes, hoverboards were shipped."
Lily's eyes narrowed. "We'll need the shipping data for those hoverboards."
Martin closed his eyes for a moment, accessing the BIT, and when he opened them again, he spoke urgently. "Hector hasn't shown up at the warehouse, the office, or his home. The company sent people to check on him, but he didn't answer his door. Security footage shows he didn't return home last night."
Sky's gaze hardened. "Let's go."
As they exited the warehouse, they found thirty workers gathered outside. The warehouse door shut firmly behind them.
"Martin, are all the workers here?" Sky asked.
Martin quickly checked. "Yes,all thirty arrived."
Sky nodded and addressed her team. "Take their reports. Ask about their names, if they noticed anything suspicious about Hector, and anything unusual during his time in charge. Record everything with the BIT."
Turning to the workers, Sky instructed, "Divide yourselves into six groups and come forward in line. Each of you will speak to one of us."
Rain stood by, following her lead, and began questioning the workers one by one. He asked the questions Sky had outlined, but none of the workers reported anything suspicious during the week in question. Most said that Hector, like Martin, stayed in his office most of the time. Some even offered complaints about Martin, though nothing relevant to the case.
After the questioning, Rain moved to search Martin's office. The office was elevated, overlooking the factory floor from a glass-walled perch. As they began walking out of the factory, Rain couldn't help but feel like they were missing something.
Sky broke the silence, turning to Martin. "You suspected Hector, but why was he allowed to go home without being detained?"
Martin shifted uncomfortably. "We had no concrete evidence against him."
Lily smirked. "And you needed evidence for something like this?"
Martin looked defensive. "We don't do illegal things. Besides, Hector's from the Cressey family."
At the mention of the Cressey family, Sky, Damian, and Lily exchanged knowing glances, fully aware of the significance. Rain, still confused, turned to Siobhan, but found her equally puzzled.
As they entered the vehicle, Damian asked, "Sky, where to now?"
Sky responded, "Hector's house. Let's check his place."
Lily raised an eyebrow, "Entering his house will require permission. And since he's from the Cressey family, it'll be even harder to get approval."
Sky smirked, glancing back at them from her seat. "Already got it."
Damian chuckled, "Lily, you always forget Sky's last name is Caldwell." Noticing the confused expressions on Rain and Siobhan's faces through the rearview mirror, Damian added, "Lily, explain Spark Technology and the family structure to our newcomers."
Lily smiled, turning to Rain and Siobhan. "You guys know our city is part of Spark Technology, right? It's technically a research institute, but in reality, it functions more like a nation. It was founded by three major families—Zion, Kim, and Chopra. Over time, five more influential families emerged, followed by nine others. These 17 families essentially run the nation, with the original three at the top. Sky's Caldwell family is one of the nine."
Rain and Siobhan exchanged awed looks, realizing their leader was part of such a powerful lineage. Rain thought, 'With someone from a family this influential leading us, our team's development won't face much trouble.'
Sky, noticing their expressions, added humbly, "It's just a branch line of the Caldwell family."
Damian interjected, "Even a branch line of the Caldwell family is more powerful than the Cressey family, which is only a local powerhouse."
Lily explained further, "The 17 families control Spark Technology. Families like the Cresseys are strong, but their influence only extends to one or two cities."
As the car came to a stop, they arrived at Hector's flat on the ground level of the 8th floor. The neighborhood was lined with real pine trees—an expensive luxury since the cataclysm. The building's height stretched to the upper 7th floor.
As they approached the flat, two men emerged from the building. They introduced themselves as representatives from the company, informing the group that they couldn't enter since only residents were allowed, and outsiders needed special permission. However, the security personnel had confirmed that Hector hadn't returned the previous night after leaving in the morning.