Chereads / Reincarnated Mercenary on Duty / Chapter 17 - Chapter 17

Chapter 17 - Chapter 17

They drove back to the precinct in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The hum of the car's engine was the only sound as the city lights blurred past the windows.

Meanwhile, Frank was deep in conversation with his system.

'Alright, system. If you've got anything to share, now's the time,' Frank said in his mind.

[Of course,] the system replied. [But don't expect too much.]

'I'll take what I can get,' Frank replied. 'Start with the basics—who's behind this, and why were they so desperate to kill her?'

[I can tell you who's behind it, but you'll need to figure out the why on your own,] the system said.

'Fair enough. So, who is it?'

[Forever Home Agency,] the system responded simply.

'Forever Home Agency?' Frank immediately searched it on his phone. 'An adoption agency? Why would they want someone dead?'

The website painted a picture of a respectable organization. 'The reviews are glowing. They seem legit—giving abandoned children a chance at a loving home.'

[Don't let appearances fool you, Frank. They're not what they seem,] the system interrupted. [The Forever Home Agency promises something extraordinary: perfection.]

'Perfection?' Frank frowned.

[Their clients order children from a so-called "genetic menu." They select characteristics—looks, intelligence, even temperament.]

[But the real evil isn't in what the agency offers; it's in how they make it happen,] the system continued.

[The Forever Home Agency is in the abduction business. They don't find kids for adoption; they steal them—tailored to the preferences of their clients—and adopt them out to new parents.]

Frank's hands tightened into fists as the system went on.

[And moving stolen children isn't easy. There's a mountain of paperwork involved.]

"They're using a forger," Frank muttered under his breath.

[One of the best,] the system confirmed.

[Frank, this is your chance to take down a criminal organization that's ripping children from their families and selling them like products.]

A notification suddenly appeared infront of Frank's face—a system window with a picture of a young boy and some accompanying information.

[This is their next target,] the system revealed. [A boy. They're planning to deliver him to his new "parents" in less than two weeks.]

"Who is he really?" Frank asked, staring at the image.

[I don't have that information,] the system admitted. [But he's about to become the adopted child of Dave and Cindy Wilson.]

"I'll destroy these bastards," Frank growled under his breath.

"Huh? Did you say something, Frank?" Zoey asked from the passenger seat, glancing at him.

"Hm? No, just talking to myself," Frank replied quickly, shaking his head.

Zoey gave him a curious look but didn't press the issue.

"Quit daydreaming," Layla said from the driver's seat. "We're here."

Once they arrived at the precinct, Layla wasted no time. She gathered a team of five in the conference room: Frank, Zoey, James, Ajay, and herself as the leader.

"Alright," Layla began, her voice steady but commanding, "this is the team assigned to handle the murder case that Detective Frank got involved in this morning."

James leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Why do we need a team for a murder case? We're the Violent Crimes Unit. This is routine work. If Frank's already on it, just assign him the case."

Layla's sharp gaze locked on James. "Do you really think this is just another homicide? The victim was declared dead seven years ago, only to reappear in a disheveled state, shot in broad daylight. Then, while under police protection, someone infiltrates the hospital disguised as a nurse and finishes the job, even shooting a patrol officer. Does that sound like a straightforward murder to you, Detective James?"

James shifted uncomfortably under her stare. "No, Chief."

"Good. Let's keep it that way. Now, Frank, you're up. Brief us on the case," Layla said, motioning for him to take the floor.

Frank stepped to the front of the room, his expression serious. "Here's what I've got so far," he began, deliberately choosing his words.

"When I arrived at the scene, she was already shot. She was still alive, though barely conscious. As I tried to help her, she kept muttering the same words over and over, 'They took my baby. They have him.' In between those repetitions, she mentioned something else—'Forever Home Agency.'"

He paused for a moment, scanning the room. This part of the story, of course, wasn't entirely true. The system had provided the key details about the agency, but he couldn't exactly tell them that. Adjusting the narrative was necessary to introduce the agency without revealing the source of his information.

Zoey narrowed her eyes. "Wait a second, Frank. You didn't mention that before."

Frank hesitated briefly. "There was a lot going on at the time. I must've been too overwhelmed to piece it together then."

Layla leaned forward, her tone curious. "Forever Home Agency? What is that? Ajay, pull up whatever you can find on it."

Ajay, the team's IT specialist, typed swiftly, bringing up the adoption agency's website on the screen. "It's an adoption agency," he said. "They've got stellar reviews and seem completely legitimate."

James frowned. "An adoption agency? What does that have to do with this case? Sounds like a stretch, Frank."

"That's what I thought at first," Frank replied. "But I had one of my informants dig deeper—not just the surface-level information available to the public."

Layla raised an eyebrow. "And? Did they find anything?"

Frank took a deep breath. "Yes, and it's not pretty. What I'm about to say will likely change how we approach this entire case."

The room grew silent, the tension palpable. Frank began recounting the details he had learned—though in truth, it was information provided by the system.

"The Forever Home Agency is not what it appears to be. On the surface, they're about finding homes for abandoned children. But beneath that, they're involved in illegal activities—abducting children to meet specific preferences of their wealthy clients. They forge documents and falsify adoption papers to make it all appear legitimate."

Layla's eyes widened in horror. "They steal children from their families and sell them? That's monstrous."

"Exactly," Frank said grimly. "And I believe Liza—our victim—was connected to this somehow. She kept repeating, 'They took my baby.' Maybe her child was one of the children they took. If she saw something she wasn't supposed to, that would explain why they were so desperate to silence her."

Zoey's expression hardened. "That makes sense. They probably killed her to keep her quiet. But that still doesn't answer her disappearance for seven years. Where was she for last seven years?"

Frank nodded. "That's what we need to find out. Whatever happened seven years ago didn't end. It just resurfaced."

Layla straightened in her seat, her face set in determination. "Alright, team. This is bigger than we thought. We're no longer just solving a murder. We're taking down an entire operation. Ajay, dig deeper into this agency—financial records, staff, anything suspicious. Zoey, James, and Frank, you'll follow up on any leads connected to Liza and her missing child. Let's uncover the truth."

"Chief, I still have some more information to share," Frank said, his tone serious.

Layla raised an eyebrow. "There's more? Then why are you sitting on it? Speak up."

Frank hesitated for a moment, mentally nudging the system. "Hey, system, can you send me the info on that kid to my device?"

There was no audible reply, but his phone vibrated in his pocket. Taking it out, he saw an email with the details of the next child connected to the Forever Home Agency.

"Ajay, I just forwarded you an email. Can you pull it up on the big screen?" Frank asked.

"Sure thing," Ajay replied, quickly opening the file. Within seconds, the details of a baby boy, barely a month old, were displayed on the screen for everyone to see.

"This boy," Frank began, pointing to the image on the screen, "is the next child the Forever Home Agency plans to deliver. I don't know who this kid is or where he's from, but what I do know is that he's about to become the son of Dave and Cindy Wilson."

The room went quiet, the weight of the situation settling on everyone.

Layla broke the silence, her voice sharp and commanding. "Alright, we're adjusting the plan. James, I want you to follow up on Liza's case. Frank, Zoey, you're on the Wilsons. Pay them a visit, and see what you can uncover about this so-called adoption."

Frank and Zoey exchanged a glance, then nodded. "Understood, Chief," they said in unison.

"Good. Let's move fast," Layla added. "If we're going to stop this agency and save that child, we need to stay ahead of them."