Two days had passed since the brutal incident happened in Willow Village. The police were on high alert for any potential suspect involved in the deaths of the criminals.
Tensions have escalated as the media reported the incident, leaving the police station fuming over the breach of secrecy.
The investigation is not finished yet, but the media have already claimed that the policemen are responsible for the massacre.
Ethan quickly contacted the police spokesperson, urging them to refute the false reports.
Afterward, he gathered his team to dig deep and find out who leaked the sensitive information.
Everyone was busy uncovering the truth behind this attack, but by the third day, the higher-ups announced that wild animals were responsible for the attacks.
This announcement shocked the team, clashing entirely with what they believed.
Deep down, Ethan felt that whoever attacked this criminal was an unknown creature beyond human understanding.
When the higher-ups pulled his team from the investigation and replaced them with some mysterious department, his anger boiled over.
They put him in charge of the case on his wedding day, and now it felt like they were just waiting to get rid of him once they had used him.
He wanted to appeal to solve the case, but the higher-ups wouldn't let them interfere any longer.
With no other options, Ethan began to gather his squad to head back to the city. Just before they left, a subordinate rushed in with urgent news about new findings.
"Chief, our team found some irregularities on the east side of the village," the subordinate said, eyes wide with urgency.
"There were a lot of people stationed there."
"Elaborate," Ethan demanded, narrowing his eyes.
"Are they reporters?"
"No, Chief," he replied, swallowing hard.
"They're mercenaries, and they have guns on them. It looks like they're setting up for something big—maybe they know what happened?"
Ethan's brow raised.
Why were mercenaries camping here?
"Gather the team," he commanded.
"We're going to investigate."
As they approached the camping station, Ethan sensed they were being watched.
He stopped in his tracks and demanded in a cold voice.
"Who's there? Come out!"
The mercenaries in the bushes were stunned; they thought they were well-hidden. One of them stepped forward and said,
"May I know what the officer wants?"
Ethan stared at the mercenaries, his brow furrowed in confusion.
A well-trained mercenaries hiding in this village sounded very suspicious.
Ethan did not answer his question but rather showed his police badge.
"This is a restricted area. Take me to your commander. I wanted to ask something."
The mercenary hesitated for a moment, but Ethan's pressure was suffocating, so he finally gave in.
"Follow me."
*****
Trixie had been immersed in her investigation for the past two days, piecing together the chaos that erupted from the sudden gunfire in the village.
Her trusted guard, Marcus, ordered his subordinate to investigate both the scene and the locals in the village who knew some helpful information.
After a few days, they finally had a lead on the gunfire. Across from their campsite, a police operation was handling a case of firearms smuggling.
According to the locals, the police officer had a tense confrontation with the criminals, which led to a fierce gunfight.
However, his subordinate reported something different. Their informant from the police station claimed that an unknown creature had massacred the criminals.
This unexpected twist led to the gunfight between the criminals, completely separate from any police involvement.
Trixie was slightly anxious, knowing that an unknown creature was roaming nearby. She wanted to escape from this village, but the treasure hadn't shown up, filling her with frustration and unease.
"Marcus, what do you think about the situation?"
Knowing Trixie's anxiety, Marcus reassured her that his subordinates were highly trained for this unexpected event.
"I think this is just a simple case of firearm smuggling, so there's no need to worry about them discovering the treasure."
"I understand, but it's been a couple of weeks, and we still don't have any clues on the treasure's whereabouts. I'm worried that the increased foot traffic from investigators will put us in a vulnerable position." Trixie said.
Marcus also feels hopeless, but he believes that the Heather family is powerful enough to deter any investigation regarding them.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. If it does, we'll have no choice but to put some pressure on them to keep our secret safe."
"What if they demanded us to leave?" Elena asked.
"We'll use our connections," Marcus replied.
"The Heather family is powerful, and the government is still talking to us about some projects.
Trixie felt this was the best option for now. Just as she was about to leave, she heard Marcus's subordinate calling him.
"Sir, a police officer is looking for you."
"Looking for me? For what reason?" Marcos asked.
"I'm sorry, sir, but they won't answer any questions. They insisted on talking to the commander and spoke forcefully," the subordinate replied.
"I see; let them in," Marcus said.