Mega Tokyo 2032 AD File 2.7: The Chang Case Part 8
Case File 2.7: The Chang Case Part 8
Classified: For Official Use Only
Three weeks have passed since Irene's death. A lot has happened since then. Last week, a military Boomer went berserk; there were many casualties—both among the AD Police and the civilian population. Mason—that slick, smooth-talking asshole! He covered his tracks too well; I can't pin anything on him—not the body of the man who tortured me, the lab explosion, the contract killing of Irene, or the Boomer attack... yet I know for a fact he’s behind it all. I need to take another look at the Desouses—the place Akiko and I were during the attack. The owner... I’ve seen her before, but where? The alarm I set for 6 AM reminds me that I don't have much time left before the night shift hands over to the day shift. I stare into the open locker in front of me... there it hangs... my stomach turns... I haven't worn it since... my arms and hands ache... as it all plays out again in my mind's eye... the broken bones... the amputation... my heart starts racing, and I feel like I can't breathe. I force myself to use the meditation technique Akiko taught me and calm down. I have to face this; I won't let it control me. So, I stand up and take the black uniform out of the locker. After a few minutes, I have it on, even though it took a great deal of effort to bring myself to do it. I stride through the empty corridors toward my office; I want to review the data again before the meeting the Chief has scheduled begins. At this hour, I don't have to worry about anyone seeing me. Lost in thought, I search for the connection—the single detail that ties everything together. I don't notice my office door opening until an officer walks in. It’s Officer Romanova.
Nene: Good morning, Detective. I’m here to...
She breaks off mid-sentence as she seems to recognize my uniform. Shock is written all over her face. The existence of the special unit is an open secret, but usually, no one knows who belongs to it. I can practically see the lump forming in her throat.
Nene: I... I...
She just stammers incoherently.
Hana: Officer Romanova, you’re here quite early. When does your shift start? 8 AM? That’s an hour and a half away.
Nene: Le... on... I mean, Detective McNichol... asked me to look into something.
Hana: And that would be?
Nene: Uh... I’m supposed to look for connections between the victims of the lab explosion... and other crimes...
Connections between the explosion victims and other crimes?
Hana: How exactly does that lead to me?
Nene: Roy Chang. I wanted to look at the evidence in his murdered wife's case, but I was told the evidence was under seal because a piece was missing.
The realization hits me like a slap in the face. Irene’s husband was among the victims.
Hana: Listen—Nene, that’s your name, right? Tell Leon to let it go. Irene wasn’t what she seemed; she was the daughter of a Triad family.
Nene: Are you sure about that?
Hana: Absolutely. And it won’t end well if he keeps digging into this. Now go. I have a meeting to get too.
Nene: Okay, thanks.
I nod in acknowledgment and watch her leave. I wait a few more minutes before heading out myself. I need to be more careful; she caught me off guard, and that can’t happen again. This time, I make sure the hallway is empty before heading to the meeting room. I’m not the last one there—the Chief is still missing—but the others are already waiting for me. Parda, our sniper, is sitting on one of the tables, along with the twins—Warm and Ice—our heavy weapons specialists. Then there’s Terror2, the explosives expert, and Gildenstein, the pilot and hacker. Together we are the AD Polices Shadow Squad.
Linna is sitting on her sofa, lost in thought, when the doorbell rings. She finds nothing at the door but a letter with no return address. She picks it up and goes back inside. The letter contains a personal message and something else—something falls out of the envelope onto the table.
Linna: That’s Irene’s wedding ring?
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This is the end of File 2, the Story will continue in File 3: The Shadow Squat
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