David Maslow had many concerns about investigating the Ozunu case, but Mika, who hadn't yet faced real danger, continued her investigation without hesitation.
Only a few days into her investigation, Mika, deep in thought in her office, was startled by a knock at the door. She straightened her collar and hair, then called out, "Come in."
A man in his forties, looking gaunt and gloomy, entered. "My name is Kaman, from Internal Affairs," he said, showing his credentials.
After confirming the badge, Mika asked in confusion, "What can I do for you?"
"Nothing major, just a routine check. Headquarters sent me to ensure field agents aren't missing any key details in their cases and to check on their mental well-being," Kaman said, glancing around Mika's office. "Has your boss been acting strange lately?"
"What?" The question caught Mika off guard, so she carefully asked, "Did Maslow do something wrong?"
"Just a routine question. You know, part of our job is to make sure the workload doesn't affect agents physically or mentally. Maslow has been overworked lately, and we're a little concerned."
Kaman leaned over Mika's desk, resting his hands on it, and looked directly at her. "Cases never end. Sometimes, you need to know when to take a break, right?"
"Y-yes," Mika stammered, nodding as she suddenly realized Kaman's true intention. He was warning her and Maslow not to meddle in the Ozunu case.
"I hope you really understand," Kaman said, staring at her for a few more seconds before unexpectedly smiling. "Good luck, rookie."
Later that afternoon, Mika received a call from Maslow, and she hurried out of the office. She found him buying a hot dog in a nearby park. Anxiously, she said, "Boss, someone from Internal Affairs came to see me this morning. What should I do?"
"What should you do?" Maslow replied, handing her a hot dog combo. "I already told you to drop it. Now that Internal Affairs has warned you, if you keep investigating, it won't be long before the assassins come for you. Mika, listen to me. Drop the case."
"Boss, this doesn't sound like the David Maslow I know. You've faced assassins from crime lords and gangs before, and they never stopped you from doing your job. Why are you being so cautious this time?"
"Mika, crime lords and gangs might hire hitmen, but Ozunu? It's a centuries-old assassin organization. They've been killing for money for generations. They're more professional, and their assassins are endless. Do you think the two of us can survive more than a few assassination attempts?"
"But giving up just feels so wrong," Mika said, sipping her soda. "What if we pretend to drop it and investigate in secret?"
"No, absolutely not. I don't want to attend your funeral. You're young, and you have plenty of opportunities for promotion. It's not worth risking your life over this."
"Fine," Mika replied, disappointed by Maslow's fear. She decided to continue the investigation in secret without telling him. "I'll drop it. Thanks for lunch."
She took her lunch and headed back to the office building, unaware that Maslow had been avoiding eye contact with her the entire time—and that he was wearing a tiny earpiece in his left ear.
As Maslow sat on the park bench, finishing his hot dog, a voice came through the earpiece. "Boss, there's definitely someone watching you and Mika. Should we back off? I've got a feeling this case is more dangerous than any we've dealt with before."
"Have you found the help I asked for?" Maslow asked, sipping his soda. "We need someone highly skilled this time."
"I have. I know a guy named Luke Hobbs, a New York SWAT officer. Ex-Navy SEAL, huge guy. He's the leader of a special tactical unit of 11 SEALs, specifically trained for high-profile cases."
"Good. From now on, make sure you and your team keep an eye on Mika. If she doesn't stop, her chances of being assassinated are 100%."
"Boss, maybe we really shouldn't get involved in this," his subordinate hesitated again.
"Too late for that. After Internal Affairs visited me this morning, I received a notice for a promotion interview. If I pass, I'll be taking you guys with me to headquarters. Do you want to give that up, Gerard?" Maslow asked quietly.
Gerard paused for several minutes before responding. "So, we're just going to watch as Mika walks into danger?"
"Unless you want to be the bait in her place?" Maslow sneered, then softened his tone. "Look, consider this a test for Mika. We've all been through something like this."
"Alright, you're the boss. I'll contact Hobbs' team to make sure they protect Mika as best they can. I'll call you if anything happens. Bye, boss."
"Yeah," Maslow replied.
He sat on the park bench for another ten minutes before heading back to the office to take care of his own work.
Maslow was aware that he, too, was under surveillance. What surprised him was that two different groups were watching him.
Black Ghost hung up the phone and shook his head at White Ghost.
"Haha, I told you not to report to the boss. If you wanted to save someone, you should've just done it first. Now what? Are you going to save her or not?" White Ghost mocked Black Ghost. "You still don't understand our boss's style. He might actually be hoping this Black woman named Mika gets taken out by Ozunu. If an FBI agent dies, we won't even have to lift a finger. The FBI will handle Ozunu for us. Our boss loves using others to do the dirty work."
"Yeah," Black Ghost responded softly, looking out the window at Mika working in her office. Inwardly, he despised White Ghost and suddenly understood why William had chosen him as a retainer instead of White Ghost.
"Hey, buddy, are you going to save this Black woman or not?" White Ghost pressed.
"You'll find out."
"Damn, I always thought I wasn't talkative, but you speak even less than I do," White Ghost grumbled, annoyed by Black Ghost's silent, stoic attitude. "I'm going to follow Ozunu's people. You stay here and keep an eye on your Black beauty."
"Yeah."
"Ugh, next time I refuse to go on a mission with you. And by the way, remember, our mission is to protect David Maslow." With that, White Ghost vanished from sight.
Black Ghost watched the spot where White Ghost disappeared and muttered under his breath, "Me too."
At 8 p.m., the October sky had fully darkened. Mika, having finished processing her case files, slung her bag over her shoulder, carrying the documents to her car to head home.
After parking on the street, Mika was puzzled by the fact that all the streetlights were out. Thinking about the Ozunu case, her first instinct wasn't to drive away but to grab her keys and rush to open the gate to her apartment building's underground garage, wanting to get home as quickly as possible.
Suddenly, with a sharp "whoosh," a throwing star embedded itself in the door in front of her.
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