NIP #237 - What do you want?
#237 - What do you want?
Lynn smiled slightly, took out a banknote from his pocket, and gently placed it on the bar: "I just want to know if he's been here recently, or if anyone has heard his name."
The bartender didn't touch the banknote, but leaned in closer, his tone icy: "Listen, people here don't like being watched by the police. If you're smart, leave early, or I guarantee your drink will soon be on the floor."
Lynn showed no displeasure, simply nodding gently: "Understood." He picked up his glass, turned, and walked towards an empty table in the corner, sitting quietly, observing the movements in the bar.
About ten minutes later, a thin young man sat down opposite him, whispering: "I heard you're looking for 'Heart of Flame'?"
Lynn's eyes lit up, and he nodded: "Yes. Do you know his whereabouts?"
The young man sneered, lowering his voice: "You dare come here to look for him? That name is taboo here; many people don't even dare mention it."
"So why are you willing to talk to me?" Lynn stared at him, his gaze sharp.
The young man looked around, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Because he has harmed all of us. Every time he appears here, he brings trouble. The good days in the community were ruined by him long ago. We just want to live quietly, but he always treats this place as his hiding place, making everyone's life harder."
"Has he been here recently?" Lynn pressed.
The young man shook his head: "He hasn't been here for a while. The last time someone saw him was at the old factory outside the community, but he disappeared quickly. Some people also said that he met with high-level members of 'Dawn', but no one knows the specific details."
Lynn frowned: "Old factory? Where exactly is it?"
The young man hesitated, and finally said: "The abandoned industrial area at the intersection of 15th Street and Hudson. But I warn you, that place is very dangerous; you might not come out if you go."
Lynn nodded his thanks, and as he stood up, the young man grabbed his arm, whispering: "Don't think that catching 'Heart of Flame' will change anything. He's just a pawn; the real problem is those who control him."
Lynn looked at him, saying in a deep voice: "I know, but catching him is the first step."
The young man released his hand, watching Lynn leave the bar.
Walking out of the bar, Lynn found that it was completely dark, and there were even fewer pedestrians on the street. Even after leaving the mutant community, he felt a kind of invisible hostility, as if every wall in this area was resisting his presence. This distrust was profound and painful, reminding him that these mutants lived in a forgotten world.
Lynn dialed Carter's number, briefly reporting the situation in the bar and instructing the task force to conduct reconnaissance of the industrial area. After he hung up, he looked up at the dilapidated buildings, but his heart could not calm down.
On the other side.
Kate's visit to the mutant community didn't start smoothly. She walked into the streets of the community with her press credentials and microphone, only to find that the hostility towards outsiders here was deeper than she had imagined. The pedestrians on the road quickly avoided her as soon as they saw the microphone in her hand, and some even turned their heads directly into the alley.
She took a deep breath, adjusted her expression, and walked straight into a small shop. The light in the shop was dim, and the shelves were piled with sundries, looking like a mix of a convenience store and a repair shop. Behind the counter stood a middle-aged mutant with obvious scale-like skin features on his face. He looked up at Kate, his tone indifferent: "What do you want to buy?"
"Actually, I'm a reporter," Kate said carefully, placing her press card on the counter, "I'm tracking the recent fire cases, and I heard that these things are somewhat related to the mutant community. I just want to understand some background."
The middle-aged man looked up at her face, was silent for a while, and then whispered: "Do you want to write articles to make us look more like criminals?"
"No, I want to tell the truth," Kate looked at him, her tone sincere, "I know that people here don't trust the outside world, and I also know that mutants are often treated unfairly. But if someone uses this anger to harm innocent people, or even drag people here into danger, don't you think this needs to be exposed?"
The man's eyes softened a little, but still cautious: "What do you want to know?"
Kate lowered her voice: "I heard someone mention a mutant called 'Heart of Flame'. He seems to be a key figure in some fires. I just want to know his relationship with this community, and whether he might be hiding here."
The man's expression stiffened, obviously sensitive to this name. He hesitated for a moment, and finally pointed to an alley outside the window: "Go ask the old repair shop at the end of the street, the old man there might know something. He doesn't like the police, but he might say a few more words to you."
Kate nodded, thanked him, then left the shop and walked towards the repair shop following the instructions. The repair shop was dilapidated, with several rusty cars parked at the door. She pushed open the half-covered iron door and found an old man with gray hair sitting inside, repairing an old engine with a wrench.
"Who are you?" The old man looked up at her, asking vigilantly.
"I'm a reporter, Kate Bennett," she stood at the door, not approaching, "Someone told me that you might know something about 'Heart of Flame'. I just want to understand the facts and won't reveal your name."
The old man put down the wrench in his hand, looking at her with a complex expression: "'Heart of Flame'? That guy will only bring us trouble. He's not a hero here, although some people admire him."
"Has he been here?" Kate asked tentatively.
The old man was silent for a while, and finally nodded: "He stayed here for a while a few weeks ago. He always comes and goes mysteriously, but I heard that he may be hiding in the cargo warehouse at the East Pier recently. That place is remote, and no one wants to go."
Kate quickly noted the address, saying gratefully: "Thank you, I will be as careful as possible not to let this information be misused."
After leaving the repair shop, Kate immediately called Lynn. She knew she was walking a dangerous road, but she also understood that this was the only chance to bring the truth to light.
The phone was connected, and Lynn's voice had a hint of vigilance: "Kate, did you find anything?"
"I just came out of the mutant community," Kate said in a low voice, "Someone told me that 'Heart of Flame' might be hiding in the cargo warehouse at the East Pier."
Lynn was silent for a moment, his tone a little more tense: "You asked in person?"
"Yes, I know you don't approve, but this is the only way," Kate replied, "I have no other choice."
Lynn sighed: "Kate, you're too risky. If these people know you're looking for him, they might be detrimental to you."
"That's why I told you the news as soon as possible," Kate's tone was still firm, "I'll be careful, but you have to act faster."
"Understood," Lynn said in a low voice, "Thank you for the clue, leave the rest to me. Don't go near there again."
After hanging up the phone, Kate stood on the street, looking at the pier in the distance. Although she knew she had done her best, a sense of inexplicable worry surged into her heart.
Lynn led the task force to quickly arrive at the cargo warehouse at the East Pier. The pier under the night appeared dead and eerie, with only the occasional sound of ships coming from the distance breaking the silence. They carefully sneaked around the warehouse, and after confirming that there were no ambushes, they launched the operation.
"Pay attention to safety, check every corner carefully," Lynn ordered in a low voice, and the team members quickly dispersed, carefully searching the warehouse with tactical flashlights and weapons.
The interior of the warehouse was messy, with some cargo boxes and traces of burning scattered on the ground. A slight smell of sulfur still remained in the air, indicating that it was indeed related to 'Heart of Flame'. But after several rounds of searching, Lynn discovered a frustrating fact—it was empty.
"Detective!" An agent suddenly shouted, and Lynn quickly walked over, finding the team member stopped in front of a deliberately placed projection device. The screen flickered with red light, appearing to be a pre-recorded video.
Lynn frowned and motioned to play it. In the picture, the figure of 'Heart of Flame' appeared in a dark background, his face particularly gloomy in the glow of the flames. A sneer hung on the corner of his mouth, and he said: "Detective Lynn, I knew you would find this place, but you are always one step behind, aren't you?"
The team members looked at each other, and Lynn's eyes became even colder.
"You have been chasing the truth, but unfortunately you have not seen the bigger picture," 'Heart of Flame' continued in the video, "This is just the beginning. My friends and I are planning a real change, an action that will shake the entire society. And you—you are just a small law enforcer who is trying to stop the tide."
He said here, the sneer on his face deepened: "If you want to stop us, try it. However, I advise you to save your own life first. In the days to come, you will be too busy to breathe."
The picture disappeared in a burst of fire, and the video ended abruptly.
Lynn was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "Immediately collect all the clues here, especially anything that might point to their next plan. Time is running out."
The team members began to rummage through the items in the warehouse, discovering some abandoned equipment and scraps of paper. After the technicians restored some of the documents, they found a map marking several locations, one of which was in downtown Manhattan, with a date only two days later.
"Detective," Carter handed the map to Lynn, his expression serious, "They are obviously preparing a large-scale operation, which may happen in the city center."
Lynn looked at the map, his brow furrowed: "What are their targets? There are too many key facilities in the city center—financial centers, energy stations, public transportation hubs, each of which could cause enormous damage."
Carter nodded: "Any one of these places being attacked would be enough to throw the city into chaos. They are obviously testing us."
Lynn said in a deep voice: "We can't wait for them to strike; we must strike first. Notify all departments to strengthen the security of these locations, and at the same time, let the technical team analyze the other marked points on this map as soon as possible."
Outside the warehouse, the wind picked up the dust on the pier, blowing the corners of Lynn's clothes. He stood in the cold wind, his eyes cold and firm. The other party was obviously no longer satisfied with small-scale destruction, but was preparing to carry out a major action that could change the situation. He must nip everything in the bud before this storm arrives.
Just then, Lynn's phone vibrated, a message from Kate. She had obviously learned of the failed raid, and the message contained only one sentence: "They are already playing a bigger game; do we still have a chance to reverse it?"
Lynn looked at the screen, was silent for a moment, and then replied: "As long as we are still in action, the storm will not devour this city." He pressed the send button, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
On the other side.
Kate sat in her apartment, thick files and a laptop spread out on the table, the screen flashing with an email from an anonymous informant. The email contained several documents, showing some shocking transaction records. These records showed that behind the activities of the 'Dawn' organization, there were shadows of some multinational corporations and political forces.
She carefully read the documents, and found that a company named "Cohen Industries" not only provided financial support to "Dawn", but also secretly transported weapons and advanced technology. And some senior executives of Cohen Industries had several close contact records with several heavyweight politicians in Manhattan. The documents even mentioned some suggestive words, such as "strategic coordination" and "benefit balance."
Kate's heart beat faster. She knew that if these documents were true, then the so-called "Dawn" organization might not just be an extreme mutant group, but a tool controlled by certain political and business interest groups. They create social panic by funding violent activities, so as to achieve some ulterior motives.
She dialed the informant's number, the other party's voice low and tense: "I can only tell you this, Kate. If you continue to investigate, you will find that their real purpose is far darker than you think."
"What exactly do these people want?" Kate pressed.
The other party hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice: "They hope to promote certain mutant management bills, so that their company can profit from it. More importantly, they need these violent incidents to make the public more afraid of mutants."
Kate clenched her phone, her voice revealing a hint of anger: "So, this is not just about the violence of 'Dawn', but a game of completely manipulating public opinion?"
"You're right," the informant sighed, "But Kate, you have to be careful. These people are not simple politicians and businessmen; they will protect their interests at all costs."
After hanging up the phone, Kate fell into deep thought. She quickly sorted out all the documents, trying to piece together the whole picture of the conspiracy from a more comprehensive perspective. However, the more she looked, the more shocked she became: these political and business forces were not only using "Dawn", but may even be promoting a deeper social division. (End of this chapter)