Chapter 321: The Hunt Begins!
General Lane's Isolation
"Alright, Sam, let's start."
Dick Bell picked up the interrogation file, then tossed it aside.
"If you have anything you want to say, tell me, and I'll relay it."
Sam Lane gritted his teeth, shouting every word. "I've told you already! I only met him once! I have no connection to him, and I certainly wouldn't help him hurt people! You know I couldn't do that."
Dick Bell nodded.
"Of course I know the kind of man you are. The problem is: the White House doesn't believe you, the Senate doesn't believe you, and your own subordinates don't believe you."
He took a deep breath, his face etched with helplessness.
"The A.R.G.U.S. convoy carrying the meteorite was attacked by the Parasite. Thirty-eight agents were killed. Only you and three guards survived. The explanation you gave is: on a cold Christmas Eve, you met the Parasite, a mere delivery man at the time, and gave him free winter clothes, and then this monster, with thousands of lives on his hands, decided to let you live."
Dick Bell shook his head in frustration.
"Do you think the White House and the Senate will believe that explanation? Forget them—would you believe it?"
Sam Lane: "..."
"I'm not lying! Everything I said is true! That damn bastard! Who knows why he let me go!"
"Stop repeating yourself, Sam. It's no use."
Dick Bell sighed. "I have another thing to tell you. Yesterday night, there was another horrific crime. The town of Glen Carr in southern Metropolis was massacred. Over thirteen hundred villagers were all killed, with no survivors."
Sam Lane's eyes widened.
"It was him?"
Dick Bell nodded.
"Multiple pieces of evidence suggest the killer is the same monster who caused the Bloody Christmas and slaughtered the convoy: the Parasite. Both incidents occurred during the Christmas season. The resulting panic is unimaginable."
"The Department of Defense and the White House are under immense pressure. Some senators are even using you to attack the President. In short, prepare yourself. If another massacre occurs, the next time we meet, it might be at a military tribunal."
With that, Dick Bell left the interrogation room, giving Sam Lane no further chance to defend himself.
"Damn it!"
Sam Lane kicked over the table, enraged and frustrated. In that moment, he truly regretted not charging the monster and fighting him to the death. Even dying would be better than being treated as a suspect.
The FBI's Operation
Due to the extreme brutality of the case, the White House quickly established a special task force.
The choice of the team leader was contentious. Some nominated A.R.G.U.S. Deputy Director Calmer, others suggested the currently unemployed Amanda Waller, and still others recommended the FBI take full control.
Ultimately, President Joel Nash chose Scott Ruby, who had just taken over the position of FBI Director.
After the announcement, A.R.G.U.S.'s reputation plummeted. Many questioned its existence, as the Bloody Christmas and Glen Carr cases, which fell under A.R.G.U.S.'s jurisdiction as supernatural cases, had been snatched away by another department.
For a department that had only recently been established, this was a crippling blow.
Upon taking over the case, Scott Ruby immediately rushed to Metropolis to meet with Lex Luthor. After reaching an agreement, he quickly arranged his personnel, mobilizing all available resources to capture Joshua Allen.
The appearance of the tracker caused Lex Luthor to abandon his plan to search for Comi. After careful deployment, the team decided to launch the operation in the evening.
...
Contact in the Ruins
6:00 PM, outside a deserted building in the eastern district of Metropolis.
A young girl walked past the entrance, holding a phone in one hand and a hot cocoa in the other, talking and laughing, seemingly chatting with her boyfriend.
Joshua, huddled in the construction debris, watched her silently. He only looked away after her figure disappeared around the corner. He picked up a piece of bread he had scavenged from the trash, tore off a piece, put it in his mouth, chewed twice, and spat it out onto the ground.
Clutching the half-eaten breadstick, a trace of sadness filled Joshua's eyes.
Although he constantly told himself: I am human, not a monster.
The strange manifestations of his body confirmed that he had transcended human boundaries and become a special life form. Human food couldn't fill the emptiness inside. He needed pure life force, just like that girl moments ago.
Joshua could clearly see the life force flowing through the girl, and its vibrant, upward surge deeply attracted him, like a fresh, delicious strawberry cake.
He craved sustenance, he craved the girl's body, wanting nothing more than to hold her and consume her bit by bit.
Slap!
Joshua struck himself hard across the face. The bloody glow in his eyes vanished, and he returned to normal.
In a motel not far from the building, the girl who had been laughing and talking moments before removed her down jacket, revealing a bulletproof vest with the letters "FBI" printed on it.
"Confirmation complete. It's Joshua Allen, right in the debris pile."
Scott Ruby took a deep breath, pulled up the surveillance video, and said with extreme seriousness,
"This operation is highly dangerous. Remember, we are not facing an ordinary murderer, but a demon that is bulletproof and possesses terrifying destructive power."
"Debbie, you are key to this mission. Remember two things: first, do not have any physical contact with him; second, find any way possible to sprinkle the agent on him. The agent will significantly inhibit the alien bug's life activity, essentially causing it to crash. Once successful, withdraw immediately. The rest will be handled by the snipers. Understand?"
Debbie, an elite FBI agent who had carried out multiple special assignments, nodded emphatically.
"I will succeed."
Scott Ruby said soberly, "Repeat the mission."
Debbie stood up straight, stating clearly, "Pose as a passerby, find an opportunity to approach the enemy, and use a gap in conversation to sprinkle the agent on him. Once successful, withdraw immediately."
"Very good!"
"Action!"
Debbie removed her uniform and changed into a slightly tattered coat. She also had a makeup artist "dirty" her up and even applied a foul-smelling perfume to confuse the target.
A few minutes later, the sharp-looking FBI agent disappeared, replaced by a shabby-looking, poorly dressed female vagrant who faintly smelled of garbage.
Debbie carefully placed the vial of agent into her pocket and walked, limping slightly, toward the deserted building, carrying a few sandwiches.
She pretended not to notice the person in the debris pile. After entering the main hall, she began to eat, quickly devouring two sandwiches in a few seconds.
Joshua watched her the entire time—watching her eat heartily, watching her shrink her body to drink water. A feeling of shared misery welled up inside him.
Seeing the girl prepare to sleep, he had no choice but to cough.
"Who!"
"Who's there?"
The girl was startled. She quickly pulled out a dagger, staring intently at the dimly lit floor.
"Come out! I hear you! Come out now!"
Joshua thought for a few seconds, then slowly rose from the debris pile. He spoke with a face full of apology.
"I apologize. I didn't mean to disturb you. This place is leaky and not suitable for sleeping. You... you should find another spot."
🗒️NOTE:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!