In the "Family Relations" section for Ethan Hondō, three members were clearly listed. Aside from his wife, Ruri Hondō, who had passed away six years ago, he also had a son and a daughter.
The son's information field was blank. But in the daughter's section, the name "Hondō Hidemi" was clearly written, along with an age just one year apart from Ritsu.
That immediately made Ritsu think of Rena. She was exactly one year older than him, matching the age of this Hondō Hidemi.
The subtle feeling he had noticed earlier came from the interrogation recording, there had been no trace of Rena's voice.
More importantly, when he first entered the abandoned warehouse, he clearly heard Ethan using a gun during the interrogation.
If it was an interrogation, the recorder should have been running. But the recording contained neither gunshots nor Rena's cries when she was grazed by bullets.
That meant the recording had been pre-recorded.
It wasn't that the truth serum had failed, it was that the amount injected into Rena wasn't enough to push her into a fully sedated, truth-telling state.
And the reason every shot only caused grazing wounds… was because he wanted her to live.
Ethan's bright blue eyes were identical to Rena's. Even her naturally curled bangs were likely inherited from her father.
To save his daughter, he had sacrificed his own life, carefully staging a performance with himself as the sole audience.
Ritsu suddenly felt a bit relieved that he had been the one to witness the entire act. If it had been someone else who noticed the inconsistencies… everything would have been for nothing.
"Killing the father she respected right in front of her, huh? …What a terrible turn of events."
There was no need to guess how much Rena hated him.
But from his perspective at the time, as an undercover agent, there was no way he could gamble on whether her identity aligned with his.
This was the life of an undercover operative. Constantly walking on thin ice, surviving cautiously in the darkness. To complete the mission, one could never take risky gambles. A single mistake would render everything meaningless.
Ritsu frowned deeply. He deleted the entire message, but etched its contents into his memory. At the same time, he made a decision, to protect her as best as he could.
He needed to inform Rei about this. And the information had to be passed to Public Security as well, to prevent further casualties.
[Macallan: Mizunashi Rena, codename Kir. Real name: Hondō Hidemi. CIA operative.]
After deleting the sent message, Ritsu entered his bedroom, his emotions heavy.
The innocent blood on his hands had increased once again.
Could he ever wash it clean?
----
Driven by guilt and a sense of conscience, Ritsu spent the next week, whenever he wasn't on a mission, visiting Rena's apartment to help clean. He worked tirelessly and even guided her in hand-to-hand combat and shooting techniques.
Only after she fully recovered and returned to work at Nichiuri TV did he finally feel "relieved." Facing someone who wanted to kill him every day while pretending to know nothing, it took a toll.
Then, in mid-July, Ritsu received the most unacceptable mission since joining the Organization.
[Gin: Tomorrow morning, head to Virginia, USA with Glenfiddich. The CIA has disrupted an important transaction. The two of you will eliminate all CIA agents on the list.]
"…."
An image surfaced in his mind, a short boy he'd seen during annual Christmas health checks. Supposedly a killer cultivated by the Organization, altered through human experiments, leaving him with the appearance and height of an elementary schooler.
But despite his youthful looks, his assassination skills ranked among the top in the Organization.
More importantly, he was even harder to control than Chianti. When sent to eliminate a target, he often killed everyone nearby as well.
Glenfiddich was an extremely dangerous codename member, one of the individuals the National Police Agency had specifically instructed Ritsu to monitor closely.
CIA agents absolutely couldn't be killed.
That meant he had to devise a plan. If necessary, even resorting to self-sacrifice tactics or deception.
Otherwise, he'd likely become the CIA's number one enemy. Even if he revealed his true identity, he might still be arrested or shot on sight.
After arranging a meeting time and place with Hiro, Ritsu hurried to Beika Children's Park, where they had met before.
Just like last time, one stood by a convenience store shelf, quietly reporting information, while the other occupied the slide. At this hour, no kids would be around anyway.
"So you're saying the Organization has a full list of the CIA agents involved?"
"Yeah. There's probably someone from the Organization inside the CIA, it's normal. Just like we infiltrate them, they infiltrate us. There might even be someone inside Public Security, so be careful."
Hiro leaned against the slide's handrail, looking up at the night sky with a serious expression. If there really was a mole inside Public Security, things would get complicated.
"If that's the case, this operation has to remain confidential. I'll need to bring a few trusted people."
"Maybe I've been in the Organization too long, I've picked up bad habits." Ritsu took out a few cans of coffee that Akai liked, along with two packs of mentaiko butter-flavored snacks that Rei enjoyed. With a bitter smile, he added, "I don't trust anyone in Public Security, except you."
"But I can't handle this alone, can I? Making me the only supporting actor in this script, I'm not sure I can pull it off."
"Then choose people you can trust. Doesn't Zero have a reliable contact? Bring him along, get approval from above."
"Alright, I'll apply for it. But there's one question."
"Go ahead."
Hiro stroked his stubbled chin. "Do we act as Public Security officers or disguise ourselves as CIA agents?"
"Obviously we disguise ourselves as CIA. The fact that the Organization only sent me and Glenfiddich means there's support on the U.S. side. That mole is probably embedded among them."
"I understand. I'll make preparations. I'll leave the transmitter by the slide, don't forget to take it. And… be careful tomorrow, Ritsu."
"Yeah."
Ritsu piled his items onto the convenience store counter, paid, and carried the bag into the park. With his height, he easily reached up and retrieved the transmitter attached to the outside of the slide.
The transmitter would help track his location. During the mission, communication with Hiro would be impossible.
So all they could rely on was their mutual understanding. Opening his car door, he glanced at the sparse stars in the night sky.
Hopefully, everything would go smoothly tomorrow.
----
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