nashuaworldcup #239 - Key evidence
#239 - Key evidence
Just then, an armored vehicle sped into the scene, and special forces poured out, rapidly sealing off the area with shields and high-intensity suppression weapons. Lynn watched the situation unfold, his mind growing even more alert. He knew that behind this riot was a larger conspiracy.
Through his tactical headset, the technical team relayed new intelligence: "Detective, we've discovered through surveillance that these rioters gathered at the same location—an abandoned factory in the East District—several hours before the operation. This is likely their temporary base."
Lynn's gaze turned cold: "Notify all units to immediately surround that factory. I suspect this riot is just a smokescreen, and the real plan is likely still in progress."
Meanwhile, the central area of the riot became even more chaotic, as the mutant rioters seemed to realize that the police were gradually gaining the upper hand and began to retreat separately. Lynn noticed that their withdrawal was not hasty but orderly, which further confirmed his judgment—these people were not simple thugs but had undergone some kind of training and command.
Lynn did not give chase but quickly mobilized the remaining police force to seal off the surrounding area. He said to Carter, "Don't be fooled by their retreat; this may just be the first step. They're buying time for those behind the scenes."
Kate had also arrived at the scene at this time, standing behind the cordon at a safe distance. She was recording everything with her photographer, her face filled with complex emotions. Her gaze passed through the cordon, landing on Lynn's busy figure, and her heart was filled with conflict. She knew that no matter who was behind this riot, the ordinary people would ultimately suffer, and her reporting could either reveal the truth or inadvertently deepen the divide.
As the riot subsided, Lynn received the latest news from the technical team: "Detective, we found several encrypted terminals in the abandoned factory, and the information on one of them points to a larger plan. They are mobilizing more manpower, and the target location may be in the financial district."
Lynn held the headset, his eyes blazing: "Everyone, assemble immediately. Target: the financial district. We don't have time." He looked up at Kate, not far away, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but he quickly turned and boarded the command vehicle.
On the other side.
Kate sat in her dimly lit apartment, the screen of the laptop on her desk emitting a faint blue light. The file title on the screen clearly read: "Dawn Internal Strategic Meeting Records (Encrypted)." This was a document she had obtained through secret channels, at a considerable cost, but it could be the key to unlocking the organization's core operations.
She quickly browsed the content and discovered several unexpected details. The document recorded the discussion content of several recent high-level meetings of the Dawn organization, and the signs of division were obvious. A portion of the leadership, especially members led by the code name "Silent Rose," advocated using violent actions to exacerbate the opposition between mutants and ordinary people, forcing the government to compromise. However, another portion of the leadership believed that extreme measures would only ruin the organization's credibility and alienate more mutants from them. These members proposed that more grassroots organization mobilization and peaceful demonstrations should be used to win social sympathy and support.
The document even recorded a fierce argument that occurred during one meeting. "Silent Rose" stated bluntly: "We don't have time to wait for those politicians to slowly change policies; only by making this society feel pain will they take us seriously." Another member, code-named "Morning Light," strongly opposed: "Violence will only turn us into monsters in the eyes of the enemy. Our goal is peaceful coexistence, not a city-wide inferno!"
Kate's finger stopped on the touchpad, and her heart beat faster. This was the first time she had seen the real operating mode of the Dawn organization. It was not only an extreme mutant organization but also a complex network full of divisions and contradictions. She realized that this division might be the key to breaking through—if the internal moderates could gain the upper hand, the current crisis might be alleviated.
She continued reading and discovered more shocking information. One section mentioned a draft plan, code-named "Operation Break of Dawn." This draft described a series of radical actions promoted by "Silent Rose," with the ultimate goal of destroying Manhattan's financial system and triggering social unrest by paralyzing the economy. However, the document also mentioned that some core members strongly opposed this plan, believing that it would not only fail to win public support but also lead to a larger-scale crackdown by the government on the mutant community.
Kate knew that this information must be given to Lynn as soon as possible. She grabbed her phone and dialed Lynn's number, her voice low and urgent: "Lynn, I've got internal documents from the Dawn organization, and this content may change our strategy."
Lynn, on the other end of the phone, was obviously used to Kate's unexpected discoveries, and his voice remained as calm as ever: "What exactly is it?"
Kate quickly explained: "The documents show that there are serious divisions within Dawn. The confrontation between the violent and moderate factions has escalated, and 'Operation Break of Dawn' is a large-scale plan they are about to implement, but it has not been supported by all members. This may be our chance to stop them."
Lynn was silent for a moment, then said, "Send me the documents; I need the technical team to verify their authenticity. If they are real, this is indeed a breakthrough."
Kate hesitated for a moment, then said firmly: "Lynn, this document is not just intelligence; it also shows a fact—not all mutants support violent actions. We need to make this content public so that the public knows that Dawn is not a unified evil organization but a group full of contradictions."
Lynn's voice contained a hint of warning: "Kate, doing so may complicate the situation further. If the violent faction realizes that they have been betrayed internally, they are likely to speed up their actions."
"But it's worth it," Kate interrupted him. "We can't solve the problem by just chasing and suppressing. If these moderates are willing to cooperate, we can disintegrate the entire organization through them."
Lynn sighed: "Okay, send me the documents, and I'll arrange for someone to contact these moderates, but you must ensure that you no longer act alone. The risk this time is greater than you think."
Kate nodded: "Understood, I will be careful."
After hanging up the phone, Kate sent the documents to Lynn and began to write a report on the internal divisions of Dawn.
Kate sat in her apartment, the screen filled with dense information. This information was collected through various channels and involved some secret records of "Heart of Flame" in the past. She discovered that this mutant named Marcos Ramirez was not extremely violent from the beginning. His name appeared in a document from many years ago, and the title of the document made her frown instantly—"Cohen Industries Special Ability Research Project."
She carefully read the document, gradually piecing together a heartbreaking story. Marcos was once an ordinary mutant teenager, and although his flame ability made him ostracized in daily life, he always tried to integrate into ordinary society. Until one day, he was arrested for a community conflict and then taken away by "Cohen Industries" on the grounds of helping him control his ability.
The document recorded the details of the experiment, and the cold and icy language made Kate's hands involuntarily clench her fists. Under the guise of government contracts, Cohen Industries used the abilities of mutants to conduct high-risk weaponization research. Marcos became the subject of these experiments, and his flame ability was forcibly enhanced through drugs and surgery, and even used to test the effects of new weapons.
The cost of the experiment was huge. The document mentioned that Marcos tried to escape many times but was suppressed by more cruel means. His ability became more and more unstable, even threatening his own life safety, but those researchers only regarded him as an "asset."
Kate took a deep breath and continued to look through the information. She found that after the experiment, Marcos was abandoned on the grounds of "uncontrolled ability," and Cohen Industries even erased all records related to him. Losing experimental funding and identity support, he had to wander the streets and was taken in by the mutant community. It was in these years that he began to transform from a young man who tried to integrate into society into the angry "Heart of Flame" he is today.
Kate suddenly felt a burst of depression in her chest. This was not just a story of being let down by society but also a victim's declaration of revenge. Every action of Marcos seemed to be shouting, demanding justice from this indifferent world in an extreme way.
She immediately dialed Lynn's phone, her voice full of urgency: "Lynn, I've found out about Marcos's past, and this may change our view of him."
Lynn asked in a deep voice on the other end of the phone: "What is it?"
"Marcos was once a subject of Cohen Industries' experiments," Kate said quickly. "His flame ability was forcibly enhanced, and his anger comes from the pain caused by those experiments. His actions are not pure destruction but an extreme counterattack against social injustice."
Lynn was silent for a while on the other end of the phone, and his tone became even lower: "What does this mean? Is he just a victim?"
"He is a victim, but this cannot excuse his violent behavior," Kate said firmly, but then added, "But if we can make him see that continuing such actions will only deepen the prejudice against mutants, perhaps we can stop him. I suspect that his anger stems more from isolation and despair."
Lynn sighed: "Kate, do you know how difficult this is? He is already deeply involved, and we don't even know if he is willing to listen to any persuasion."
Kate clenched the document in her hand, her eyes firm: "I have to try. People need to know his story, to know that he is not a born demon but a victim of this system. If we can make the public realize this, maybe we can still save some of the situation."
Lynn pondered for a moment and finally said: "Bring these documents to the branch, and I need to verify this information. If it's true, maybe we can use this information to find a breakthrough."
Kate hung up the phone, put all the documents in her bag, and secretly decided in her heart that this time she would not only help Lynn stop "Heart of Flame's" destructive actions but also let the world know that behind the anger and violence of the mutants is the long-term oppression and exploitation of society.
A few hours later, Kate came to the FBI branch and handed the documents to Lynn. Lynn's eyes swept over the cold experimental records, his brow furrowed: "Cohen Industries, this is not the first time we have heard this name. They are not only supporters of 'Dawn' but are also obviously manipulating these extremists on a deeper level."
"So, this is not just a matter of catching 'Heart of Flame,'" Kate said in a low voice. "This is a problem of the entire system. If Cohen Industries is not exposed, Marcos's story will be repeated again and again."
Lynn nodded, a trace of coldness in his eyes: "I will increase the investigation into Cohen Industries, but we cannot relax the pursuit of 'Heart of Flame.' His plan has reached a critical stage, and any delay may plunge Manhattan into greater chaos."
The two looked at each other for a moment, both feeling the complexity and heaviness of this battle.
On the other side.
Lynn sat in his office, with an important search warrant application in front of him. However, his superior said to him in a serious and unquestionable tone: "Lynn, this application cannot be approved. The scope of this matter is too broad, and the impact is too far-reaching."
"Impact?" Lynn raised his head, his tone with a trace of suppressed anger, "Isn't the safety of Manhattan the most far-reaching thing? The evidence we have is enough to prove that Cohen Industries is manipulating 'Dawn' behind the scenes. If no action is taken, the upcoming disaster will be unavoidable!"
The superior's expression was stern, but a trace of unease flashed across his face. He said in a deep voice: "Lynn, I understand your feelings, but we cannot rashly take action against such a large enterprise. Cohen Industries' senior management has connections with multiple departments, and their legal team can make all our efforts go to waste. What's more, your speculation lacks direct evidence of a connection."
Lynn suppressed the anger in his heart, pushed the document onto the table, and said firmly: "We cannot do nothing just because we are afraid of failure. Delaying now will only give these people more time to clean up the evidence. They have already caused enough damage to this city."
The superior was silent for a moment, but finally shook his head: "Lynn, this is an order. Temporarily stop the direct investigation into Cohen Industries and focus your attention on the current crisis."
Lynn did not argue any further but just stood up and walked out of the office without saying a word. His mood was heavy, knowing that this was not just his superior's personal decision but pressure from higher up. Cohen Industries had obviously exerted some influence behind the scenes, and their power had penetrated not only the economic and political fields but even the law enforcement agencies.
He returned to his office, closed the door, and sat down alone. The desk was piled with files on "Dawn" and Cohen Industries' financial records, each page filled with the atmosphere of conspiracy. However, these materials were like scattered puzzle pieces, missing the last key piece that could directly reveal the truth.
(End of this chapter)