762 Mercenary-Police station (4)
Following that, Matthias redirected his focus towards the bookshelves that were positioned along the walls. Each of these bookshelves was filled to the brim with an extensive collection of books and folders.
He pulled out each book slightly from the shelf, pushing it back in after conducting a quick yet thorough inspection, ensuring that no room was left for any oversight.
Amid the vast array of books, his keen eye detected an intriguing pattern. The shelves were filled with many volumes that contained information about police cases, their spines adorned with dates and enigmatic case numbers.
Interspersed among these were administrative documents, their covers decorated with the official seal of the witness protection program.
Matthias extracted these documents and read through them.
He was meticulous, searching for different papers tucked within the pages of these files, scrutinizing each document for any hidden information.
He even sifted through the pages of the books next to these files, suspecting that Latham may have concealed important papers within innocuous-looking volumes.
As Matthias went through the pile, he sorted the documents into different cases.
"Smith case...no, that's not it," he said, setting the document aside and picking up the next one. "Johnson case... no, not this one either."
His fingers rifled through the papers, picking out the next one. "WOW! the Thompson case!"
He paused. "I have NO idea what this is about!"
He continued in this manner, his voice an inaudible murmur in the otherwise silent room. "The Martinez case...no. Uh… Reynolds case... no. The Russo case... still no."
Hours passed in this manner, Matthias engrossed in his search. The office was silent save for the soft rustle of papers and the occasional creak of wood as he moved.
While he carried on with his search, the room became darker. Sometimes even the moonlight failed to brighten the location.
Compelled by necessity, Matthias often gravitated towards the window, seeking the moon's scant illumination to aid his reading.
The dim, silvery light, though minimal, sufficed to his needs, allowing him to persist in his search.
Under the moon's watchful eye, Matthias sifted through the documents, his resolve undimmed by the lack of light.
Despite his growing frustration, there was something oddly calming about the scene.
It was at this moment that he found something. A nondescript document tucked away in a corner. Its title - 'Greyson Case' - gave the impression of yet another investigation file not related to what he was searching for.
Without a clear sign of its purpose, the paper revealed a lengthy list of addresses, numbering at least three hundred.
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Matthias had a sense that this could be the list he had been seeking. The addresses of the safe houses.
Yet, the chance lingered that those places might serve a different function altogether.
The ambiguity of the document left him pondering its true significance.
However, after having searched all the documents, folders and books in this damn room, he suspected this was what he was searching for. This was the only list detailing addresses.
"Let's hope I'm right."
Regardless of the reason these addresses were used, it was now clear why Latham had hidden this list within an unrelated folder.
The man and his higher ups knew that whoever was hunting the shapeshifters had tremendous hacking skills or contacts who could breach the mercenary guilds' computers.
Thus, it made sense for Latham to keep a physical copy of this crucial list.
However, a thought crossed Matthias's mind: why hadn't Latham kept the document on his person? But he quickly dismissed it.
There were many obvious reasons for that. For starters, Latham had no emotional attachment to those under police protection. Besides, carrying such a vital document could make him a target.
If not for those searching for their targets, at least for street thugs willing to sell this information at the best price.
Last, Latham had obviously considered this place safe enough to store such sensitive information.
The place was full of people, or better, of mercenary-police officers, whose average rank was the ν level.
Most citizens were nowhere near a threat to the mercenary-police force patrolling the area.
The likelihood of someone stronger than the ν level, having any reason to come here and search for this list, or any other document, was stupid in itself, as people over this level were usually rich and with a lot of power over people. Besides, they were rare.
However, Latham and his fellow officers failed to consider Erik, Matthias's master, in their calculations.
Erik had risen to rank among the world's top 1000 strongest individuals, a list that included only those whose abilities were publicly recognized.
Of course, Matthias' master wasn't officially on that list, but his clones didn't question him about being there.
Besides, his clones, including Matthias, surpassed the capabilities of any typical mercenary in strength and skill.
This meant that Matthias' very presence defied all odds. Someone as strong as he shouldn't have been there.
Matthias sat and leaned back in Latham's chair, the list of addresses in his hand catching the moonlight.
A sense of satisfaction washed over him as he gazed at the list. After hours of searching, he had found what he was looking for.
The only thing the clone wanted to do now was to get out of that damn place and go to Erik.
The moonlight seemed brighter now, casting a triumphant glow on his face.
Matthias's smile broadened as he secured the list. This discovery not only brought him satisfaction but also the anticipation of delivering it to Erik heightened his sense of achievement.
The prospect of contributing to their cause rendered the moment particularly fulfilling.
"Huh, who would've thought? Delivering a list of addresses could make me feel like a hero in a spy movie."
The moonlight highlighted his amused expression, casting an almost triumphant glow on his face. Despite the long and tiring search, his spirits were high.
He was one step closer to fulfilling his mission, and that made everything worth it.
Forged by flames is out.
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