Chapter 234: All Set

Chapter 234: Chapter 234: All Set

After hearing his colleague’s words, a thought instantly popped into Joey’s head.

’It’s a coincidence. I haven’t been exposed, and I have new information to report!’

An immense sense of elation washed over Joey.

But he remembered he was at the station and used every ounce of his self-control to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up.

He wanted to ask for more details when he heard his colleagues start discussing some strange happenings at the Provincial Bureau over the past few days.

"Have you guys noticed they’ve been moving a lot of personnel around lately? Think there’s a drill or something?"

"It’s not just people. I saw them moving a ton of equipment once. Live ammo and everything!"

"No way. It’s probably a secret mission. We can’t talk about this stuff. You all better take what you saw to your graves!"

"Duh, we’re not idiots. Of course we know what we can and can’t say!"

Joey didn’t join their discussion. What he’d overheard in Evan Keller’s office and what his four colleagues had just been talking about flashed through his mind.

In that instant, all the clues connected.

’The boss must have one of her people targeted, and the Provincial Bureau is setting a trap to catch them!’

’And they might even have their current address!’

Once he figured this out, Joey couldn’t sit still.

He barely made it to the end of his shift. Joey left as fast as he could, completely oblivious to the cold, stern expressions on his four colleagues’ faces behind him.

"Everything go okay?" The man who had initially said he was envious of Joey for not having to move things walked over to Joey’s desk. After checking the area to make sure no listening devices were left behind, he asked.

The other three shook their heads. If they couldn’t even remember a few lines, they might as well go back to moving files.

The man nodded and continued, "Good. What happens next has nothing to do with us. We just need to focus on why we’re here: to study hard."

The other three nodded again, then immersed themselves back in their studies.

It was a rare opportunity, and they couldn’t waste it.

Meanwhile, Joey, who had already left, went to a bustling downtown area. After making sure no one was following him, he called the skinny man who was his contact.

He then recounted everything he had heard that day.

"You’re sure?" The skinny man’s voice held a trace of excitement.

Joey nodded with absolute certainty. "I’m positive it’s true!"

"Excellent. When the operation succeeds, I’ll ask the boss for your reward. When that time comes, the money you owe won’t be a problem anymore!" After saying this, the skinny man hung up.

He immediately turned and dialed another number.

"Blaze, apologies for the trouble, but it looks like the cops have found your location. They’re probably getting ready to bring people in to grab you." The skinny man’s tone was obsequious.

On the other end of the line, Shane Lynch was playing with a butterfly knife in his hand, leaning against the wall of an abandoned building. His tone was casual. "Bringing people to grab me? What preparations have you made?"

"We have, of course we have." The skinny man quickly explained their plan. "The cops want to surround you, so we’ll bring our own men to surround them. Then, Blaze, you can grab a few hostages. Once they’re hesitant to act, it’ll be easier for us to make our move."

What the skinny man didn’t say was that he had another layer of insurance.

He was keeping a team in reserve for support. If anything unexpected happened, this team could create a diversion outside.

’No need to mention that,’ he thought. ’It’s my last ace in the hole to protect myself.’

"Should we report this to the boss?" the skinny man asked cautiously.

Shane Lynch rejected the suggestion without hesitation. "No need. You have to report something like this? No wonder you’ve never made a name for yourself."

Ecstatic after the call, Joey scanned his surroundings as he hurried back toward the dorms.

And so, he failed to notice the two people following him.

Once he was back in the dorm provided by the police department, his trackers turned and headed toward an office on the other side.

The moment the two returned to the office, Zoe Sawyer and the others, who had been waiting for them, immediately surrounded them with concerned expressions. "How did it go?"

Monkey took off his black jacket and hat, his tone certain. "He didn’t spot us. He was probably passing on information, but for the specifics, you’ll have to ask the guy next to me."

Hayden Shaw didn’t waste any time and repeated what he had lip-read.

After listening, Evan Keller pumped his fist in excitement. "Great! The idiot didn’t figure it out!"

"So, we proceed according to plan?" Zoe Sawyer rubbed her hands together excitedly.

"Right! Zoe, it’s going to be tough on you for the next few days. Keep a close eye on the killer’s movements," Evan Keller said, looking at Zoe Sawyer, who was sitting to the side.

Zoe Sawyer nodded to show she understood.

"Alright, it’s getting late. Everyone go home and get some rest. Starting tomorrow, we won’t have the luxury of time to stand around chatting," Evan Keller said, clapping his hands to dismiss them.

On the way back, Zoe Sawyer sidled up to Heath Hale and asked in a low voice, "How many have there been this week?"

Heath Hale knew what Zoe Sawyer was asking. It was something he’d been tracking closely, so he answered her without hesitation. "Six in total."

Hearing that number, Zoe Sawyer couldn’t help but gasp.

’Six?!’

’That’s a rate of one a day!’

She only knew the serial killer had struck, but Heath Hale and the others had never told her exactly how many victims there were or over what period.

It was just that when the case first broke, Evan Keller and the others had asked her to use her "door" to review the first victim’s death scene.

It was then that she’d overheard a conversation between the killer and someone he called "the boss."

He said he was killing people according to her plan and was just waiting for Joey at the police department to pass along information.

After Zoe Sawyer repeated this to Evan Keller and Heath Hale, the two immediately realized something was wrong and conferred with the chief.

They finally confirmed that the "Joey" the killer mentioned was the same one who had already been identified as a mole and transferred to the Provincial Bureau.

The coincidence was too perfect. After a discussion, the chief, Elder Crowe, and the others decided to turn the enemy’s plan against them and use the opportunity to take out another one of the boss’s pawns.

And that was what led to all the activity these past few days.

Now that everything was ready, Zoe Sawyer’s curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn’t resist asking.

She hadn’t expected to receive such shocking news.

"At first, we just thought it was a simple revenge killing. After all, the condition of the first victim was pretty horrific. They were barely recognizable as human."