Chapter 299: Great, We’re Not Going in Blind This Time

Chapter 299: Chapter 299: Great, We’re Not Going in Blind This Time

A hoarse male voice spoke up. The young man who had been standing by the trash can instinctively turned around. When he saw it was a scavenger, he muttered an apology and took several steps aside.

Zoe Sawyer stared at the scavenger before her. He was carrying a large bag, filled to the brim with plastic bottles.

His clothes were old, and the hems and sleeves were stained, looking as if he’d gotten them dirty rummaging through trash cans.

The scavenger nonchalantly glanced around. Once he was sure no one was watching, he reached into the trash can and peeled off a sticky note stuck to the inner wall. He then picked up a bottle as a cover before pulling his hand out.

With the item in hand, the scavenger feigned rummaging through the trash for another moment before grabbing his bag and hurrying away.

’No, I have to follow him and see what’s going on.’ Zoe Sawyer controlled the door, following the scavenger for some distance.

Soon, they stopped in a secluded alley.

The man tossed everything in his hands aside, then pulled a phone and an earpiece from under a nearby parked car. He dialed a number. "I’ve got it. It’s a sticky note with just a phone number on it."

While on the phone, the scavenger kept looking around nervously as he quickly changed out of his clothes.

Due to the rewind, Zoe Sawyer could also hear the voice on the other end of the call perfectly clearly.

"A phone number? That’s correct. You don’t need to worry about that part. For now, just stick what I prepared for you in the original location. Then, go back and check on it in half an hour." The person on the other end hung up as soon as they finished speaking.

The man had just changed into a janitor’s uniform. After hanging up, he felt his pocket and, just as expected, found a small USB drive.

Time was tight. Confirming he had the drive, he grabbed his tools and returned to where he had been.

This time, under the guise of cleaning the trash can, he stuck the USB drive in the same spot where the note had been.

Less than five minutes after the janitor left, Sean Vance approached from a short distance away.

He was in casual clothes with his hands in his pockets, looking for all the world like he was just out for a leisurely stroll.

But Zoe Sawyer keenly observed that the exposed part of his arm was trembling.

It was impossible to tell if it was from nervousness or excitement.

He quickly walked up to the trash can, angling his body to block the view of passersby. Then, with swift hands, he reached in, peeled off the USB drive, and shoved it into his pocket.

Then, like a thief with a guilty conscience, he hurried away without even glancing at what he’d just pocketed.

Later, the man who planted the USB drive returned, this time dressed as a food delivery driver.

Only after confirming that the drive had been picked up did he quickly depart.

After witnessing the entire process, Zoe Sawyer closed the door with a grim expression.

When she turned around, she saw Evan Keller and Heath Hale standing behind her, their faces full of anticipation.

"So? Any leads?" Evan Keller asked.

Zoe Sawyer nodded and recounted what she had seen. After she finished, she thought for a moment and added, "The suspect changed his clothes twice. And even though he deliberately smeared his face to obscure it, I got a clear look at his features and memorized them.

"We should have Beau draw a sketch. It might be helpful for tomorrow’s operation."

Meanwhile, Beau had just finished reviewing all the surveillance footage and hadn’t found anything else out of the ordinary.

So when he heard Zoe Sawyer, he eagerly raised his hand. "Beau can do it!"

Neither Evan Keller nor Heath Hale objected.

The image of the suspect in the surveillance footage was blurry. On top of that, he had deliberately kept his head down and was wearing things like a mask and helmet, making it extremely difficult to get a clear view of his face.

If they had a sketch from Beau, their operation would have a precise target, which was a huge advantage.

Soon, Zoe Sawyer and Beau were sitting together. As one described the face, the other’s pencil flew across the paper with a flurry of strokes.

After an hour of adjustments, three portraits lay before the group.

Although the suspect had altered his appearance slightly in each disguise, it was clear at a glance that all three portraits were of the same person.

"This is great! Now we’re not flying blind anymore!" Evan Keller slapped his thigh, his voice filled with excitement.

Zoe Sawyer stood up, but just as she was about to speak, she noticed the nearby door was emitting a faint white light.

Forgetting everything else, Zoe Sawyer strode over to the door.

Several lines of text had appeared on the door’s surface.

"During tomorrow’s arrest, Cap Wright will be pushed from a high-rise by the suspect and die at the scene."

"In the course of the pursuit, Joey will be strangled with a rope by an enemy lying in ambush. The prolonged lack of oxygen will cause irreversible brain damage."

"Multiple members of the pursuit team will be injured by falling flower pots and rear-ended by a remote-controlled car."

After reading the warnings, Zoe Sawyer gasped.

She grabbed a nearby pen and paper and copied down every warning. Once she was certain she hadn’t missed anything, she shoved the paper into Evan Keller’s hands. "These are warnings from the door. If you’re going along tomorrow, you all must be extremely careful!"

Evan Keller’s face grew serious as he read the names on the paper. He nodded. "Don’t worry. We understand the stakes. We won’t be reckless with our lives."

That so many accidents were predicted to happen showed just how important tomorrow’s operation was.

He snatched up the newly discovered clues and the sketches Beau had just finished, then hurried out.

Elsewhere, when Captain Taylor saw the sketches and the crumpled piece of paper in Evan Keller’s hand, he nodded at him. "This is a tremendous help! As for the warnings on this paper, we will be careful! We will absolutely not allow such a tragedy to occur!

"You’ve worked hard. Go get some rest. We have a tough fight ahead of us tomorrow."

Evan Keller nodded, then asked, "Captain Taylor, what do you make of the USB drive?"

Captain Taylor fell silent for a moment before replying, "If I recall correctly, that USB drive has likely already surfaced inside the research institute.

"It was found by the research staff. However, they didn’t do anything rash. Instead, they packed up all of Sean Vance’s belongings and secured them in a special metal case.

"I’ll get in touch with the people over there and have them check what’s on it, provided they can ensure data security."

Hearing Captain Taylor’s response, Evan Keller felt his earlier suspicions confirmed.

’The higher-ups at the institute probably knew Sean Vance’s true identity all along and were already taking precautions against him.’

’That’s why they were able to respond appropriately the moment they found it.’

’This indirectly proved their earlier theory was right!’

’This whole thing was a ploy to lure the snake out of its hole!’

"As long as you have a plan, Captain Taylor, that’s what matters. I’ll head out for now. If any new intelligence comes in, I’ll deliver it right away!"