HA3 12.1 - Unfulfilled Promise


    As usual, after the lunch Shorimachi casually sat in his table. Other than carrying out the parallel investigation, he was also working on regular white collar crime. Then, Takayuki who just returned from her lunch sat in front of him.


    Shorimachi immediately turned his gaze to him, “How is it?”


    “My colleagues in Cyber Crime said they can’t say for sure if the breach to download personnel data from First and Second Division is being done by people who launch cyber-attack at Chikara Tower,” Takayuki calmly explained.


    “Do they have a clue or two about the attacker identity?”


    “No.”


    “It’s already more than a week and they are still not figure out the attacker.”


    “All they can say is, it’s being done using unregistered mil-grade network, encrypted hardware, and military cyber warfare tactic.”


    “Our military or foreign military?”


    “Our military, but one generation behind.”


    “I see.”


    Shorimachi instantly recalled the record from cyber-attack at Chikara Tower. It was also being done using unregistered network, but it was highly sophisticated networking with subtle nature. With correct operator, it would take control the target server and network and manipulating without alerting anyone. This cyber-attack was one of the main reasons why NFP believed the involvement of foreign black ops unit.


    “What about the damage assessment?”


    “Personal data of detectives from First and Second Division are not top secret. It is being store in server under human resource management, and it’s connected to server of other agency under department of justice. If the file is what they want, they can just attack the weakest server. Yet, they pick the strongest one,” Takayuki calmly explained. “Right now, people from Cyber Crime conclude it’s just a show off from a nerd with too much of spare time.”


    “So, no sensitive file or undercover file being downloaded in that breach?” Shorimachi curiously asked.


    “Senior Shorimachi,” Takayuki gently said. “Sensitive file and undercover file are being stored in closed system without connection. To make a copy of a file from this system, you have to make physical contact with the server, and pass two heavily guarded doors before that.


    The other way is by getting the security clearance and submits a request for the file.”


    “How do you know about this?”


    “Detective academy,” Takayuki casually said. “The administrative procedure to take sensitive or undercover file.”


    Shorimachi nodded his head and then nonchalantly said, “It seems I skipped the class when they talk about this procedure.”


    “It seems so.”


    Then, Shorimachi second smartphone suddenly buzzed off. He immediately gave it a check and found a message from Hide, ‘I heard some info. Maybe it’s useful for you. I write the detail in the attachment. I will also be off the city until next week. I beg your pardon if I don’t reply your message.’


    Wasting no time, Shorimachi opened the attachment, and the more he read it the more his expression became tense.


    “Senior, what’s wrong?” Takayuki warily asked.


    “We need to check something,” Shorimachi said as he got up to his feet. “Let’s go.”


    ---


    In the intersection to enter Highway 11, stood a semi-finished building that was on suspended due to a land dispute. In front of this building, Shorimachi stood while scanning the surrounding area.


    “Senior, what are we looking for?” Takayuki who stood next to Shorimachi curiously asked.


    “Do you still remember the ambush on Aizen’s courier in Highway 11?”


    “A few things suggested it was being done using Aizen Chief’s S-14,” Takayuki casually replied. “But, all traffic cameras that can provide undisputed evidence for this conclusion were offline. We need to find Aizen Chief’s S-14 before we can draw final conclusion.”


    “Yeah.” After a short pause Shorimachi continued, “The traffic camera all the way from Aizen Minimart to Highway 11 and some areas around it were offline, but we know for sure the S14 was in this dark area that night, and it never left it or the online traffic camera would record it.”


    “But people from traffic and highway patrol already conduct wide area search in these areas and found nothing,” Takayuki said.


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    Shorimachi immediately pointed his finger at the semi-finished building before him. “It seems they didn’t check this building.”


    “This building?” Takayuki looked at the semi-finished building while furrowing her brows.


    “Yeah, let’s check it.”


    Wasting no time, Shorimachi walked to the basement parking lot under the semi-finished building, and Takayuki tacitly followed him. When they started entering the dark area, they turn the flashlight in their smartphone on.


    A moment later, they saw remain of sedan in a corner. It totally got burned, but Shorimachi could still recognize its mainframe. It was S14 with shark’s eyes style headlight, the same model with Aizen’s Chief’s S14. Then, when Shorimachi checked the passenger seat, he found dozens of 5.56 cartridges, the same round that killed Aizen’s couriers.


    “It seems the info I got from my snitch is legit,” Shorimachi casually said.


    “Your snitch?”


    “Yeah.” After a short pause Shorimachi added, “I also got a hunch the ambush on Aizen’s courier is done by same crew who hit Kamui Finance.”


    “Senior, wait a second,” Takayuki said as she tilted her head to the said. “The ambush to Aizen’s courier did indeed being accompanied by cyber-attack like the hit in Kamui Finance.”


    “…”


    “However, unlike the sophisticated cyber-attack on Chikara Tower’s security office, the cyber-attack on main terminal that control traffic camera was being done using civilian and registered network. The suspect also most likely uploaded the email that contained the virus using ordinary smartphone.”


    “…”


    “So, how can you get a hunch it is being done by the same crew?” Where did I miss the dot?”


    “Like I said, it’s just a hunch. No rational line of thought behind it,” Shorimachi casually replied.


    After a moment silence Takayuki asked another question, “What about your snitch? Why do you not share about them to me?”


    “Sorry about that,” Shorimachi said in low voice. “But the last time I share the identity of my snitch, he, his wife, and his daughter met with tragic end as the result. I won’t repeat that mistake.”


    “I see,” Takayuki calmly said. “In that case, you don’t need to share it with me.”


    “Thank you for your understanding,” Shorimachi sincerely said. “Now, help me call forensic to check this car. I need to call people from First Division and share the other info I got from my snitch.”


    “Understood.”


    ---


    For the last several weeks, the remains of Villa Tigera was no different than a haunted cemetery. It was quiet and eerie. Even hiker who usually loved to enjoy the natural trail around it ceased their routine.


    But this afternoon, bustling activities took place in this eerie and quiet place. Under the watch of a forensic team, dozen police officers were busy digging a hole under the orchid garden in the villa backyard. Another three dozens of police officers were securing the perimeter around the villa, half of them already finished their turn for the digging work.


    While in the parking lot, Shorimachi and Takayuki stood next to each other and leaned their back on the Lan Evo. The info he got from Hide mentioned that Toruma Elder buried bodies of little girls under the purple orchid garden. After reading about this information, the first thing that popped up in his mind was the remains of his snitch’s daughter.


    Hide’s information about Aizen Chief’s S14 was accurate, so he hoped this information would also accurate. Then, a pair of NFP agents suddenly came over and stopped right before Shorimachi.


    “Detective Shorimachi,” one of the NFP agents said. “The info about the black van is accurate. It totally got burned, so I don’t think we will got any forensic trace from it, but are you sure that car was being used to transport the loots from Villa Tigera raid?”


    “Yeah.”


    “Do you know what kind of loots?”


    “I will write the detail in the report later.”


    “I see.” After a moment of silence the NFP agent continued. “We just finished the digging.”


    “And?”


    “We found four skeletons. Based on visual examination, they belong to little girls.”


    “Bring me to them.”


    “Follow me.”


    Wasting no time, Shorimachi and Takayuki followed the NFP agents. A moment later, they arrived before four body bags. Shorimachi immediately checked the body bag one by one. He found each skeleton had one similarity. They wore fancy clothes. Then, on the fourth skeleton he found she had a bracelet with charm to ward evil in her left wrist.


    Shorimachi instantly recognized the bracelet. He was the one who gave this little girl the bracelet. At the same time, when she saw her remains, unbearable pain suddenly gripped his chest. It was as if every single fiber of his being recognized the little girl and couldn’t accept for her death.


    “This is Little Miko. My snitch’s only daughter,” Shorimachi said while zipped back the body back.


    He then got up and walked back to the Lan Evo. With each steps he recalled the forensic report about the killing of his snitch and his wife. When he realized Toruma Mafia knocked his door, his snitch immediately held the door with everything he got, while asking his wife to hide Miko and asked her to call him from her hiding.


    His snitch only managed to hold the door for two minutes, before Toruma goons breached it and stabbed him 14 times. His wife who had just hid Miko under the bed in the guest room tried to attack Toruma goons using kitchen knife, but she got stabbed 18 times instead.


    With ease the Toruma goons then found Miko and dragged her from under the bed, while she had a call with him. Shorimachi would never forget Miko’s cried for help. He even could hear one of the goons slapped Miko to make her stop her scream and cry. Then, he heard Leader Torumada said, [You won’t be able to safe this little girl. I can guarantee you that much, Detective.]


    And that was the end of the call. When Shorimachi arrived, it was already too late. He only found his snitch and his wife cold body lied in the floor. The attempt to track Miko’s whereabouts using traffic camera also bore no fruit.


    Now, he found. Until her last moment, Miko wore the bracelet he gave her along with promise that if bad people came for his family, he would safe them no matter what. However, he had failed them, every single one of them.


    As soon as he arrived before the Lan Evo, Shorimachi immediately entered the passenger seat. Then, his wailed exploded while his hand kept hitting the dashboard as hard as he could.


    Takayuki who followed Shorimachi instantly stopped her steps. Throughout her life, she never heard such painful wailing. Then, after taking a deep breath, she decided to stood next to the Lan Evo, leaned her back on it while folded her arms on her chest. Her intention was simple. She would let Shorimachi had his mourning time undisturbed.


    A moment later, the two NFP agents arrived before Takayuki. After looking at Shorimachi who was still wailing and hitting the dashboard, one of the agents said, “Detective Takayuki, we need to talk with your partner about his snitch, right now?”


    “I’m afraid right now is not the correct time,” Takayuki calmly said.


    “Detective, we are NFP. We are the one who decide the correct time.”


    “Fuck NFP!” Takayuki said while a cold gleam flashed in her eyes. “Now scram.”


    “What did you say?”


    The NFP agent wanted to confront Takayuki’s nasty attitude, but his partner stopped him and dragged him.


    After that, Takayuki waited until Shorimachi was a bit calm before driving him home.


    *****