CHAPTER 474: CHAPTER 284: ACCEPTING THE MISSION, THE MAJOR DISAPPEARANCE CASE OF OVER 50 PEOPLE_2

The more he muttered, the quieter his voice became.

Ross looked at the long list of weapon names that still remained and couldn’t help but look up at Dean. "Buddy, are you sure you’ve only run into a minor problem?"

Dean swirled the glass in his hand and said calmly, "If you can get these items to me discreetly before September, then it’s a minor problem. Otherwise, I’m not sure."

Ross exhaled and looked at Dean with some concern. "Wait for my call."

Until the two parted ways again, Ross didn’t ask Dean what kind of trouble he had actually encountered.

Though his emotional and intellectual quotients were average, he knew Dean’s willingness to hand over the weapon list meant he was trusted. As a friend, one shouldn’t be too curious.

「At 9:20 p.m.」

Dean finally received a callback from Amon.

"Dean, you encountered the Lucifer Organization?"

On the other end of the line, Amon’s voice was hoarse and weak, indicating he wasn’t in good shape.

Dean wasn’t surprised that Amon had guessed his intentions. Amon was the dual-department head of the FBI and the NSA, so getting hold of their uploaded case feedback reports wasn’t difficult.

"Yes, a very bad case," Dean said. "While Cheston En and I were investigating a highway serial body dumping case, we accidentally stumbled upon one of Lucifer’s hunting grounds. Those dangerous individuals seemed to be planning something. What’s stranger is that when I looked up similar hunting-type cases near Las Vegas, I received a designated task from FBI Headquarters in Washington."

Dean didn’t mention receiving the invitation. The members of the Lucifer Game Organization had a variety of identities, and he couldn’t fully trust Amon.

Amon listened to Dean’s account without speaking. A series of keyboard clicks followed before he finally spoke again, "There does seem to be something wrong with that task. I checked the duty roster for agents at that branch. According to procedure, this task shouldn’t have been assigned to you. It doesn’t follow protocol."

Upon hearing this, Dean’s heart skipped a beat. So there really was a problem!

He pressed on, "Amon, can you find out who sent the email?"

Amon paused for a moment before responding, "I will inquire about the situation as soon as I can. Also, Dean, it’s been a long time since I’ve had any news from Instructor Anthony. How is he doing now?"

Dean...

Adult relationships, to varying degrees, require mutual interests to maintain stability. Old Man Anthony was the most significant link maintaining the relationship between him and Amon, two individuals of unequal status. Amon asking like this... could he have received some news?

After thinking it over, Dean tentatively said, "Instructor Anthony told me last time that he needed to deal with some family matter and would temporarily cut off contact with the outside world. So, I’m also unaware of his current situation."

"I see..." Amon spoke thoughtfully. "Alright then, Dean, if you get any news from Instructor Anthony, please tell me immediately. While investigating the Holy Heavenly Kingdom organization, I obtained some intelligence about the Lucifer Organization that might be helpful to him."

Dean inwardly cursed Amon’s cunning but kept his composure. "No problem!"

Amon’s response left him unsure of the other party’s true intentions. Anthony’s disappearance was classified information, known only to a few within the Morgan Family and the Kaz School. Amon was unlikely to know the details. For the time being, Dean also needed Amon’s assistance. He decided he would have to play for time and see how things unfolded.

「Half an hour later.」

Amon called again, bringing Dean an even more baffling reply. "Dean, I asked a friend in the headquarters’ dispatch department. He said it was a special request from Agent Massa, who was also a former student of Instructor Anthony. He has spoken highly of you before; you should know him."

"Massa!"

When Dean heard Amon say this, the image of a bald Black man immediately came to mind. He was an instructor at the FBI training base on the outskirts of Los Angeles and an expert in Trace Tracking. He had even partnered with Dean before in the mountains to kill a pair of extremely vicious skinning brothers, earning a significant bounty. Dean’s Tracking Skills were learned from Massa.

However, since that collaboration, the two had barely been in contact. When he and Cheston En were at the training base recently, he hadn’t seen Massa either. His calls went unanswered, and Massa never returned them. Dean had assumed Massa was out on another mission.

What exactly was going on?

Suppressing the confusion in his mind, Dean asked in surprise, "Are you talking about Massa? Yes, we’ve worked together before. Where is he now?"

"He resigned from his position as an instructor at the base and was reinstated to active duty at headquarters. I’m not clear on his specific position, as I can’t get in touch with him either. This kind of situation is rare and usually happens with undercover units." Amon paused for a moment, then made a suggestion, "So, I recommend you go check out that mountain range personally."

"Alright... I won’t disturb your rest anymore. Good luck with your mission."

"Thank you."

Listening to the BEEP-BEEP-BEEP of the disconnected line, Dean raised his head, his deep gaze fixed on the jet-black sky, now tainted by the city’s light pollution. He was lost in thought.

For some reason, he felt as if he were caught in an invisible, intangible net. It seemed to be drawing tighter around him from all sides, intentionally or otherwise, trying to pull him deeper into its weave.

Massa...

Amon...

The connections these people had with him all traced back to the already missing Anthony.

The previous doubt couldn’t help but resurface in his mind: Had Instructor Anthony really gone missing?

「The next day.」

A domineering Hummer sped across the empty highway, braving the sweeping sand and wind.

Cheston En adjusted his sunglasses, glancing with puzzlement at Dean, who was resting with his eyes closed in the passenger seat.

Dean, his eyes still closed, seemed to sense Cheston En’s gaze and said lazily, "Are you wondering why we’re not taking a plane?"

Cheston En nodded awkwardly. "Yes, we’re nearly a thousand kilometers from our destination. Taking a plane would be more convenient and efficient."

Dean opened his eyes and said seriously, "Cheston En, what case are we heading to investigate?"

Cheston En was bewildered by Dean’s seriousness. He replied uncertainly, "A disappearance... a disappearance case."

Dean shook his head. "More accurately, a large number of disappearance cases that the local officials have deliberately concealed!"

After replying to headquarters with an email accepting the assignment, they had sent back more detailed case information. According to FBI intelligence, in recent years, over fifty tourists and residents had indeed vanished in the mountainous area where the disappearances occurred. However, for unknown reasons, the local officials had never reported it.

This brought to mind a peculiarity of this country. In the United States, it’s not just that each state is very independent; even cities and towns resemble autonomous regions. In principle, they adhere to the laws of the United States Federation. However, the public officials managing them are all locally hired and possess considerable authority.

To put it bluntly, if the local officials were problematic, an outside agent going in naively would most likely end up dead in a foreign land.

After listening to Dean, Cheston En was first puzzled, then shocked. "Agent Dean, are you saying that we might come into conflict with the local police?"

"Not necessarily, but those people are probably not clean. If we want to crack the case, posing as tourists would be more suitable for us."

Having said that, Dean closed his eyes again.

Cheston En was sharp and had a score to settle with the Lucifer Organization. He just seemed mediocre because he was young and inexperienced. With some grooming, he might prove more useful than mere cannon fodder.

Considering his recent experiences, Dean felt he should accelerate building his own power base, instead of just lying low and passively waiting for fate to dictate his life.

「Two days later.」

The travel-worn, dust-covered Hummer finally arrived at a small town in Oregon State, situated beyond the mountains.