Chapter 27: The Christmas Conspiracy - Part 1
POV: Kole Martinez
December 20th transformed the Nine-Nine precinct into festive chaos where holiday decorations competed for space with crime scene evidence and administrative deadlines. Detective Martinez—and he was Martinez now, had been for months—processed the seasonal transformation with practiced efficiency while maintaining focus on active cases that criminals didn't pause for holidays.
Christmas in five days. Time to close cases and wrap up investigations before the holiday slowdown.
The elaborately wrapped package on his desk stood out against the utilitarian backdrop of police work, expensive wrapping paper and professional presentation that immediately triggered his tactical awareness. No card, no return address, positioned with deliberate precision for maximum visibility.
Professional placement. Expensive materials. Calculated timing.
Someone wants this noticed.
The precinct buzzed with Secret Santa excitement as detectives discovered mysterious gifts throughout the morning. Jake examined his own package with characteristic enthusiasm while Amy documented the gift distribution process with systematic precision.
Squad treating this as harmless holiday tradition. Normal workplace celebration.
But my enhanced perception says otherwise.
Martinez unwrapped the package with methodical attention to detail, his photographic memory automatically cataloging forensic information while maintaining casual external demeanor. Inside, nestled in tissue paper, lay a crime scene photograph from his 74th Precinct days—specific detail from warehouse murder investigation that had provided crucial evidence for conviction.
Crime scene from three months ago. Specific angle, amateur lighting, focused on detail I remember perfectly.
Someone knows about my photographic memory.
The handwritten note was direct and threatening despite its casual phrasing:
"You remember this, don't you? Every detail. Every face. Everything."
Martinez processed the implications with tactical clarity. Unknown subject with knowledge of his abilities, access to crime scene information, willingness to make contact through psychological pressure. Threat assessment: serious but manageable with proper precautions.
Someone's been watching me. Documenting my capabilities. Time to find out who and why.
"Secret Santa strikes again!" Jake called from across the bullpen. "What'd you get, Martinez?"
"Vintage photograph," Martinez replied smoothly, sliding the image into his desk drawer while maintaining conversational tone. "Artistic choice."
Deflection successful. Squad doesn't need to know about potential threats until I have more information.
Gina wandered over with predatory interest in developing drama.
"Mystery photo for Mystery Mike," she announced theatrically. "Either very romantic or very creepy."
"Probably just someone with interesting taste in gifts."
Interesting taste in psychological warfare.
The second package arrived twenty-four hours later with identical professional presentation, discovered by Jake during morning briefing with obvious confusion about escalating Secret Santa complexity.
"Okay, who's running the most elaborate gift exchange in precinct history?" Jake demanded. "Because this is getting professionally weird."
Getting professionally weird. Jake's detective instincts recognizing anomalous patterns.
Inside the second package, Martinez found USB drive containing audio recording of his interrogation from two weeks earlier—armed robbery case where his lie detection had identified crucial deception. Illegal surveillance presented as holiday gift.
Someone recorded my interrogation. Professional quality, covert placement, focused on moment I caught lie nobody else detected.
Systematic documentation of my lie detection abilities.
The accompanying note escalated the psychological pressure:
"You hear what others miss. Impressive."
Jake insisted on listening to the recording, his competitive nature mixing with professional curiosity about potential security breach.
"This is actually high-quality audio," he observed while replaying the interrogation. "Like professional highlight reel of your best questioning moments."
Professional highlight reel of supernatural abilities.
Jake impressed by illegal surveillance of impossible capabilities.
Amy approached the situation with characteristic analytical concern, recognizing potential procedural violations and evidence contamination issues.
"Unauthorized recording of police interrogations is serious security breach," she pointed out with obvious worry. "Could compromise case integrity and civil rights protections."
Security breach. Amy identifying real problems without understanding the personal targeting.
"Should we report this to Holt?" Amy continued. "Unknown surveillance of department procedures requires administrative attention."
Administrative attention means official investigation. Official investigation means exposure of supernatural circumstances.
"Let's monitor the situation first," Martinez suggested, buying time while processing escalating threat assessment. "Might be isolated incident rather than systematic problem."
Isolated incident involving targeted surveillance of impossible abilities.
Time to determine whether this is amateur harassment or professional intelligence operation.
The third package arrived with theatrical timing during shift change, ensuring maximum squad visibility and psychological impact. Professional delivery, strategic placement, escalating pattern of surveillance documentation.
Final escalation before direct contact. Reconnaissance phase concluding.
Time to see what they really know.
Inside this package, Martinez found compilation video that confirmed his worst fears about the scope of surveillance. Professional editing showcased his combat sequences from multiple cases—footage captured from various angles, slow-motion analysis of movement patterns, technical breakdown of fighting techniques he'd adapted through supernatural means.
Combat analysis. Professional assessment of impossible adaptation abilities.
Someone's been filming my fights. Understanding how the powers work.
The video demonstrated tactical knowledge exceeding civilian capabilities—biomechanical efficiency assessment, comparison with established martial arts disciplines, analysis of weapon deployment and defensive positioning. Whoever created this compilation understood combat at expert level.
Military background. Professional training. Resources that suggest organizational backing.
Not random stalker. Coordinated intelligence operation.
Rosa reviewed the compilation footage with obvious professional interest, her combat experience recognizing sophisticated tactical analysis.
"Impressive fighting breakdown," she admitted with grudging approval. "Whoever made this understands biomechanics and tactical efficiency. Professional work."
Rosa analyzing professional documentation of my supernatural combat adaptation.
Squad impressed by quality of illegal surveillance.
Amy studied the video production values with systematic attention to technical details.
"Professional equipment, expert editing, comprehensive analysis," she noted with growing concern. "This represents significant investment of time and resources."
Significant investment targeting me specifically.
Professional threat with organizational support.
The note accompanying the combat analysis carried escalating menace:
"You learn so fast. What are you?"
Direct question about the nature of my abilities.
They know I'm not normal. Time to find out how much they actually understand.
Martinez processed the tactical situation with enhanced clarity. Unknown threat with professional capabilities, systematic surveillance of all three supernatural abilities, escalating pattern suggesting imminent direct contact. Threat level: serious and immediate.
They know about my powers. All of them.
Photographic memory, lie detection, combat adaptation—systematically documented and analyzed.
Someone's been watching for months. Professional intelligence gathering.
Question is whether they want to recruit me or eliminate me.
His enhanced perception calculated response options with mechanical precision. Unknown enemy with superior intelligence position, technological resources, detailed knowledge of supernatural capabilities. Advantage: element of surprise was gone, but their motivations remained unclear.
Time to shift from reactive to proactive. Find them before they make their next move.
Christmas is five days away. Whatever they're planning, it's coming soon.
The precinct's holiday atmosphere suddenly felt less like celebration and more like countdown to confrontation. Decorations and seasonal music couldn't disguise the tactical reality—he was being hunted by professionals who understood exactly what they were tracking.
Five days until Christmas.
Five days to identify the threat and neutralize it before it threatens the squad.
Time to remind whoever's watching that documenting dangerous capabilities and surviving the encounter with those capabilities are entirely different challenges.
They want to know what I am?
They're about to find out.
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