Mid-July, 10:00 AM.
Inside the Tax Collection Office on White Pine North Street, Byrne sat at his desk, flipping through tax reports. Sunlight filtered through the Venetian blinds, casting dappled shadows across the room. The office was a scene of bustling activity.
Byrne's gaze rested on the reports, but his thoughts had drifted far away. Four days had passed since the day he officially became a regular. During this time, he hadn't received any missions; instead, he spent every day performing the routine duties of a tax collector.
Since his identity as a tax collector was also new, his work was mostly confined to the office. He was either looking at tedious tax payment schedules or organizing the tax files of businesses within the jurisdiction. While the work was somewhat boring, it was peaceful. He didn't have to worry about the threat of Chaos corruption or the harassment of eerie sorcery.
However, the more peaceful it was, the more apprehensive Byrne felt. He worried that this tranquility would be difficult to sustain. After all, the calmer the surface, the more likely a massive storm was brewing beneath.
Just then, a colleague wearing glasses at the neighboring desk tapped on Byrne's tabletop, snapping him out of his reverie.
"Byrne, what are you dazing off for? This tax summary for West Street isn't finished yet, and the people from the neighboring department are waiting for it."
"Oh, almost done. Just a few pages left."
Byrne snapped back to reality and gave a casual response, quickening his pace. In less than two minutes, Byrne handed the report to his colleague. "Alright, everything's been checked. You can turn it in now."
The colleague took the report, offered a word of thanks, and got up to leave.
Byrne leaned back in his chair and rubbed his aching eyes. The brass clock on his desk ticked rhythmically, each sound feeling like a strike against his taut nerves.
Taim's disappearance had involved the forces of the Thousand Sons. On that day, Byrne had informed Captain Marco about what he had seen in the storage room. He believed that the Bureau wouldn't ignore such a serious matter. Behind Captain Marco's seemingly lazy attitude, a larger operation might be in the making.
Thinking of this, Byrne turned his gaze toward the opposite workstation. It was Selena's spot, but it was currently empty. In the days since they became regulars, Selena often used the excuse of verifying tax payments to go out, spending most of her time away from the office.
Suddenly, the communicator in Byrne's pocket vibrated. It indicated that someone from the Bureau was contacting him. Byrne's eyes narrowed. As he stood up, he said to another colleague nearby:
"I'm heading out for a bit. There are two factories whose tax payments need verification. If anyone looks for me, tell them to wait until I get back."
"No problem, go ahead."
Byrne quickly walked out of the Tax Bureau building and found a secluded spot. Seeing that no one was around, he pulled out his communicator and saw a blinking blue light. This meant someone other than the Captain was contacting him.
Could it be a mission?
With that thought, Byrne pressed the receive button.
"Byrne, it's Renee."
Hearing Renee's voice, Byrne paused for a moment. His mind immediately went back to the day they became regulars, when she had nearly discovered the energy inside him. He composed himself, suppressed his inner turmoil, and said in a deep voice, "It's you. What do you need?"
"The Captain has assigned a mission. Get to the intersection of White Pine West Street and Silver Maple Lane immediately to assemble. Selena and I have already arrived; we're just waiting for you."
"What's the mission?"
"I'll tell you once you get here. Remember, stay covert. Do not expose your identity as an investigator."
With that, the communication cut off.
What is she up to, being so mysterious? Byrne grumbled internally, put the communicator back in his pocket, and headed toward the location Renee had mentioned.
Fifteen minutes later, Byrne reached his destination. Silver Maple Lane was south of White Pine West Street. A weathered wooden sign stood at the entrance of the alley, the three words "Silver Maple Lane" faded with time. Unlike the bustling main street, this place appeared much quieter. However, the buildings were not old, and figures could be seen moving about from time to time.
Just as he walked to the alley entrance, Byrne keenly sensed two gazes falling on him. He followed his instinct and looked toward the shadows of the third brick house in the alley. Two figures, one tall and one short, were standing there—it was Renee and Selena.
Byrne walked into the alley nonchalantly, approached the two, and asked, "Renee, what exactly is the mission? Can you tell me now?"
Renee nodded. "It's like this. We received a report that there is an issue within Silver Maple Lane."
"What kind of issue?" Byrne asked.
Renee shook her head. "It's not certain yet." Seeing the confused looks from Byrne and Selena, she explained:
"According to the reported information, there are heretics in Silver Maple Lane. The Captain has instructed that I lead the team this time, and you two will follow me to complete a heretic apprehension mission."
"I did a preliminary scan just now and faintly sensed a weak trace of Chaos energy in this alleyway. Our objective now is to root out the heretic behind that energy."
As Renee spoke, she raised her hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. A faint blue light flickered at the center of her brow; she had clearly activated her psychic detection mode.
Selena looked deep into the alley following Renee's gaze and asked in confusion, "Since there's residual Chaos energy, why not just seal off the area?"
Renee shook her head. "First, we don't want to alert the target. Second, we aren't sure of the situation inside. Although Silver Maple Lane is quiet, its entrance connects to White Pine West Street, which has significant foot traffic. A direct lockdown could easily cause panic and might allow the heretic inside to escape prematurely."
Byrne said, "Understood. Let's start looking."
Renee nodded and took the lead, walking deep into the alley. Her footsteps were as light as a fallen leaf, making almost no sound. Byrne and Selena followed closely behind, intentionally keeping some distance between each other to expand the search area.
After they had moved forward for several hundred meters, Renee suddenly stopped and raised her hand to signal for silence. She closed her eyes to sense the surroundings, then opened them. "There's no mistake. The source of that Chaos energy is in that mechanical repair shop ahead."
Byrne looked in the direction Renee pointed. The sign for the repair shop had mostly faded. Several scrapped hovercar engines were piled at the entrance, with grease dripping down the casings and forming black stains on the ground. The shop door was slightly ajar, and the faint clanging of metal on metal could be heard from inside. At a glance, it looked no different from an ordinary repair shop.
While Byrne was observing the storefront, Renee suddenly said, "Byrne, if I remember correctly, you're from the Lower District and used to run a repair shop?"
Byrne nodded. "Yes, why?"
"Good. Then the task of the frontal probe will be left to you."