Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Kendall's room was so quiet that one could hear a pin dropping. The only light source opened inside was a lamp, bright enough to shine on her solemn face.

The night deepened until the hand of the clock fell at two in the morning. Suddenly, Kendall's phone rang.

"H-hello? Who is this?" she asked in her bedroom voice, her eyes half-open.

"Inspector Whitlock," Kendall's chief, Spencer Brood, greeted on the other end of the line, immediately jolting her awake.

"Chief!" Kendall called in high spirits. "What made you call this early, Chief?"

"I need you to go to the headquarters immediately. We have an important matter to discuss. I'll be waiting for you in the meeting room," Spencer seriously said.

"On my way, Chief," she readily replied.

After that, she hurriedly changed into more decent clothes and readied herself, excited to visit the headquarters after a long time.

Once done, she left her room but stopped in front of the room next door.

'Why am I suddenly having a bad feeling about this?' Kendall inwardly asked as she stared at Grayson's room.

She was initially excited, but anxiousness soon filled her system when she thought Spencer wouldn't call for an urgent meeting at this hour if there weren't a grave problem.

At this time, she felt like the day she feared the most to come had just transpired.

...

Kendall's colleagues showered her with warm smiles and greetings as soon as she arrived at the headquarters.

"Long time no see, Inspector Whitlock!"

"Damn! Look who's here! It's Janice."

"Will you be visiting us often now, Inspector?"

"Inspector! How have you been?"

They were smiling genuinely at her, which she gladly returned.

Even though being assigned to special assignments was an honor to Kendall, being around her colleagues, either in a raid or office, would always make her feel alive. Thus, seeing friendly faces and being in a familiar setting made her feel like a police officer again.

She felt incredibly ecstatic, as if she had just been brought back to life.

As much as she wanted to talk to her colleagues, Kendall didn't forget why she came rushing to the headquarters. After a few more exchanges of greetings, she dashed upstairs, smiling.

When she arrived at the meeting room, the other police officers who had been waiting for her greeted her in delight. Aside from Noah and Spencer, a few other officers surrounded her.

Thinking it was time to work, Kendall instantly conditioned her working face, leaned back comfortably in the chair, and rested her elbows on the armchair. Still, she had no idea what the meeting was about. All she could think of was that there might be an urgent operation that required her help and support.

"You've finally arrived, Inspector Whitlock. We were waiting for you," Spencer started with a hard-to-read tone and expression. "Now, let's start," he added and looked at Noah as if he was giving him a signal.

Sure enough, the latter rose from his seat, turned on the projector, and walked to the platform. Then, he soon flashed stolen pictures of Nancy, which instantly brushed away the faint hint of a smile on Kendall's face.

'Fuck. Did I guess it right?' she inwardly asked, thinking her suspicion was correct. Now, she knew why Spencer hastily asked her to come.

'Grayson's case at two o'clock in the morning. Great!'

Kendall showed no foul or odd expression while looking at Nancy's pictures. She only waited for Noah to say something, but the latter only looked at her for a few seconds as if he was trying to read her thoughts.

Not long after, Noah cleared his throat, looked at everyone, and said, "The girl in the picture is Nancy Mormount, an eighteen-year-old native of Central Ville, Ashby. She's a second-year student taking business management at the University of Milanon. She's not with her family and was only staying at UM's dormitories."

Kendall listened closely and realized every information Noah had said was the same as what Nancy said to her. Therefore, the young girl didn't lie to her, and her suspicion was wrong.

She then breathed a sigh of relief until Noah looked at her with a serious expression.

"You might be wondering about this girl's connection to Grayson's case," he continued, eyes fixed on Kendall. "We were wrong about our initial guess. Nancy is not a member of PIRUS. She's also neither a spy nor an asset of that syndicate."

Hearing that, Kendall couldn't help but think, 'Was this the reason why the chief called me so early in the morning? To inform me that everything I initially thought was a lie?'

"However, we were right about one thing," Noah said, catching Kendall's attention abruptly. "It appears that the PIRUS syndicate is using Nancy."

Confused, Kendall sat up straight and awaited her colleague's following words.

"That woman is the syndicate's current source of information about Grayson's actions and whereabouts. She's deliberately approaching Grayson to gain information and report it to PIRUS," Noah explained.

"But, if she has nothing to do with the syndicate, why is she disclosing Grayson's information to them? What is her intention? Why is she doing that?" Kendall asked consecutively.

Noah sneered and replied, "You have been with Nancy at school, right, Inspector Whitlock?"

Kendall then nodded.

"If you are observant enough, you would've noticed it immediately. Nancy was mindlessly doing that out of her obsession toward Grayson," he stated.

Kendall didn't say anything for a while, but her mind remained clamant.

'Nancy? That woman? How could she look so innocent and composed but have that much obsession with Grayson?' she asked herself.

Noah saw Kendall's confused expression, so he continued, saying, "Nancy's obsession with Grayson Hoffman started as early as they were freshmen. They used to be classmates in two subjects, and she's been following him since then. Nancy liked him so much that she even took similar subjects as him during their sophomore year. That's why she has the same schedule as him. It wasn't a coincidence."

"But how did you know that PIRUS was using her?" Kendall asked impatiently.

"Based on what we have researched, they used to blackmail Nancy, but now, she's feeding them information voluntarily," Noah stated and waited for Kendall to react. When she didn't, he went on.

"PIRUS found out about Nancy stalking Grayson Hoffman. They threatened her, saying they would tell Grayson about her obsession with him if she won't obey their orders. Even though she seems hesitant at first, Nancy might have realized that all she had to do was stalk Grayson like she usually does. Because of that, she became excited, thinking she had another reason to continue stalking him. She obeyed their orders voluntarily even though she didn't know who they were. In short, Nancy had nothing to do with the PIRUS's kidnapping scheme, Inspector Whitlock."

"And how did you obtain all this information? Did you arrest her? Did you force her to confess? Did you scare her? What did you do to her?" Kendall asked in concern.

Nancy was the only person she was close with on the campus aside from Grayson. Even though she heard that she was the one who was feeding the syndicate information, she still couldn't help but worry about her situation.

"No, we didn't, Inspector Whitlock," Noah replied, instantly calming Kendall down. "We didn't hurt her or lay our fingers on her. We only dispatched professional detectives to tail her."

After saying that, Noah pressed something on his laptop, and the projector soon displayed two pictures.

It was Grayson and Nancy.

"These two people are our gemstones to resolve the case of PIRUS. They are our stepping stones in getting closer to the syndicate," Noah announced in nothing but seriousness.

Then, he looked at Kendall with wary eyes.

"Now, let's proceed to the main part of this meeting—the plan for our operation."

With that, Kendall's heart began to throb heavily. She felt like there were horses in her chest that could run out of her ribs at any moment as nervousness filled her entirety.

Still, she tried her best to look calm and composed.

Noah let out a deep sigh before proceeding. Now that Kendall was here, he seemed to be wary of his words.

"This case will keep getting more difficult if we won't take action now. Thus, I suggest conducting the operation as soon as possible. PIRUS hasn't done anything yet, so we must take this opportunity to lure them before they could sabotage us," he stated. Then, he looked at Kendall and said, "Now, this is where we need you the most, Inspector Whitlock. We need you to take Grayson Hoffman on an out-of-town trip and make sure to make Nancy aware of it. She'll undoubtedly inform PIRUS about that, so we will choose a location conducive to them."

Kendall looked at Noah in ridicule as if she had just heard a joke. She didn't know what she would feel about what he said, so she unhesitatingly chuckled and interrupted him.

"Are you kidding me right now, Inspector?" she asked, grinning sarcastically.

"Why? Do I look like I am joking?" he provocatively replied back.

Kendall then swept her gaze at everyone, laughed, and asked, "Don't tell me you guys want me to deceive Grayson and shove him into the mouths of those criminals?"

She waited for an answer, but all she received was nothing but her colleagues' embarrassed gazes. Baffled, Kendall looked at Noah and Spencer, who couldn't look directly into her eyes either.

"Bullshit!" she exclaimed as she slammed the table and rose from her seat. "When did we ever devise such a lousy plan like this?!"

"We have no other choice, Inspector Whitlock," Noah calmly defended.

"Choice?" Kendall asked in disbelief. "How come we don't have a choice, Inspector Green?! Aren't you the best chief strategy officer here? Can't you fucking use your brain and devise a plan that won't put an innocent person's life at stake?!"

"Language, Inspector!" Spencer glared at Kendall and scolded her, surprised by her reaction. "Calm down and think of what you're saying!"

"Calm down?" Kendall repeated, almost laughing. "How can you tell me to calm down, Chief?! I mean, how can I relax in a situation like this? How could you tell me to sacrifice Grayson and expect me to be okay with it? This operation is too dangerous for us to involve him! What if something happens to him? Can you guarantee his safety?"

Unable to control her anger, she snapped, saying, "Did you even think of this plan thoroughly?!"

"Then do your job well and protect him at all costs!" Spencer roared, his voice echoing in the entire meeting room. He rose from his seat, looked intently at Kendall, and said, "You've been in the service for so long, Inspector Whitlock. These things should no longer surprise you! We're doing our best to end this case, so get hold of yourself and do your part! Or are you behaving like this because you are doubting your ability now?"

With that, Kendall was rendered speechless.

Still, she remained firm on her ground. She took a deep breath and rebelliously looked at Spencer as she said, "Why, Chief? Will my presence guarantee that he will be safe? Will my years of training make a difference if PIRUS went all out to kill him? No, Chief! I do not doubt my skills, but I am being realistic! No matter how much we prepare for this operation, none of us know what might happen during the process! Chief, we don't have any right to risk his life!"

"Inspector, we're all risking our lives for this," Noah calmly convinced.

"Yes, we are! I don't mind taking the bullet or anything because this is my job. I pledged to give everything to our fellow citizens, but Grayson isn't one of us, Inspector Green. He's a civilian who has no obligation like us. He doesn't deserve to be in danger!" Kendall rebutted, unwilling to give in.

Noah knew where her concern was coming from, but he also had his reasons. He then explained, "Inspector, we have no other choice. Even if we don't do this, PIRUS will keep coming after Grayson. He's their target, and his life will always be at risk. Thus, we have to choose the one with the lesser risk. We're doing this for Grayson's sake as well."

"Lesser risk? When has this kind of operation had lesser risk? Also, how could you agree to this plan, Inspector Green? Have you forgotten who the person we are trying to sacrifice here is?"

Kendall knew she shouldn't have brought it up, but she couldn't help but do so. She wanted to convince them that the current plan was a terrible one.

"Grayson is your sister's boyfriend, Inspector! Have you ever considered how she might feel if anything bad happens to him?" she sensibly said.

"Of course, I did, Inspector Whitlock, but what we are talking about here has nothing to do with our personal lives. This meeting is about devising a plan to fulfill our job and responsibility to stop crimes," Noah reasoned.

"An innocent person's life is what we are talking about here, Inspector Green!" Kendall exclaimed in anger. She then locked her gaze at the man in front and said, "And don't say this is merely a job because this is something personal for me!"

Unable to take it any longer, Spencer stepped in, pointed his finger at Kendall, and snapped, "Then what do you want to happen, Inspector Whitlock?! Do you want us to do nothing and wait for the criminals to attack Grayson? Or will you be sensible enough to cooperate with us in our plan of attacking them first? Choose between the two because those are the only options we have!"

In the fit of her chief's anger, Kendall remained silent.

"What kind of attitude is this, Inspector?" Spencer said, shaking his head in disappointment. "When did you ever become this emotional at work? Isn't this the kind of assignment you are longing for? Didn't you once complain of not being able to go on raids and operations? For Pete's sake, Inspector Whitlock! The criminals we've been trying so hard to catch are right before our eyes! They are approaching the mouth of our trap, and now you are backing off?"

Kendall didn't answer. Her gaze remained sharp as thoughts flooded her mind.

Of course, she wanted excitement. She wanted action. She desired to catch the criminals, but she didn't want to lure them using Grayson.

Frustrated, Spencer looked helplessly at the preoccupied young officer and said, "Inspector, have you forgotten the sole reason why I ordered you to keep an eye on Grayson? Didn't I make myself clear that even though one of our goals is to protect him, our primary purpose is to capture PIRUS? I know I have informed and reminded you enough, so I don't understand why you are full of objections when this has always been the plan!"

Still, Kendall remained defiant. "You're wrong, Chief. This wasn't our plan," she firmly started. "My mission was to keep an eye on Grayson and protect him until we found enough lead to PIRUS. I can't remember anything about sacrificing him when the time comes!"

"For God's sake, Inspector Whitlock!" Spencer yelled, even slamming the desk in frustration. "We're not risking Grayson's life because ever since he became PIRUS' target, his life was already at risk!"

"Say whatever you want to say, but I won't agree with this plan," Kendall announced.

After that, she turned around and walked to the meeting room door.

"Where are you going, Inspector?! We are not done yet." Spencer yelled, causing her to stop.

"I'm done, Chief. I'm with the person you are trying to sacrifice, so I think my decision matters most to this team," she said before finally walking out of the door.

"Come back here, Inspector Whitlock!" Spencer yelled, but Kendall didn't even bother to stop.

She only halted when she was already in front of the headquarters. After keeping herself away from the rest, Kendall fanned herself using her hand as what happened inside the meeting room synced into her mind. Her mind was a mess, and her thoughts went fuzzier when Noah approached her.

"Let's go back to the meeting room, Inspector. Stop being emotional, okay? Let's be professional here," he cautiously pleaded.

However, Kendall only sneered at him, saying, "Is this why you reminded me not to get too attached to Grayson? Were you aware of this plan all along?"

Guilty, Noah swallowed nervously and diverted his gaze elsewhere. "Please go back inside, Inspector Whitlock. We have to finalize this meeting as soon as possible, or we will run out of time," he said.

"Give me some more time to think about that," Kendall replied and left. She took a taxi and went home.

Her mind, however, remained clouded while she was in the taxi. She knew the entire team had a point, but she just couldn't agree readily to their plan. Kendall believed in her abilities and was more than willing to die for Grayson if necessary. However, she didn't want to risk his life, even by the slightest chance.

A few minutes later, she arrived home, still overwhelmed. There was a mixture of anger, fear, and worry in her heart, which hadn't subsided since she left the headquarters.

Kendall headed to her room but stopped in front upon seeing Grayson, who was leaning next to her door, looking serious and angry.

"Where have you been?" he sharply asked with a cold stare.

"I-I just went somewhere," Kendall stammered, trying to avoid his gaze. "W-Why are you still awake?"

"The guards woke me up. You're acting weird these days, so I told them to keep a close eye on you," he replied.

Kendall felt like Grayson's words were stabbing her heart. She knew he had grown concerned about her as time progressed, and here she was—about to do something that could harm his life.

"You don't have to keep an eye on me, Grayson. Don't waste your time on me," she coldly said, which Grayson ignored.

"Where did you go?" he repeatedly asked.

"Didn't I tell you I went somewhere important?"

"Are you sneaking out to meet someone?" the man asked, smiling.

"Let's talk about this later, Grayson. Go back to sleep because I want to rest too."

Tiredness sounded in Kendall's voice as she had no energy to face the man's anger and suspicion. All she wanted to do now was jump on her bed and consider the plan.

However, Grayson didn't let her. He stopped her from entering her room and forcibly made her face him.

"Did you meet with a guy outside? Did you meet Noah at this hour?" he furiously asked.

Kendall would've immediately denied Grayson's accusation or laughed at it if her mind was clear. However, she had no time to argue with him.

"Yes, I was with him. I sneaked out to meet him, and what's wrong with that?" Kendall replied, completely riding on his doubts.

Grayson's eyes widened at what he heard. Furious, he exclaimed, "So you're behaving differently these days because of him? Is that why you're always sluggish? Is that why you're always talking as if you're leaving soon? Was it all because of him, Hailey?!"

Unwilling to be outdone, Kendall stood firm and reasoned, "Grayson, what's wrong with me having a relationship with Noah? He's still young, and I am single, so what seems to be the problem here?"

Still, Grayson persisted, saying, "No! You can't be with him!"

"Why are you always annoyed at Noah, Grayson? What did he do to you to deserve all this anger? Are you still brooding over the day I walked out? God! That's a long time ago, Grayson. Forget about it and stop venting your anger on an innocent man!" Kendall convincingly complained.

"It's not about that, Hailey!" Grayson shouted, which startled her.

"Then what is this about?! Seriously, Grayson. What the hell is your problem?!" she snapped.

"Do you honestly have no idea what I am trying to imply, or are you just pretending to be blind? Which one is it, Hailey?" Grayson asked, raising his tone.

"Just fucking enlighten me! My brain is so tired right now, and I don't want to keep guessing anymore. If you want to say something, then go ahead!" Kendall impatiently replied.

Provoked, Grayson admitted, "I'm jealous, Hailey! I'm fucking jealous of that man! I can't stand seeing another man by your side apart from me! I won't ever let that happen. Never!"

Kendall bit her lips, not knowing what to say. She looked at his eyes and found traces of anger and pain, which pricked her heart.

'What the hell did I do?' she inwardly asked in frustration.

Kendall didn't expect Grayson to confess suddenly, but what surprised her more was her massive effect on him.

'Have I fully gained his trust by my pretense? Am I hurting him this much?'

Guilty, Kendall hurriedly entered her room, not even bothering to say anything to Grayson. She arrived home feeling overwhelmed, but the latter's confession made her feel worse.

She then walked back and forth around her room, frustrated as hell.

'I need to stop this before it gets worse,' she firmly thought.

Kendall looked at her phone on the bed and fought with the internal voices in her head. She wanted to set things straight as early as now to avoid hurting Grayson more.

Decided, she took her phone, called Noah, and boldly said, "Send me all the details of the plan, Inspector Green. I'll review it thoroughly."

"What's with the sudden change of mind?" Noah asked.

"You know me, Inspector. I don't retreat on such cases easily. We need to end this chase soon, so if I have to sacrifice my life for him, I'd willingly do it," Kendall replied.

Then, she hung up the phone.

She took a deep breath, looked straight ahead, and thought, 'Hailey Madison's role is over. It's time to get back on track. Starting today, I will be Kendall Whitlock again and I'll do anything to close this case.'