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(OsiriumWrites) Death Smith - III - Chapter 0 (Prologue)
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Prologue
May, 14 AR
GRRO Main Office
London, England
SAMUEL
Samuel Jones, the head of the London branch of the Global Rift Response Organization, pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling his headache intensify as he glanced at the sealed folder beside him. The meeting he was currently in had been going on for an hour already. Many of the findings presented by the investigation team had been being disputed and rejected by the officials in the room.
‘I can’t blame them for disagreeing, Samuel thought. The claim that the Bulgaria incident originated from a Rift, the assertion that there are similarities with recent incidents in Albania and Croatia, and the suggestion that more incidents will follow . . .’ If he had heard these claims from anyone else, he might have dismissed the report altogether.
“It doesn’t matter what you think. The facts don’t lie, and it’s clear that these are not just incidents but attacks. They are getting more refined, showing that this threat is becoming more familiar with us and more surgical in its methods. And it’s moving west,” Daniel Wells said, slamming his hand down on the stack of papers in front of him that he and his team had brought.
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Some of the officials shook their heads, clearly unconvinced. One of them pushed the papers he had received back toward Daniel. “This is a waste of time and paper. Why are we listening to this former baker? We’re talking about three isolated incidents. These incidents lack any common characteristics—”
“Except that Rifters died en masse in all three locations. You people don’t know what it would take to eliminate a group of well-trained Rifters like that,” Daniel said as he slid the pile back to the official, almost daring him to return the gesture. “And if you insult my former profession again, I’ll give you a firsthand demonstration of what a proper incident looks like.”
“Enough!” Samuel said, silencing the room. “We’ll take some time to digest all of this and convene again in a few hours. Until then, you can all cool off outside. . . . Now.” He closed his eyes, trying to suppress what he knew would turn into a full-blown migraine before the end of the day. Samuel stopped Daniel before he could leave the room like the others. “Not you.”
The Rifter clicked his tongue as he closed the door and took a seat next to Samuel. “I’m not apologizing.”
“Stop being a child,” Samuel said. He knew that there was no hope of changing or tempering Daniel. There had already been a dozen HR grievances filed against him for his brutally honest comments and the fact that he threw knives around in his office. The official complaints from Bulgaria’s foreign affairs ministry were even worse. ‘That’ll teach me to put a bloodhound in charge of an official investigation.’
Despite all the trouble Daniel had caused, his results for the GRRO couldn’t be denied. Three cases had already been closed thanks to his efforts, and he had achieved remarkable results in the Bulgaria incident, despite the red tape. “I’m removing you from the case.”
“Now who’s acting like a child?”
“I’m serious. The GRRO is giving the case to someone else, and I’m giving you a new assignment. Closer to home this time. You’ll be working with Interpol to locate and detain a Rifter.” Anticipating Daniel’s reaction, Samuel held up his hand to silence him and slid a thick folder toward him, keeping his finger on it to hold it in place. Samuel hesitated before releasing it, knowing that he had set something in motion that was beyond his control.
Samuel watched as Daniel opened it. “They’re calling the Rifter in question the ‘Demon of Dublin.’” He knew the man would scan the summary on the first page. It mentioned the possibility of multiple casualties, although they had only recovered one body so far. There were reports of two heavily injured or murdered individuals being taken from the scene. The crime scene was a mess, with blood and tissue samples that made little sense.
Worse still were the reports of a terrifying, unnatural roar heard by witnesses, and the descriptions of a “demon” clad in armor who had dragged the two missing individuals away from the scene. Despite the damage to the footage, investigators were able to identify one of the injured as a known assassin with ties to several high-profile individuals. “We’ve identified the other wounded man as Lance Turner.”
Daniel was silent for a few moments before he closed the folder and suddenly stood up. His face remained impassive as he left the room without saying a word. Samuel realized that he had misjudged the situation. ‘I mistook a sleeping wolf for a bloodhound.’
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Copyright: OsiriumWrites