Chapter 9 – From Agatha’s Point of View

  Hello readers — I’m your ever-friendly Narrator.

  As the title suggests, this chapter follows Inspector Agatha, and how everything so far looks from her side of the story.

  So then, without further ado — let’s begin.

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  Paperwork, Prejudice, and a Desperate Wish

  Sitting at her desk, drowning beneath endless paperwork, was a young woman who wanted far more out of life.

  “Great,” Agatha Vilain muttered internally. “I didn’t graduate top of my class at the police academy just to file forms. Fuckshit.”

  The frustration sat heavy on her chest.

  Even in this age, hypocrisy and racism still slithered through the system like old parasites. Being young, brilliant, and ambitious only made her more of a target.

  But I’ll prove myself, she told herself.

  I don’t care if God or even the Devil grants it — I just need a chance.

  Despite being an inspector at a surprisingly young age, Agatha was constantly underestimated. None of the senior staff helped her correct the situation. Most didn’t even try.

  So when her phone buzzed with a message from one of her informants, she straightened instantly.

  “Incident at Jason Madhawk’s academy today.”

  That was all the caller said before hanging up.

  And if an informant was that vague, it meant something big was coming. Something dangerous.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Agatha immediately rallied the three people she trusted with her life:

  Honey Kashyap, loyal and disciplined;

  Jasmine Mackerel, sharp-tongued but reliable;

  and Tenma Hopercot, weird name, weird guy, but one of the best.

  They moved out fast. If they could get ahead of this mess, maybe—just maybe—the higher-ups would finally take her seriously.

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  The Stakeout

  Agatha was smart enough not to use the police-issued vehicle. Instead, she arrived in civilian clothes and a civilian car. If something big was going down, she wasn’t about to announce her presence to every criminal in London.

  Hours passed.

  Nothing.

  Her team grew restless.

  Agatha didn’t budge.

  And just when her colleagues began losing patience—

  The incident happened.

  A kidnapping.

  A clean, efficient snatch-and-run.

  Too efficient.

  Even stranger — the kidnappers somehow knew police were nearby, despite Agatha being certain she herself hadn’t yet known she’d be here.

  Something was off.

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  The Kidnapping That Shouldn’t Have Happened

  Jasmine and Tenma chased the suspects.

  Agatha ran to the group of students left behind.

  “Who was taken?” she demanded.

  The answer hit her like a brick.

  Vallerie Tanaka. Fourteen years old. Normal family. Normal life. No reason anyone should be targeting her.

  Weird. Too weird.

  By the time Jasmine and Tenma returned — empty-handed — Agatha already sensed the day was spiraling into something much bigger than a simple kidnapping.

  The only new information they brought back?

  The culprits belonged to SAJA — the most ruthless Korean gang in the UK. A group no police department dared to touch.

  That only made the kidnapping stranger.

  Why would SAJA go after a working-class girl?

  No ransom call.

  No motive.

  Nothing.

  Agatha felt a chill crawl down her spine.

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  At the Tanaka Residence

  They visited the family next.

  Surprisingly calm atmosphere. Too calm.

  Mr. Darwin Tanaka opened the door.

  When Agatha informed him about the kidnapping, he blinked once and said:

  “That must be a misunderstanding. My daughter came home some time ago.”

  Impossible.

  Agatha asked him to call her.

  He shouted upstairs, “Val, come down, someone’s here to see you!”

  No response at first. Agatha’s instincts flared — he was lying.

  She prepared to push past him when—

  “Who is it, Dad?”

  A voice. Upstairs.

  A few seconds later, Vallerie Tanaka came down, wrapped in a towel, dripping water onto the floor.

  Completely fine.

  Completely untouched.

  She and her father exchanged quick words in Chinese. Agatha couldn’t follow the conversation, but the girl seemed unharmed.

  The entire situation twisted her gut.

  Apologizing, confused and disturbed, Agatha left.

  Something was terribly wrong.

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  Seven Corpses and One Missing Ghost

  Later that night, seven bodies were found in an abandoned factory. Three of them matched the individuals Agatha saw at the academy.

  Executed cleanly.

  Assassinated, really.

  And evidence pointed to an eighth man — except he wasn’t found.

  The higher-ups dismissed it as internal gang conflict.

  Agatha didn’t believe that for a second.

  Everything about the day was wrong.

  Disconnected pieces that didn’t fit.

  The Tanaka family at the center of it all — looking far too normal.

  Her instincts screamed deception.

  She tailed them.

  It didn’t take long for Darwin Tanaka to notice.

  He ignored her at first.

  Then he got irritated.

  Finally, he threatened to report her to her superiors.

  She was force

  d to back off.

  But the suspicion never left her mind.

  Because nothing about that family was normal.

  And Agatha Vilain wasn’t done digging.

  Not even close.

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