Inside the largest operations hall at Central Police Headquarters, the walls felt as though they were closing in on everyone present. The room was filled with the highest-ranking heads in law enforcement—each one seated behind thick, polished tables. The sharp hum of overhead lights echoed in the silence as tension gripped the air like a vice.
There was no side conversation. No scribbled notes. Just stillness.
The Tactical Response Commander sat with his helmet resting on the table. The head of Cybercrime scrolled through a secured tablet. SWAT, Narcotics, Homicide, Surveillance, even the internal crisis response team—they were all there. Fully uniformed. Fully alert.
And yet, all waiting for one man.
Then the doors swung open.
