I Have A Super USB Drive

by <unknown>

  "Tap, tap, tap…"

  The heavy thuds of footsteps slowly approached and went past the bathroom entrance.

  Lane held his breath and waited silently.

  When Brooke previously entered his room, he paused for a brief moment.

  Brooke stopped because the first thing he noticed was a tiny bamboo stick that had been snapped in half lying on the ground.

  Brooke immediately sharpened his senses.

  After he closed the door, he went for the living room and turned on the lights first.

  The room was in the same condition as when he left his room. There were no signs of anything being trifled with.

  Brooke suddenly turned around and barged into the bathroom.

  After surveying the bathroom left and right, he saw that it was empty.

  After that, he went to inspect the library as well as the bedroom and once again did not detect anything suspicious.

  The sharpness in his eyes slowly faded away. After closing the lights in the living room, he returned to the bedroom.

  When Lane heard the receding footsteps, he breathed a silent sigh of relief. He slowly inched down the ceiling of the bathroom and put his ears against the door to listen for any further movements.

  Time slowly passed by. After nearly two hours, Lane tip-toed out of the bathroom and to the entrance.

  He held his breath and slowly wedged the door open until there was just enough gap for him to hop outside, then he promptly shut the door.

  After this, he took another deep breath to compose himself. After shooting one last glance at the door, he quickly went back to his room.

  Unbeknownst to Lane, as soon as he returned to his room, Brooke's door opened slowly. Brooke peeked outside from the tiny gap of the door and glared at Lane's room for what seemed like forever. After that, the door shut with a swift "click"...

  Over the next few days, Lane would connect to the listening devices planted in the room whenever he could. However, his findings were rather disappointing since neither the listening device nor the spy cameras could find anything worthwhile. Brooke only lived a regular, disciplined life like a retiree.

  Every morning, Brooke would have his breakfast in the dining hall, then head to the gym. By noontime, he would return to his suite to shower and browse online to look at whatever current affairs were trending. This usually lasted until nighttime where he would have dinner and return to his bedroom and read on the bed, then fall asleep usually around ten.

  The only times where he would break this fixed routine was when the BHB Combative Police Force had a mission.

  However, the BHB Combative Police Force usually did not issue a lot of missions. Unless it was some sort of criminal activity that had a significant impact on social order, otherwise, the police would not bother the BHB Combative Police Force. This meant that they were only dispatched on missions on average every four days.

  For some reason that Lane could not put his finger into, Brooke always executed these assigned missions flawlessly and behaved by the book. He had never made the occasional mistakes that Lane remembered he used to make nor did he use the public relations team of Blacklight Biotechnology to cover up whatever slip-ups there were. What was presented before Lane was a picture-perfect superhero, the embodiment of true justice!

  As the days of surveillance went on, Lane found himself getting agitated. After nearly a month without any significant discoveries made, he started to doubt himself and wonder if he had been mistaken about Brooke all this time. Perhaps Brooke was a true superhero after all.

  Compared to Brooke, the other two members, Blake and Hodge, were a closer representation of an ordinary person. Especially Blake who regularly expressed his interest in engaging with his fans and always brought back a different woman every night and lived the high life.

  Outside of work, Hodge behaved just as much as anyone would expect. He was a shy and gentle boy who did not do much other than spending time with his beloved wife and did not meddle in business he knew he should not.

  After more than a month of this, Lane knew that the batteries in his devices were about to be drained completely. Just as he was debating whether he should swap out the batteries, his hard work had finally paid off. He finally spied a secret call.

  It was a call Brooke received while he was doing his usual Internet browsing in the living room. His ring tone was the tune of nostalgic old jazz, then Lane caught Brooke's deep monotone voice from the listening device:

  "Hey, the police set up a big operation tonight so don't go to Grimm Street for the exchange. Change to Bartlett in the suburbs instead. I'll inform them of the change of venue using other channels...

  "The time remains unchanged, midnight two o'clock.

  "Yes, things are more tense than usual recently. If you don't want any trouble, then do as I say, got it?

  "If you don't do as I say, I can always consider finding someone new to replace you, don't challenge me..."

  After that, the call ended.

  Lane's expression was a mixture of surprise and joy as he began jumping up and down excitedly. He knew it, Brooke could not be the picture-perfect hero he made himself out to be!

  "Does this mean that Brooke has been covering for the criminal gangs?"

  Lane recorded the conversation and kept repeating it, trying to obtain more information from the short conversation.

  It was clear enough that Brooke was utilizing his network in the police force to tip the gangs of any sudden developments. This message alone should be able to sabotage his persona. This was also evidence to be used in court to ensure he may never come back from this scandal!

  Lane was growing more excited with every passing second as he thought of this. He quickly booted up his computer and searched for the keyword "New York City Bartlett".

  After half an hour of thorough investigation, he finally found the place. The so-called Bartlett turned out to be the suburban area in Queens, New York City, a neighborhood primarily inhabited by black people. Bartlett was one of the unlisted illegal bars in the area.

  After digging up all this information, Lane knew it was time to act. He made a phone call. "Ms. Austin, I'd like to apply for a patrol mission in New York City tonight."

  "Tonight? I'm afraid there's no time. You guys have a press conference at the police station tomorrow. There's a rehearsal for it tonight."

  Austin was the manager of the BHB Combative Police Force. She was the designated lawyer of Blacklight Biotechnology, primarily tasked with cleaning up their mess.

  "Sorry, please understand, I need to do this tonight."

  Lane quickly explained that he had finally found a lead so he could not let this chance go. "Could you make a formal request with the higher-ups, please?"

  "This..."

  Austin, who was seated in front of her computer in the office, stuttered and hesitated. She frowned and was about to turn down the request, but she suddenly received an email notification.

  Austin opened the email and was mildly surprised by what she saw. "Uh, Lane. I'm not sure why you want to go on a solo patrol tonight, but I just received an email from the higher-ups that the press tomorrow is canceled."

  "That's great news, Miss Austin."

  Lane was relieved to hear this. He then hung up and went to change into his prosthetics.

  Several minutes later, he stepped out of the changing room. He was now clad in his all-black armor. The young man's face was colored with determination.

  "Hey rookie, where are you going?"

  As soon as he stepped out, Blake suddenly appeared and asked suspiciously, "What is this, you finally changed your mind? You want to hit the bars now? You don't need the combat suit for that now do you?"

  "No, I'm just uh, heading out on a mission."

  Lane did not say much to the unreliable Blake and quickly went to the elevator.

  After taking the elevator to the garage, he picked a motorcycle that was designated for carrying out police missions which color mat
ched the armor he was wearing. He drove it to the gate.

  A "beep" sounded from the gate in front, followed by an electronic voice which announced, "Combat armor number 0004, vehicle number 331, designated mission: patrol mission, officer Pedro Leon, permission granted..."

  The gate opened slowly.

  Lane's hand firmly grasping the throttle gave it a quick twist and charged out of the BHB Combative Police Force station...

  ...

  It was midnight.

  Lane was fully decked out in a suit of intimidating mechanical armor as he stood on the rooftop of a building.

  This was the western suburbs of Queens and a short distance further ahead was a nameless neighborhood where the unlisted bar called Bartlett was located.

  This black neighborhood also had an unrecognized name - Martin Luther King Avenue.

  Martin Luther King was a black civil rights activist who once gave a famous speech - "I Have a Dream". After leading the American Civil Rights Movement, he was regarded as a leader by blacks all over the United States. Many black communities had since then petitioned to rename their neighborhood's main street after the great Martin Luther King.

  By the end of it, Martin Luther King Avenue had become what was the equivalent of a social phenomenon in European and Northern American metropolises.

  While it would be unfair to say that all gathering places in black communities were associated with crimes, drugs, gangs, and violence, it did occur in a significant portion for them. This place was one such example since even though it was midnight, many people could be seen coming and going around the dark corners.

  When it came to communities like these, even the police would not dare trespass unless they had intel on the locals or whatever gangs were operating inside them. During the nighttime, more than half of the district became lawless lands, fertile for the growth of crime...

  When Lane saw the activities occurring along the sidewalk, his first thought was a common joke in Northern America: a white man called his black friend and said, "Hey I think I got lost in Martin Luther King Avenue, what do I do?"

  The black friend responded without a second thought - "run".

  Lane shook his head to put these thoughts out of his mind. In the past, he would never come to a place like this simply because it was too dangerous, but now that he had become a bionic police officer, there was no longer a need for him to be afraid.

  After that, he glanced at the watch and saw that it was almost the appointed time. He headed back down to the ground floor and got onto his bike which he parked in a secluded location.

  The motor engine was started and he headed to Martin Luther King Avenue...

  Chapter 521: The Death of Brooke |

  Lane's mission was simple and that was to collect footage of these criminal activities, then swoop in and arrest them, and collect all the evidence needed.

  Once interrogated, the arrested criminals were going to spill their connection eventually, which would lead back to Brooke. This would surely destroy Brooke's reputation and throw him down from his pedestal.

  Before entering Martin Luther King Avenue, Lane took a cape and threw it around himself and also wore a mask to not stand out among the crowd. Although this did make him look like quite a suspicious individual, at least it allowed him to strut inside without any worry.

  Lane found some secluded corner for him to park his bike. Then, he took a short sprint to gain momentum and hopped up to the third floor of a building with just one jump. He continued hopping along the rooftops and slowly advanced toward Bartlett.

  The night became the perfect cover for Lane. The streetlamps in this area were out of service for a long time ago and despite the government's effort of fixing the streetlamps, the bulbs would inevitably be smashed with rocks within two days.

  Certain people did not want this neighborhood basked in light...

  After traveling along the rooftops for more than ten minutes, the clock was slowly approaching the appointed time of two o'clock at midnight. The so-called Bartlett Bar was located in a run-down building more than several decades old whose interior had been refitted into a bar. Bright lights on the inside of the building seeped through the windows and into the streets. The bar was packed with crowds and loud noises.

  Right outside the bar was a small gathering of several members of an unknown gang. They were chattering and laughing away about something.

  Was it this group?

  Lane squinted and looked at this group gathered outside and quickly noted that none of them had any items in hand. Besides, they would not conduct illegal trades in open spaces like this.

  This meant that the meeting spot Brooke mentioned was not at the entrance of Bartlett, but a certain room inside the bar instead.

  With this in mind, Lane patrolled around the area to look for clues. He soon spotted a scene through a window of several men in suits sitting in a row inside a room.

  It was this place!

  Lane took off his mask and instantly, the helmet deployed the neckline of the armor that covered his face. After that, he zoomed in using the lens of the helmet and performed a basic scan of the individuals inside.

  [Faulkner Ladin: Born in 1988, 40 years old, birthplace: Texas. Sentenced to three years in prison in 2015 for drug trafficking and two years in prison for robbery in 2009.]

  [Ruskin Hunt: Born in 1993, 37 years old, birthplace: New York. Sentenced to five years in jail in 2010 for drug trafficking.]

  [Anglio Feiz: Born in 1985, 43 years old, birthplace: Nevada. Sentenced to 3 years in 2018 for...]

  After performing the scan, Lane was not surprised to see that all of them were drug dealers.

  Upon spotting a black briefcase a man named Hunt carried, Lane was certain that these people must be the ones whom Brooke spoke to earlier this morning.

  The best time to swoop in and arrest them and take possession of the evidence would be after they had completed the exchange.

  As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a pop-up with a glaring red warning sign suddenly projected into his vision. At the same time, he heard an electronic voice chanting repeatedly, "Unknown interference, unable to receive satellite signals!"

  "Huh, what's going on..."

  Lane murmured. Although places like these were known for poor signal reception, it should not be to such an extent where it should disrupt the satellite signals from reaching his armor.

  Without networking and communication capabilities, this set of armor had lost a large portion of its analysis capabilities.

  While Lane was occupied with this sudden interference, he suddenly noticed the group of people occupying the room suddenly turning in his direction in unison with a suspicious look in their eyes.

  "They saw me?"

  Lane was slightly caught off guard since he was under the impression that he was perfectly concealed in the darkness. There should be no way for them to detect him. He seemed to have sensed that something was off and his expression quickly changed!

  "Oh no!"

  He immediately bolted upright and attempted to get away from the scene. From the corner of his eye, he caught a spark igniting from a building far away from his position.

  Immediately after that, a tremendous jolt knocked him over. It felt like he was stuffed inside a steel bucket and someone kicked the steel bucket from the outside!

  "Ah!"

  Lane cried out in pain and tumbled down from the rooftop!

  "Warning, warning, officer 0004 is under attack. The identified weapon is a Remington 4000K sniper rifle. Helmet sustained damage: 30%. Officer's heartbeat has risen to 156 beats per minute... Detected mild concussions, the officer may experience mild dizziness. Injecting an emergency dosage of adrenaline shot..."

  After collapsing onto the ground from the rooftop, Lane felt his head spinning in dizzy circles. He wanted to pull himself up from the ground but in his state of daze, he could only fumble around like a toddler on the ground, unable to get up despite the best of his effor
ts...

  It was at that moment when he suddenly felt a sharp prick in the back of his neck as if he was injected with something. He immediately felt himself becoming rejuvenated. The armor's intelligent detection system had revived him!

  Now that his mind was clear, Lane was certain that he had fallen into a trap!

  It seemed that Brooke was aware that he was being spied on and had deliberately set up this meeting location and blocked the local satellite signal so he could assassinate Lane!

  Lane's hand reached for the helmet and felt the giant hole formed in the shield of the mask with a bullet lodged into it. If it was not for its protection, Lane would have been long dead by now!

  As soon as Lane came to this realization, another thick barrel poked out from a certain window in the bar, with its aim dead set on him!

  Lane had just managed to pull himself on his feet when the armor quickly issued a warning. "Infrared signal located. Potential shoulder-mounted artillery detected. Evasive maneuver is advised!"

  Lane was startled by this as he snapped toward the direction of the bar and he was immediately greeted by the head of the barrel in the distance!

  Run!

  Lane bolted without a second thought. A mere second after he took off, a blinding flare was fired from the window of the bar. It barely missed Lane's feet and punched into the wall behind him!

  "Bang!"

  A tremendous wave of explosion sent the ground quaking. Lane was lifted off his feet like a piece of straw and sent flying more than ten meters away before crashing into the ground!

  "Clank!"

  The pulse rifle wrenched itself free from Lane's grip and flew off into a pack of dense bushes.

  "Oh my God!"

  "It's the bionic police, when did these guys get here?"

  "Should we kill him?"

  "What do you mean kill, let's get out.."

  After hearing the tremendous explosion, the people inside the bar flushed outside to see what was happening. They were aghast to see Lane lying on the ground and caused a great commotion as they quickly fled the scene in all directions...

  "Hack, hack!"