The next day and almost at 3 PM, John called me and told me to pay him a visit at his place and bring the flash drive with me to check on it properly and freely, because we knew that if we tried to analyze its content in the office, we would find a lot of people who would annoy us then.
While I was going out, my mother asked me about the last night and why I was all that time out of the house and never called to tell her anything, at least.
I apologized for her and told her it was because of the investigation on the case and because it's a hard one and my first case after all. I have to work properly on it or it'll cost me the beginning of my career as a detective, and I won't allow that no matter what.
My mother was pleased by my energy and said I match my dad's energy; he was a detective as well but we don't talk that much about his work since he died…it's kind of a hard sensitive topic for both of us.
But when my mother mentioned my father, I remembered the box I found before and the picture of my dad's dead body so I asked my mother about it, the strange thing is she tripped and seemed worry somehow.
"Where did you find that box son?" the worry was obvious on her then.
I answered her: "After we finished my birthday party a few days ago, I went to sort and clean the floor and suddenly I pumped into that box with all the stuff inside it…but…why there's a picture of my dad's dead body there and what's the matter with the all the addresses and phone numbers and other stuff?"
My mom answered me saying: "it's from the…detective who came to me to inform we with that horrible thing that occurred to your father and the rest of data inside the box was for some cases that your father worked on before."
I didn't want to waste more time so I said: "I'm heading to the work now mom! See you later." After that I started heading to john's place walking.
While I was heading there, I pumped into a weird guy who seemed out of the town, he was wearing black long coat with a white shirt and a sun glasses, combed hair to the right side, I apologized to him but before I continue in my way again, I found him saying: "sometimes we better let what's in the past stays in the past, or it could harm us."
Actually, I didn't give him an attention so I've decided to go in my way to not be late at john.
After 35 minutes I arrived at john's place, it was a wooden house and it was 2 floors however in all that house he was living alone after his parents died while doing their job as a firefighter, they were the bravest firefighters I've ever known and ironically enough our fathers were such a great best friend and so on we became as well.
I knocked the door and few seconds later john opened for me and said: "you're late Mr. we will be the most famous detectives in the town."
I replied in a sarcastic way saying: "very funny Mr. frightened."
"Yeah, whatever just get to the office upstairs and start the work while I prepare some coffee for us." John said.
"Absolutely! Just don't be late on me bro." I replied to him.
I got to the office upstairs as john said and I started setting the flash drive in the PC of john but I found it locked and I can't see the data stored on it.
It was an expected thing somehow but still I don't know what I could do now to find the password of this flash drive, I thought it's the same password as the safe but unfortunately the password contains 7 characters…not a simple thing to guess it or brute-force it.
(Brute-force: is a method used to guess the password by trying every possible combination of sets whether it's numbers, characters, special characters or even combination of all of them.)
While I was sitting there in front of the pc disappointed john came in with 2 cups of coffee, when I told him about the password that we need it to unlock the flash drive and be able to examine the data on it.
"Remember that guy who ran away that day?" john said.
"Sure, I remember, how I could forget?" I replied to him.
John put the coffee on the desk then said: "if he was there to get the flash drive then that means they have a way to unlock the flash drive, since he gave the flash drive to us without fighting or any trouble that means he already tracking us."
I was confused a little bit because of what john said then I asked him: "how we couldn't notice such as thing as that? How we could find him while we didn't see him because of the darkness inside the house then?"
John replied on me saying: "someone like that is a professional person who got orders to get the flash drive without any problems and when he tried to get it, he found both of us there…we won't find him that easy but."
"But what?" I said confused.
"We could find his driver!" john replied.
I was sitting there like a vase; I didn't get him properly at all so I asked him: "isn't that guy was alone?"
John chuckled a little then said: "a muscle car like he ran to it needs at least 35 to 45 seconds to start the engine up, you went after him within almost 22 seconds which gives him 23 seconds to start the engine which is not enough at all but however when you were at the house's door he was already in the car and moved with it."
"So that guy has a driver helped him to get away from us last night!" I replied.
John looked at me then said: "that's exactly what I have said smart detective!"
I said to him: "yeah of course whatever, but if we want to find him or even know who were our friends from last night, we should look for the camera's footage along the way near to Lin's house."
John smiled and said: "the same smart guy I have used to know since a long time, we will need to check on the cameras of the highway that leads to the town because mostly they would be out of the town."
When I heard that I started realizing that john was totally right at what he said and I have met one of the two people we're looking for currently, I stood immediately and seemed shocked when john noticed that and asked me if I was good or not, I grabbed a paper and a pencil of the desk.
I started sketching the guy I've pumped into today on my way to john's place but it was hard to get all his face correct because of the sun glasses he was putting on and the thick mid beard he got covering most of his face details already.
Few minutes later and I have finished the sketch…it was exactly as what I have saw but still it would be hard to find such a person like that with most of his face details are hidden due to that beard which he could shave it or if it was fake, he could take it off and toss it away in addition to the sun glasses also.
John took the paper that got the sketch on it and took his phone out then called "Scott" he was a friend of ours since the high school days and now he's working as a cybercrime's investigator nowadays, he worked on a lot of huge drugs dealing crimes on a multinational level and he was known for stopping a deal of selling nuclear weapons to terrorists from separate areas around the world.
From the first second of thinking this is the right guy who we need to get our guy or even his driver…after almost 2 hours and at 6:20 PM the door knocked and it was Scott, we greeted each other very well because we didn't meet for 4 years or even 5.
We entered the house and sat in the living room at the first floor to talk a little before we get to looking for that guy.
I've said to Scott: "Long time no see huh? Tell me what you would like to drink or eat? Just mention it man, everything is on John anyway so don't worry about anything."
Scott started laughing then said: "thanks Marlon! I Really appreciate that offer which is really good by the way but I'll have to refuse it this time."
I replied while I nodding my head: "unfortunately my friend offers like this won't come again."
John replied then: "so how are you doing these days?"
Scott: Actually, I got promoted recently to the Head of Investigation team.
Marlon: you didn't tell us last time, which company you're working for?
Scott: company?! Who said anything about any company?
John: then where you're working at?
Scott: I'm working for the government guys!
John: you got to be kidding me now, right?!
Marlon: stop being an idiot man, when you start working for the government Scott?
Scott started smiling and said: "after the nuclear missiles deal that I've discovered, it's like 2 years now."
Me and John looked for each other and we seemed shocked a little bit, Scott started laughing and said: "calm down guys! I was lucky with the cases I got so I've been promoted fast in that short period."
John replied to Scott saying: "I see no luck in that! I only see skillful Head of Investigation team in the government in front of me."
Scott said: "if I was a girl that would made me blush for sure but that stuff doesn't work with me unfortunately."
We started laughing together and few seconds later john said: "it's been a while since we visited Nick's tomb."
Scott replied quietly with his head aimed down a little: "yeah…it's been 3 years now; he would be a great racer or even the greatest among all the racers and drivers."
I said to Scott then: "I think it's better to not talk about what happened in the past, isn't that what Nick would say to us if he was with us now?"
John said: "yeah, that's right…he would've said that to us."
I suggested on them to go upstairs and start the work since we talked for a while to not waste our time.
they were positive and Scott started trying to unlock the flash drive and while he was trying, he asked us about the case we're working on currently and we told him all what happened from the beginning to the end but when he heard Lin's name, he seemed shocked somehow.
John asked him then: "do you know Lin?"
Scott replied to john's question saying: "our chief director have worked with him for a while on a case about criminals who created an application to sell the drugs on it and they captured them successfully then."
I said: "from your reaction I feel like your chief director told you some news about Lin."
Scott: of course, he did, Lin was working on a really important program for the government which its purpose is to control the missiles in the middle of the air and give the shooter the ability to change the target even after the missile got launched.
that project was named "Flying Bird" it was a really serious one but after Lin's murder the whole project was shutdown once and for all.
After what Scott said we were wondering who was the guy that wanted to get the flash drive and if he was related to any country or terrorists' group.
Scott interrupted our thoughts and said: "whoever the guy who tried to take the flash drive and you interrupted him; he is going after anyone of both of you…you better be careful mates."
John asked Scott then: "since you mentioned that someone is going after anyone of us, did you see anyone who was suspicious or trying to follow you?"
Scott went silent for few seconds to think then replied: "No, no one was trying to follow me and if someone tried, I would suspect him immediately and go after him."
John said: "I really hope this case ends well because I feel like there's something off absolutely about this."
Scott: "we better move tomorrow to someone I know; he could help us in finding the person Marlon sketched him."
John replied to Scott while he was standing up: "but why to not go now?"
Scott replied to John saying: "I just told you few seconds ago to be careful because there's someone who's trying to get rid of you and take the flash drive you got now which could be related to a really dangerous military program and you want to move in this time?"
After Scott ended his words, I said: "he got a die wish, why we're preventing him from getting it? You can move at anytime John and don't worry no one is going to interrupt you at all…just before you got out tell us where you want your tomb to be?"
Scott said: "I suggest it to be on a river side in the countryside it would be really quiet and cool."
Then I replied to Scott: "I actually see John as a really good social person, so let's burry him in a cemetery then he would adapt to the vibes really quickly there."
John replied to us: "okay enough of that already! I'll stay to the morning, it's my house anyways."
We started laughing hilariously both of me and Scott while John stood in front of us and not saying anything.
Few minutes later we went to sleep, John went upstairs and Scott as well both of them got a opposite room there and I slept in the room in the first floor.
Now let me explain the house interior design to you.
Once you enter the house you will find the living room then in front of the door with 25 meters the stairs that leads to the second floor on the right there's a room for guests and a bathroom next to it.
The left side got bedroom and in front of it exists a bathroom and after the bedroom and the bathroom comes the kitchen.
Upstairs there's a bedroom on the right side of the aisle and in the end of the right aisle you will find the office.
The aisle on the right got a bedroom and a bathroom in front of it.
At the morning and almost at 8 AM we all woke up because we have decided last night to go to Scott's friend at 10 AM.
I went to the bathroom to get ready and after that I was heading upstairs to check on them but before I go upstairs, I found that there was a piece of paper placed on the table in the living room and as I remember there was nothing on it yesterday.
I got the piece of paper and it got some text wrote on it but once I read it, I started calling Scott and John loudly, few minutes and both of them came down and they were wondering why I yelled like that then I showed them the piece of paper I've found on the table of the living room.
The writing on it was "sometimes we better let what's in the past stays in the past, or it could harm us."
These were the same words that strange guy said to me on my way to your house yesterday's John! That is the words that the guy I've sketched said!
John said: "How he managed to find the house and to break into it also and then he left a message of threat to us! That guy won't going away with that!"
Scott replied to us: "we better be careful from now on since our guy was able to break into the house while all of us were asleep, but since he didn't break anything or sabotage anything or even tried to harm anyone of us then that's mean he wants to get the flash drive without getting any attention."
John asked Scott: "then what we will do now? Are we going to visit your friend as we planned or the plans are changed now?"
I replied to him saying: "we can't risk attaching Scott's friend also, we already got Scott in a headache he doesn't need anyways."
Scott said to me: "don't worry about me Marlon, I'm an employee for the government and an important one also so if I asked for some guards, they will agree no matter what. And for my friend I'll set up a meeting with him."
After that we decided to be more careful at moving from place to another and watch around us for anyone who could possibly be following us.
At 1 PM we started moving in Scott's sport car, we were heading out of the town to meet Scott's friend at the next town.
After 1 hour and 30 minutes we arrived at "Swords Town" it was known as this due to the bunch of rocks with 1 meter tall that looks exactly as a sword.
we arrived to the town from the east side then we started moving to the north side of the town and to do that right and safely we had to do it on 5 days in a row, we were staying in cheap motels that pays per hour and don't ask for identity and no cameras at its area which made them the best choice in our case.
After the 5 days have passed safely and we made sure that no one is going after us for now, Scott called his friend and told him to meet us at a small diner called "Happy Fats" and it's will be at 5:30 PM.
Few hours at the 6th day and we went to the diner at the time that Scott specified and we sat there for a while of time then we heard the bell of the diner's door.
A 30 years old male with masculine body and tattooed arms on the left and the right from the shoulder to the back of his hand and also his neck, really short beard and a short mustache as well, mid hair with a French crop haircut.
He greeted Scott then greeted each one of us then said: "Hey mates! I'm Jax, leader of the special forces unit 101 which known as "the Death Unit" I'm glad to be here with all of you and hope you be sure that this case will be end soon."
John said: "looks like we're going to have some fun at the coming days."
Jax replied to him: "More than you could ever imagine!"