After a moment of thought, Brian spoke. "The boss wants us to stay in the background. He also mentioned that Desmond might have been assassinated because he uncovered evidence of Johnson's village massacre. Sam, look into what happened three years ago. It might reveal the real reason behind this."
"On it," Sam replied, and he immediately started working on his laptop.
For someone like Sam, a former CIA tech expert, digging up this type of information took little time. Soon enough, he found evidence and made a surprising discovery: three years ago, Swagger had actually been on a CIA mission, assigned to cover Johnson's team on their return from the village massacre.
However, the CIA officer in charge hadn't informed Swagger of the real purpose of the mission, and in the end, both he and his team were abandoned in Ethiopia. Swagger lost his teammates but managed to escape back to the USA with his life. Soon after, he retired, and the CIA field supervisor who abandoned them mysteriously disappeared without a trace—officially marked as a missing person.
Seeing this information, Brian remarked, "Typical. No wonder we retired before we hit fifty. Looks like the CIA can't be trusted in this case. Let's go with the FBI. We'll give Nick Murphy some evidence and let him dig into it."
"If Murphy actually finds something substantial, Johnson's team might get desperate and eliminate him. Killing an FBI agent on U.S. soil would force the FBI to respond aggressively. With a few more clues, the FBI could even expose the powerful people backing Johnson."
Bernie nodded in agreement. "The FBI's jurisdiction is domestic, and they only report to the Department of Justice, so they're less likely to be in cahoots with Johnson. It could work."
"Alright, we'll keep a close watch on Murphy and find a chance to hand him the information."
"Understood, boss."
Thanks to their drone surveillance, Brian's team only needed to observe Murphy from a distance.
Nick Murphy's past few days had been miserable. He felt he was on the verge of a breakdown. Being overpowered by Swagger, who took his gun and car, had left him humiliated, and the media had turned the Philadelphia FBI office into the laughingstock of the nation.
While none of his colleagues openly mentioned it, Murphy could feel the isolation and rejection from everyone around him.
In an attempt to clear his name, he'd been investigating Swagger's case on his own. The more he looked into it, the more he became convinced that Swagger was being framed. There were too many inconsistencies. The helicopter support arrived suspiciously fast, and Swagger's shooting records showed that someone with his skill wouldn't have missed by a meter.
Murphy's suspicions intensified the day after the sniper incident when the media reported that the officer who'd shot Swagger was assassinated. Fear gripped him. He couldn't shake the feeling that if he continued digging, he might end up dead like that officer.
Yet, his drive for justice and his need to clear his name kept pushing him forward. So, filled with a mix of excitement and dread, Murphy went to the various possible sniper points near the plaza, uncovering some crucial clues. At least, he found evidence suggesting that the sniper used a new type of remote-controlled rifle developed by a private company.
After organizing his findings, it was already 9 PM. Murphy, who hadn't been home in two days, decided to hide the evidence in the bathroom ceiling at the FBI office, intending to return the next day refreshed to present his findings to his supervisor, Howard.
When he finally got home, exhausted, he collapsed on his couch. But only a few minutes later, he heard a knock on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Cursing softly, Murphy stood up and walked to the door. Before he could open it, a thin envelope was slid under the door, making him tense up. Instinctively, he pulled his gun from his waistband, pointing it at the door.
After a few seconds of silence, he heard footsteps fading away. Carefully, Murphy opened the door and glanced down the hallway, but it was empty. He sighed in relief, closed the door, and put his gun away. Picking up the envelope, he hesitated for a moment before sitting on the couch and opening it.
Inside were two photographs and a printed note that read: "Check the VIN, then investigate Archbishop Desmond's assassination. You'll soon learn who's behind it and why Desmond was killed. —Swagger."
Swagger? Murphy's first thought was that Swagger had delivered this himself, hoping to use Murphy to clear his name.
Shaking with a mix of fear and excitement, Murphy inspected the photos, which showed vehicle identification numbers. Restless, he lay in bed, grappling with the decision of whether to continue his investigation. After a few hours of tossing and turning, his curiosity and sense of adventure won out.
Murphy sat up, turned on his computer, and started digging into Archbishop Desmond's background and any recent news about him. He soon found a report on Desmond's three-year investigation into the sudden disappearance of an Ethiopian village of 400 people, suspected to be linked to an American-backed mercenary group. Desmond had likely come to the U.S. hoping to discuss this sensitive topic privately with Benjamin Arthur.
Desmond had even hinted to Ethiopian media before his trip that he had some delicate matters he wished to discuss with Arthur face-to-face.
The realization horrified Murphy. Imagining an entire village of over 400 people massacred by a mercenary group with American backing made his blood run cold. He now realized how deep in trouble he was.
His only thought was to return to the safety of the Philadelphia FBI headquarters, where he might find some measure of security.
Reacting quickly, Murphy got dressed, grabbed his gun, and hurried downstairs to his car. However, no sooner had he driven out of the parking garage than a large SUV T-boned his vehicle, throwing him into a daze. Moments later, he was dragged from the car, injected with something in his neck, and tossed into the SUV, which sped off.
Meanwhile, Brian and his team, who had been watching from a distance, began tailing the SUV.
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