As predicted by Dave, preparations to fully dive into the murders took two days to complete. During that period, Kael remained in his new place, reviewing the case files.
He needed to do something to keep himself busy, or he might turn to alcohol when he recalled his betrayal. While he wasn't an alcoholic, he was treading that path. Fortunately for him, he had everything he needed to keep himself buried in work.
He might seem calm since he was keeping busy, but he was still angry at the world. A robbery could be happening next door, and he wouldn't bat an eye. Only his curiosity kept him at bay.
With a work laptop connected to ARISA's database, Kael was able to learn more about the organisation known as ARISA. What he found was indeed as expected. The reach of this organisation went deeper than he thought possible.
Had it not been for the creators' reluctance to give the organisation too much power and still maintain its secrecy, they would have had access to every technology connected to the grid and the worldwide network.
In addition to his research, he kept an eye on the news. As usual, news channels continued to broadcast about the deaths of the future chosen heroes, inviting so-called specialists to share their thoughts on the matter and how it could impact the world.
Just in case, he kept a few notes on the specialists and the organisations they came from. Who knew? Intel could come from anywhere.
Naturally, he didn't stay indoors the entire day. Kael explored the rest of the apartment complex, meeting a few of his neighbours. Since this was an ARISA-owned apartment, he knew there were agents.
Another find of his was the gym on the ground floor of the apartment complex. Kael took note to visit the place in the future, as it had been a while since he had gone inside a gym.
Kael had already taken a bath, shaving off the excess of his stubble. He had received a call from Dave, who was en route to the apartment complex.
Dressed in a neatly pressed grey shirt with his coat set aside, Kael sipped his prepared coffee, sitting at the dining table that faced the window. It was a new day as people commuted to their destinations.
A knock on his door drew his attention. Knowing who it was, Kael permitted the person inside, while he stood up and moved to the kitchen.
"Good morning, Mr. Neren. How are you doing?"
Dave closed the door behind him as he moved towards the receiving area. He looked around and noticed how nothing much had changed around the place.
'He must be a tidy person.' Dave thought to himself, watching as Kael put his coffee mug away after washing it.
"Can't say nothing hasn't changed," Kael replied flatly, moving towards the dining table to grab his coat and phone. "Let's go."
"Right, straight to business." Dave chuckled as Kael walked past him. "A simple 'how you doing' would have sufficed, you know?"
"If you have time for small talk, then you have time for discussing the case." Kael didn't bother addressing Dave's concern. "Come on, I'm getting bored staying in here."
Dave raised his brows sceptically, following behind Kael. "Wait, you stayed indoors the entire two days? Are you a hermit or something?"
Unfortunately for him, Kael did not bother answering his inquiries, prompting a sigh from the young detective. "You know, this is the mark of an old person. Keep at it and you'll be single for life."
"You'd best worry about your love life, kid." Kael snorted as they rode the elevator to the ground floor. "That reminds me, have you taken care of that lady friend of yours?"
Kael looked at Dave blankly, "I'm not interested in seeing you two flirt during work hours."
"Tsk, you're no fun." Dave sighed, shaking his head.
"That's the goal," Kael shot back, swiftly stepping out of the elevator and making his way to the parking lot.
"Hah… this is going to be a drag."
***
"Our first stop is the training facility outside the city. The goal is to inspect the facility and interview the instructors and guardians of the children. " Dave explained as he drove towards a private airbase. "Getting there by car would take too long and be too tiring, even for people like us. My subordinates and a few members of my suppression team are already there."
Kael had problems with the arrangement. This line of work would have its hazards, and they needed to be ready for them. He did, however, wonder what the women would be doing. "And the women?"
"Ah, they are looking into public officials, religious zealots and personalities who have some form of connection with chosen heroes, or have openly expressed their dislike for the power they wield."
"What about the family members of the children?" Kael asked a follow-up question.
"Hah… The parents and relatives are a bit of a handful," Dave couldn't help but sigh. "Most of them are shaken by the death of their kids. They aren't very helpful at the moment."
"Yeah, you can deal with them." Kael swiftly washed his hands of any interactions before they could even be mentioned.
The young detective could more or less understand Kael's stand on the matter. 'He doesn't have a lot of sympathy going around.'
Soon, they arrived at the private airbase, where a chopper waited for them. A quick greeting to the crew, and the two men took to the sky. It was a twenty-minute flight from the base to the training facility.
The decision to build the training facility far from the city was made by world leaders. This was in an effort to protect the children from the public, possible monster tides and anyone who sought to endanger their lives.
Although there were multiple hero facilities across the world, most of them were built to serve as the home base of the chosen heroes and the territory they safeguarded with their presence.
"We're here," Dave stated as he gestured outside the window, where a rooftop of the facility and its gleaming white walls were visible.