Chapter 231: Meeting Nyx’s Father Once More

Chapter 231

With a push they opened the vice bureau Chief’s office and stepped in. As Alex looked up he was surprised to find a familiar presence quietly sipping tea with the Vice bureau chief, like they were old friends who had done this a thousand times.

Alex paused for what felt like a fraction of a second, as his eyes locked onto the handsome and very familiar man sitting across from the Vice Bureau Chief. Those sharp and commanding amber eyes that kind of reminded him of a certain captivating woman, paired with a very handsome and stern face that bore an undeniable resemblance to Jade.

Wait a minute, wasn’t this Nyx and Jade’s father, Caelan Von Aurelian? What on earth was he even doing sitting casually inside the Vice Bureau Chief’s private office, and why did the two of them look like they had known each other for years?

Alex quickly processed the sight in front of him, as a quiet realization gradually began dawning on him. Of course! he thought to himself, keeping his composure steady.

From what Doris mentioned to him before, the Von Aurelian family was basically a massive deal in the country, possessing unimaginable power, absurd wealth reaching at least tens of trillions of dollars, and terrifying political connections that was downright scary when you thought of it.

It made total sense that Caelan would be on a first-name basis with someone as high-ranking as the Vice Bureau Chief. Plus, considering Caelan’s own personal strength and high status in the military, it’s really no wonder why he can just sit here sipping tea like it’s a casual Sunday afternoon.

As Alex and the others stepped fully into the spacious office, both powerful men paused their conversation and looked up toward the doorway. The moment Caelan’s sharp amber eyes casually landed straight on his figure, Alex noticed as a faint flash of what looked like genuine surprise flickered deep within his eyes.

It was very subtle, lasting for merely a brief second before his expression smoothly returned back to its usual calm and stern state.

Caelan set his fine porcelain teacup down onto the glass table with a light tap, and then put his hands naturally on his lap as he stood up gracefully.

"Well, it seems one of your squad has arrived to report for duty," Caelan said in a deep voice, turning his head toward the Vice Bureau Chief. "I’ll excuse myself for now so you can handle official business. We can finish our discussion later."

"Thank you, Caelan," the Vice Bureau Chief replied with a polite nod. "I’ll call for you as soon as we’re wrapped up here."

Caelan gave a brief nod toward the squad members as he walked past them toward the heavy double doors, with his eyes still lingering on Alex for a split second longer before he stepped out into the hallway, letting the doors slide shut behind him.

Once Caelan had left the room, the friendly atmosphere in the office completely vanished like it had never even been there seconds ago.

The Vice Bureau Chief stood up from his leather chair, with his hands resting completely flat against the shiny oak desk as his expression turned a shade serious.

With his sharp eyes, he scanned across Sylph, Alex, Allen, Mia, Tonya, and the rest of the gathered squad members.

"Alright, settle down," the Vice Bureau Chief began, his deep voice carrying an undeniable weight that commanded absolute attention. "I brought you all here because a critical situation has developed that requires the immediate intervention of the bureau itself."

He tapped a button on the side of his desk, causing a massive holographic display to project into the air right behind him, showing a detailed digital map of the United States. Then he zoomed the map in, rapidly on a specific dense, forest-covered region within South Carolina.

"So about three miles away from the western border of South Carolina, there’s a tiny, isolated town called Willow Creek," the Vice Bureau Chief explained, pointing toward the holographic marker. "It’s situated in a deep valley, surrounded by miles upon miles of dense, towering trees and thick wilderness in every single direction. Now for the past couple of weeks, the local residents there have been submitting various reports to the local police department regarding a series of strange, unexplained disappearances."

Alex leaned in slightly, his sharp green eyes studying the digital terrain of Willow Creek.

"At first, the local authorities assumed it was just a few hunters or hikers getting lost in the deep woods," the Vice Bureau Chief continued, his tone darkening. "However, after conducting multiple search-and-rescue operations, the police still haven’t been able to find a single trace of the victim’s body, or even a trace of bloodstain. And worse still, over the last forty-eight hours, the disappearances have rapidly escalated. We found news that an entire family just vanished overnight right out of their own homes without leaving behind any signs of a break-in or physical struggle."

Allen rubbed his chin, looking up at the map with a slight frown. "So let me guess, the local law enforcement is completely out of their depth, and the government needs the bureau help."

"Exactly," the Vice Bureau Chief confirmed sternly. "I strongly suspect that this is either the rogue work of a dangerous Awakened operating in secret, or perhaps a predatory monster that managed to escape into the wilderness unnoticed after the major battle near that sector. No matter what the actual cause turns out to be, I need your squad to head over to Willow Creek immediately. Investigate the area, find out exactly what is hiding in those woods, and eliminate whatever is causing those strange disappearances before the situation escalates into a full-blown national crisis or a public disaster."

Sylph immediately took a firm step forward, placing her hand over her chest as she gave a crisp, confident salute. "You can count on us, sir. We will handle the threat and secure the perimeter to the best of our ability."

The Vice Bureau Chief looked at her and nodded with deep satisfaction.

"Good. Your squad jet should already be fueled, prepped, and waiting on the primary runway. You are cleared for immediate deployment. You may go now."

"Alright Vice Bureau Chief. Alright guys let’s go." Sylph commanded smoothly.

The squad turned around in unison and began marching out of the Vice Bureau Chief’s grand office.

However, as Alex walked past the heavy doors, he briefly overheard Caelan moving back to the office, and he even heard his voice in the room, speaking to the Vice Bureau Chief as the older man stepped back inside.

"That young man... The one with the slightly decent looks and green eyes," Caelan’s smooth voice echoed faintly through the closing crack of the door. "Since when did he join the bureau because I don’t recall ever seeing him here before...?"

CLICK! Before Caelan could even finish his sentence, the doors sealed completely shut, causing the soundproofing to instantly cut off the rest of the conversation into total silence.

Alex’s mouth twitched uncontrollably as he kept walking alongside his teammates, mentally noting that Caelan might probably start keeping an eye on him.

The squad made their way back through the brightly lit corridors, taking the elevator back down to the surface level hangers. Alex could feel as the cool evening air coming from the ocean hit his face as they stepped out onto the tarmac, where their familiar squad jet was waiting for them, with its powerful twin engines humming softly as ground crews performed their final pre-flight checks.

The heavy boarding ramp at the rear of the jet lowered down with a hissing sound. And one by one, the squad members marched up the ramp into the spacious interior, taking their seats along the reinforced leather chairs equipped with tactical safety harnesses.

Alex strapped himself into his seat beside the window, adjusting his black combat uniform while checking his gear. Across from him, Mia was already bouncing slightly in her seat with excitement, while Allen was double-checking his weapon, and Stephanie sat quietly with her arms crossed, mentally preparing for the upcoming confrontation. Ella looked a bit nervous, and Chris looked fully prepared and ready, as for Tonya, she was busy texting a friend while Drew just remained quiet.

Sylph walked down the central aisle, holding onto the overhead handrails as she looked over her team with a calm, commanding gaze.

"Is everyone buckled in and ready?" Sylph asked, with her clear voice ringing through the cabin.

Mia grinned brightly, giving a quick thumbs-up.

"We’re all set and completely ready to kick some monster butt, Captain!"

"Good," Sylph replied with a firm nod.

She walked up to the cockpit door, gave the pilots a signal, and returned to her seat at the front of the cabin.

A moment later, the heavy rear boarding ramp lifted back up, locking firmly into place. Then the jet began to move smoothly down the long runway, accelerating faster and faster until its powerful thrusters roared to life, shooting the aircraft high into the dark night sky, and speeding directly toward their destination.