Ch.182Cover the Sky! (5)

#182

“Are you kidding me?”

“Dexter, it means I’ll answer any question you ask honestly. After all, as an inmate, all I have to offer a guard is my body. But… you don’t seem very interested in that…”

As Carranza’s gaze traveled down Dexter’s body and stopped at his lower half, Judy cleared her throat uncomfortably.

“Where are you looking?”

“An attractive man is worth admiring, don’t you think?”

“You’re married, aren’t you?”

“What does it matter when he’s thousands of kilometers away?”

Carranza looked back and forth between Judy’s face and Dexter’s, then smiled broadly and said:

“Oh, are you two dating? Are you telling me not to look at your man?”

“Who I date is none of your business, Carranza. So, you’ll give honest answers to any question I ask? Any limits on number or time?”

“Seeing how cold you are, I feel like if I set limits, you wouldn’t follow through at all.”

As if she had already figured out Dexter’s personality, Carranza showed a seductive smile and said:

“I’ll answer as many questions as you want, anytime during your working hours. In exchange, I’d like to know why you’re asking. What do you think?”

“What’s in it for me?”

“I don’t think you have anything to lose. My background may not be something to be proud of, but it might be helpful someday, right?”

With those words, Carranza rested her elbows on her knees, propped her head on her hands, and continued:

“I can see it in you.”

“See what?”

“The feeling that you’re someone worth knowing. The same feeling I had when I first met El Firme. No, even stronger than that.”

“El Firme… your husband?”

“Well, he’s my husband technically, but he’s not much of one, so don’t worry.”

As Carranza winked, Dexter clicked his tongue in disbelief and said:

“The head of Mexico’s largest cartel is your husband, and you say he’s not much of one?”

“There’s a story there. Maybe I’ll tell you when we get closer?”

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not saying this for fun. I genuinely think it would be good for us to know each other, Dexter.”

Dexter was about to refuse when something suddenly occurred to him.

‘Rascal used them too, and the Director often makes use of criminal organizations.’

The Director preferred using criminal organizations rather than official authority.

From the gangs used during projects to the Asian mafia that Rascal had employed, criminal organizations were always present.

‘If I could know the underworld like the back of my hand…’

With someone who was essentially a ruler of the underworld right in front of him, Dexter raised one corner of his mouth, and Carranza smiled along with him.

Only Judy, who didn’t know what Dexter did, looked at him with anxious eyes.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

When Dexter extended his hand to Carranza, she tilted her head but took his hand with a charming smile.

“…Looks like you found a use for me? Your face is completely different from a moment ago.”

“I have a side job these days, and I think you might be helpful.”

“Hmm, a side job for someone like you… Smuggling steroids perhaps?”

“Steroids? Don’t take me for a junkie.”

Offended by Carranza’s comment, Dexter immediately pulled his hand away.

Though he had help from nanobots, his muscles were purely built by his own efforts.

Seeing Dexter’s reaction, Carranza smiled and said:

“You really are unusual, Dexter. You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

Though she didn’t know exactly what he was hiding, Carranza could sense from Dexter’s demeanor and actions that he was definitely different from an ordinary prison guard.

Seeing Carranza’s eyes that seemed to shine, Dexter smiled slightly and avoided deeper conversation.

“Maybe I am.”

He couldn’t readily reveal to Carranza what he hadn’t yet disclosed to Judy.

Carranza carefully studied Dexter’s expression, but unable to read the emotions behind it, she shook her head and said:

“I really can’t figure you out.”

“If you’re trying to read me, it’s impossible at least within the prison.”

“Why is that?”

“Because anyone capable of reading my emotions wouldn’t be anywhere near a prison in the first place.”

Essentially saying “you’re still far from my level” in a roundabout way, Dexter tapped Judy’s forearm with his finger, pointing outside, and said:

“We’ll be waiting, so think about what you want to ask me in advance.”

“Are you really going to listen?”

“I don’t go back on my word.”

With those final words, Dexter waved as he walked out of the communal cell, and Judy glared at Carranza once before scurrying after him.

“He really is… different.”

Carranza smirked as she watched Dexter’s sturdy back retreating.

* * *

“Bitch.”

When Rascal cursed at Himena as if facing his mortal enemy, spitting out each word, Himena jumped up from her desk.

Rascal squeezed his eyes shut and raised both arms to protect his head, but failed due to the handcuffs.

“After getting beaten like that, you still have the courage to talk back, Rascal?”

When Himena mocked Rascal’s behavior, he realized his shameful display and gritted his teeth as he shouted:

“…Fuck!”

“Relax. I won’t whip your thing like last time. I just came here to see what kind of face a moron who betrayed the OSA would have before the formal interrogation.”

“It was because of you people that I did that!”

“Save your excuses. You sold out Earth’s security because of us? Why don’t you take some responsibility instead of blaming others?”

With those words, Himena left the interrogation room, and Rascal’s screams could be heard from inside.

[Aaaaargh—!!]

‘Serves you right, bastard.’

Since he seemed to be in even more pain than before, Himena chuckled as she entered the room next to the interrogation room, where Jesse was grinning in front of the two-way mirror.

“Himena, you’re quite fierce, aren’t you?”

“Were you watching everything?”

“Yeah. Word spread all over the departments that he was being interrogated today. I heard you kicked him right in the groin?”

Since Jesse also knew that the two of them had suffered considerably because of Rascal, she raised her middle finger at Rascal, who still had an indignant expression, and said with narrowed eyes:

“How dare you sell internal information to that evil woman?”

“He deserves worse. But in a way, I’m disappointed. If Dexter had stomped on him too, it would have been perfect.”

“Hahaha! That’s why you weren’t assigned to this interrogation, my dear.”

Hearing a sudden boisterous voice from behind, the two turned to see a familiar figure standing there.

“Ah, Director Makoa.”

“Hello, sir…!”

When Director Makoa, who had a build comparable to Dexter’s, appeared, Himena and Jesse blushed as they greeted him.

They were embarrassed about their behavior in front of the Director, talking about beating and killing Rascal.

“Who’s handling the interrogation again? I believe I said to select someone at the department head level.”

“Ah, Department Head Quan is scheduled to come. We chose someone with minimal connection to the support department…”

“He has a background in the Pentagon and also served in the NSB (National Security Branch). He’ll extract information thoroughly. I’m looking forward to it.”

Director Makoa said this while looking at Rascal, who was cursing with an anxious face.

Soon, Quan, the head of the Space Secret Operations Department, gave a brief greeting to Director Makoa before entering the interrogation room.

Quan also appeared with an uncomfortable expression, holding a file folder, and Rascal seemed somewhat afraid that it was an executive officer rather than a field agent like Himena who had come to interrogate him.

“Even that arrogant bastard is trembling before Department Head Quan!”

“I’m not sure if I should ask this, but… did you also know that Rascal was unpleasant, Director?”

“After this incident broke out, we surveyed personnel within the support department about Rascal’s usual image, and that was the result.”

Director Makoa smiled and continued:

“It seems his image was quite good until Agent Hughes appeared. After that, people said he became gloomy and gave them an uneasy feeling.”

“Do you think that’s when he started leaking OSA information to the Director?”

“I don’t know, hahaha! Department Head Quan will interrogate him well.”

As they listened to Quan’s interrogation, Director Makoa seemed to remember something and looked at both Jesse and Himena:

“I heard you’re conducting a separate investigation. Is that true?”

“Yes. An external informant discovered information related to the Negative, and it involves an Earthling.”

“An Earthling?”

“Yes, Howard Hughes.”

“Howard Hughes? The Baron of Las Vegas?”

“Yes, the one who died in his later years after being attacked by an alien monster…”

Director Makoa nodded slowly at Himena’s words.

From before the establishment of the OSA until now, Howard Hughes had maintained his influence in the Las Vegas headquarters even after his death, as if his hand had touched everything.

Director Makoa had also heard that Howard Hughes had left some legacy somewhere in Las Vegas, so he didn’t take Himena’s words lightly and considered the reason for Howard Hughes’ reappearance in this case more important than the spy before them.

“Department Head Quan will handle Rascal’s interrogation well, so you focus on the Negative side. It seems Howard Hughes didn’t appear for no reason.”

“Yes, sir.”

At the Director’s subtle dismissal, Himena and Jesse left the interrogation room and headed to the special investigation team’s office.

“He’s been dead for decades, hasn’t he?”

“I’ll explain to Dexter soon with Mr. Pilgrim, but that man planted too many seeds.”

“What do you mean by seeds?”

Himena didn’t answer directly and went straight into the office, where William, who was already waiting, was shuffling through documents. When he spotted Himena, he greeted her with his eyes and said:

“How’s our friend Hughes?”

“He should be here soon.”

As Himena predicted, Dexter soon arrived, gave Jesse a light kiss on the forehead, and hugged Himena once before saying:

“Are we going straight into the explanation?”

Himena nodded at his words and looked at William.

William brought a large whiteboard from the corner of the office and turned it around in front of the three.

The front of the whiteboard was covered with dozens of photos and densely written text, with branches spreading out like a mind map from the central word “Negative.”

“First, let’s look here.”

William pointed to the central word, “Negative.”

“It’s true that Director Olivia came up with various extraction methods for the Negative. I’ve connected all the incidents the Director orchestrated to the Negative.”

One of the branches extending from the word “Negative” had a photo of Professor Chris from the planet Succubus, a case that Dexter and Himena had solved together.

“Personally, it was the most incomprehensible case, but when I thought about what Professor Chris’s specialty was, it made some sense.”

“It was the case where she spent the night with a stranger using that mimicry suit, saying she wanted to research the human body directly… It was the most absurd one.”

“The statement explaining that bizarre act said it was to cure diseases of the Succubus planet residents. The project wasn’t detailed.”

“That’s right.”

William circled both Professor Chris’s photo and the Negative, saying:

“The residents of planet Succubus feed on electrical signals secreted from living beings’ brains. What happens when we connect this to the Negative?”

“Hmm, since Negative is secreted when negative emotions are present or recalled, um…?”

“Are you getting it now?”

William looked at Himena with a serious expression and said:

“I heard she was conducting a project with conditions of a large sum of money, a laboratory, and as many supplies as she wanted. If they recruited someone who understands living beings’ emotions better than anyone to extract the Negative more efficiently…”

After pointing to Professor Chris’s photo, William immediately indicated the second branch.

“This case is likely connected.”

“I know. This was related to Judy, right?”

The second was the ionized gaborium leak incident that affected Judy and some Summerlin residents.

A photo of Judy, who was a victim, and an evidence photo of the ionized gaborium tank found at the scene were attached to the whiteboard.

“I suspect it was a means to deliberately create anxiety on a regional scale.”

“Then negative emotions would surge, making Negative extraction easier.”

William nodded at Dexter’s response.

“Orbis Corporation’s experimental games were meant to make extraction easier, and the death of Encyclopedia, who was a technical consultant, seems to be a subsidiary application from the Negative weaponization project.”

“So what’s your conclusion, William?”

“All projects were centered around the Negative.”

William drew his conclusion with a stern expression.

“According to information sent directly by CEO Elijah, your friend, the person who first discovered this liquid Negative was none other than…”

William then pointed to a photo of Howard Hughes with his stylish mustache.

“Howard Hughes.”

At William’s conjecture, the three silently stared at Howard Hughes’s photo.