C438 The Difficult Condition

Mark Mooney looked nervously at the Mayor. The Mayor finally leaned back in his chair. “Fine. Your daughter will not be implicated in the aftermath of Willy Harris's death.” Mark's expression relaxed slightly. The Mayor continued before he could respond. “The law will celebrate this as a victory against Willy Harris. His death will be seen as the end of a dangerous criminal threat.” Mark slowly nodded. “Thank you, Mayor.” “But I have a condition.” Mark's eyebrows tightened. “What condition?” The Mayor folded his hands on the desk. “We have now seen how capable your daughter's team is. They managed to operate against one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the country and succeeded where conventional methods have repeatedly failed.” Mark remained silent. The Mayor's voice became more serious. “I want that group to become a secret weapon for the government.” Mark froze. “What do you mean?” “You know exactly what I mean,” the Mayor replied. “I want to enroll their group into a government-controlled operation. They will assist us in eliminating dangerous targets or helping us arrest criminals when ordinary police operations are not enough.”

Mark stared at him. The Mayor continued. “They will be paid by the government, but their existence must remain completely secret. Nobody outside the necessary chain of command needs to know about them.” Mark's face slowly changed. The Mayor leaned forward. “And If they fail, the government will not be responsible. If they are injured or killed, the government will not be responsible either. They will operate on their own, without official recognition or protection.” For a moment, Mark was speechless. He had expected the Mayor to demand an investigation, perhaps even his resignation. He had not expected him to offer Alicia and the others a position that could place them in even greater danger. Finally, Mark found his voice. “Mayor, I will pass the message on to them and see what they decide.” The Mayor immediately shook his head. “This is not a matter for discussion, Mr. Mooney.” Mark looked at him carefully. The Mayor's expression hardened. “I am helping your daughter avoid prison. The least she and her team can do is repay that favour by serving the government.”

Mark froze. He wanted to plead for Alicia. He wanted to explain that she was his daughter, not a soldier under government command. But the current situation did not allow him to argue. He could not allow Alicia to be arrested. And it was no longer only about Alicia. If the investigation continued, the police would eventually discover the connection between her and the rest of the team. Mark did not want to face their families and explain why their children had been arrested. He thought about the Capsey family in particular. They had refused to let Faith go when she first decided to join Alicia. They had trusted her to remain safe, yet she had gone anyway. How could Mark face them if Faith was arrested because of his daughter's actions? The Mayor noticed Mark's silence. He folded his arms. “One more thing.” Mark looked up. The Mayor's voice was quieter now, but the warning behind it was unmistakable. “Your entire police career may also be affected if an investigation begins.”

Mark had expected that. The Mayor continued. “Everything is connected to you. Lucia Goods' firearms licence, the boat hired, and the Fake Kidnapping that injured several innocent people. Mark said nothing. The Mayor stared at him. “I do not even want to know who your intelligence source was or how you obtained the information that led to Willy Harris's hiding place. Or how your daughter and her team ended up going to the same hiding place.” He paused for a moment. "We both know the truth about it." Mark's stomach tightened. The Mayor's final words were direct. “So if your daughter refuses this arrangement, it will not only be her who faces arrest. You and her entire team could also be arrested.” Mark felt as though the world he had spent his entire life building was beginning to collapse around him. His wife's killer was dead. Alicia had finally taken revenge for her mother. But instead of feeling victorious, Mark felt empty. He had wanted justice for his wife. He had wanted Alicia to find peace.

Instead, she had placed herself, her friends, and her father in greater danger. Mark breathed heavily. “Mr. Mayor, I understand.” “Good because I am giving you two days, If you don't agree then I won'tbe able to stop the law.” He folded his arms. “Police Minister, you are dismissed.” Mark gave a small nod and left the office. He was still trying to digest everything that had happened. The journey back to the Mooney residence felt longer than usual. Mark drove slowly, from time to time he would stare through the window without really seeing anything. Buildings passed by. Cars moved through the streets. People continued with their ordinary lives. But Mark's world no longer felt ordinary. Everything he had built, everything he had protected, and everything he had spent years keeping away from danger was now beginning to break apart. He thought about his wife. For years, he had carried the pain of losing her. He had watched Alicia grow up without her mother and had silently promised himself that one day Willy Harris would answer for what he had done.

Now Willy was dead. His wife's killer had been killed by her own daughter. Yet He could not feel proud. He could not celebrate. There was no victory in knowing that Alicia had become involved in something far more dangerous than the criminal she had eliminated. The Mayor's words repeated themselves in his mind. If she refuses, you and her entire team will also be arrested. Mark closed his eyes. He knew Alicia would not be easily controlled. Neither would Mike, Chris, Sarah, Samantha, Faith, Laura, and Amanda. They had already risked their lives together. They had built their own loyalty and trusted one another more than most people trusted institutions. Asking them to become a secret government organization would not be simple. And if they agreed, their lives would never be normal again. Mark looked down at his hands. He wondered whether protecting his family had actually placed them in greater danger.

While Mark was returning home, Hanna's plans were already moving forward. Cintia, Stacy, and Bloom had spent hours researching Alicia's team. Their files were thick, and each contained information gathered from public records, family connections, business ownership, and private intelligence. Hanna sat behind her desk as the three women entered her tent. Bloom stepped forward first. “Boss, we completed the background research on every member of the group.” Stacy placed a thick stack of documents on Hanna's desk. “According to what we observed during the family gathering, there are eight members.” Hanna opened the first file. “Continue.” Bloom explained. “The talkative one is Christopher Chambers. His family lives in Celtic. His father is David Chambers, a university professor, and his mother is Valeria Chambers, who works as a nurse.” Hanna nodded. “Christopher Chambers.” “Yes, Madam.” “Continue.”

Stacy opened another file. “Next is Samantha Wood. Her original family name is Heaps. Her father is Nicolas Heaps, and her mother is Lindsey Heaps. Both of them run the Heaps Group.” Hanna leaned back in her chair. “Interesting.” She turned another page. “Next?” Bloom answered. “Sarah Wood. She is the daughter of Kelvin and Tracy Wood. Their family owns Wood IT Company.” Hanna nodded. “Next.” Stacy continued. “Faith Capsey. She previously worked as the Head of Human Resources at Lucia Goods, the company owned by Alicia Mooney's family. Her original family is the Capsey family.” Hanna suddenly stopped turning the pages. “Capsey family?” Stacy nodded. “Yes, Madam.” Hanna's expression changed. “There is only one Capsey family here in Celtic.” “That is correct.” Stacy paused before continuing. “They are not an ordinary family. Their details are heavily protected and difficult to access.” Hanna narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?” “Most of their information is sealed. We could not find much beyond their known business and family connections.” Hanna smiled faintly. “That makes them more interesting.”

Bloom continued with the next file. “Then there is Alicia's husband, Michael Smith.” Hanna's expression hardened slightly at the mention of his name. “His family lives together with the Mooney family. Alicia's father is Mark Mooney, the Police Minister, while her grandfather is a former soldier.” Hanna remained quiet. She already knew Alicia was important. Now she was beginning to understand how many powerful people surrounded her. Stacy turned to another file. “Amanda Stokes lives with her mother and father. They appear to be ordinary people. We found nothing particularly unusual about them.” Hanna nodded. “And?” Bloom opened the final file. “The last one is Laura Gomez. Her family owns Nova Blaze Jewelry.” Hanna looked up. “Gomez?” “Yes, Madam. However, her original father is Joshua Tryon. Laura later married into the Gomez family and left him behind.” Hanna slowly nodded. “Very good.” She closed the files. “Now track every one of them.”

Cintia, Stacy, and Bloom listened carefully. “I want their current locations, their routines, and everyone they care about. Find out where they are vulnerable.” Hanna's eyes became cold. “Do not only look for weaknesses in the individuals. Find something valuable to them. Something they would never willingly sacrifice.” The three women nodded. “Yes, Boss.” They turned to leave. “Wait.” All three stopped. Hanna looked down at Christopher's file. “You said Christopher Chambers's family is not related to Michael Smith's family.” Stacy nodded. “That is correct.” Hanna raised her eyes. “Then why did he call Michael his brother?” The room became quiet. Cintia, Stacy, and Bloom exchanged glances. None of them had an answer. Hanna leaned back slowly. “Find out.” Her voice was calm, but there was a dangerous curiosity behind it. “Before you come back to me, I want to know everything about that relationship.” The three women bowed their heads. “Yes, Boss.” They left the room.