The Wolf of Los Angeles-Chapter 426: Russia’s Retaliation?

Campos thanked him and resumed, "On that day, the man accidentally knocked over a large soda, spilling it all over the table and floor. The two employees happened to be on shift and cleaned it up together. They said he kept apologizing and even tipped them $20."

Hawke frowned slightly, scrutinizing the photo more closely. He interrupted, "Are you sure it's the same person?"

"They are certain," Campos replied. "One key clue from the employees: he spoke with a strong accent that sounded like it was from Ukraine."

Hawke looked up at the mention of Ukraine. "Former Soviet bloc?"

Campos nodded, "One of the two employees is a Romanian immigrant who used to live near the Romania-Ukraine border and occasionally heard Ukrainian spoken in English."

Edward suddenly interjected, "Could it be the Russians?"

With all the recent social media connections to Russia -- sometimes direct, sometimes indirect -- and even an actual spy case, it was natural to associate this with Russia.

"We can't be sure about that," Campos said seriously. "This is just what we have so far."

Hawke looked through the other photos. None of the other packages were black.

The middle-aged man, aside from the parcel, looked ordinary, wearing common clothes and shoes available on the market.

Hawke remarked, "There was a huge wave of Slavic and Eastern European immigrants to North America after the fall of the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union's collapse. How many Russian spies slipped in? Nobody really knows."

The KGB sent so many spies to North America that even the Russian intelligence probably hasn't fully accounted for them.

Hawke paused, then asked Campos, "Did your investigation encounter any unexpected situations or issues?"

Campos shook his head, "No. Our people tracked down the mailbox, quickly found the hotel's surveillance cameras, recovered data, and quietly made inquiries around. We got the lead at the McDonald's. Our team split into three groups; one inquired, and two stayed in the shadows to protect and be ready to act, but nothing happened."

Hawke pondered, "If this is the work of Russian spies, what was the purpose of sending the video disc?"

Edward chimed in, "Could it have something to do with a cult?"

Hawke had been considering that as well. The inverted pentagram featured in the video matches the markings on victims in two previous cases Erica investigated with the detective bureau -- both young women killed and marked with that same symbol.

The inverted pentagram is a standard emblem of Satanism. This isn't hard to verify, but Satanism is a legally recognized religion in the U.S., mainly active on the East Coast.

Erica had hit roadblocks during her investigation due to pressure from higher-ups. Her faction used this to promote her to the Special Operations Bureau.

But Hawke knew many secrets not from Erica or LAPD investigations but from memories of his past life.

Satanism's influence far surpasses Scientology, which mainly focuses on Hollywood, with Tom Cruise and John Travolta as representatives.

Though Satanism has prominent figures like Lady Gaga in entertainment, its influence has been expanding into politics, and some believe it's connected directly to Lolita Island.

Another link is with Hillary.

Around the time the mail scandal broke, photos appeared online showing Hillary and others attending Satanist gatherings, participating in soul-themed rituals.

Initially, Hawke thought the photos were fake, considering the critical election period at the time.

But multiple confirmations proved the photos were genuine.

Hillary has deep ties with Satanism.

Now, how strong their current relationship is, Hawke thought, it couldn't have just begun suddenly -- it was likely an established alliance.

That woman Hillary...

Hawke suddenly sensed someone was trying to provoke him and his side into a conflict with the Satanists.

If Satanism involved Lolita Island and had allied with someone like the unscrupulous Hillary, it wouldn't just be Satanism anymore.

This made Hawke think further. If Erica had more justice and detective spirit, and if she were dissatisfied with being forced out of the detective bureau, insisting on pursuing this video case, it might have escalated into a full-blown war.

LAPD's PR painted Erica as a righteous angel, crime fighter, fierce detective, and protector of the public.

Some of that was true, but beyond being fierce, the rest was less so.

Only those who truly knew Erica understood this.

Edward spoke up, "Boss, is this a Russian retaliation?"

"Quite possible," Hawke said cautiously. Some details didn't sit right. He looked at Campos, "How close is the mailbox to the hotel?"

Campos answered, "Less than 20 meters. It's a three-star hotel."

Hawke picked up the photos again, thinking aloud, "Usually, at that level of hotel, the front entrance is always under surveillance."

He looked at Campos, "When I had you send items to Fox TV in Las Vegas before, did you pick a similar location?"

Campos shook his head. "I would never pick such a place."

Hawke added, "A Romanian immigrant coincidentally meets a Ukrainian immigrant at his McDonald's workplace. Such a coincidence isn't impossible, given America is a nation of immigrants."

Campos understood, "Could someone be leading us astray?"

Edward thought simply, "But we do have conflicts with Russia. Wouldn't retaliation be reasonable?"

Hawke couldn't be sure. After thinking a moment, he told Campos, "Send someone back to that McDonald's to see if those two employees are still working there. If not, find out when they started and left."

Campos hurriedly left the office and made a call in the elevator, ordering someone to rush to New York and the McDonald's.

...

Hawke picked up his phone and called Erica, "Do you remember the black package you received that had the disc inside?"

Erica said, "I handed the disc to my superior. The Special Operations Bureau forwarded it to the detective bureau."

Hawke relayed the information from Campos and shared the speculation about the Russians.

Erica responded, "On the surface, it all looks like the Russians. They have enough reasons -- after being embarrassed by social media, they can make a move against us without direct involvement."

She reflected, "Once your people check that McDonald's, it'll be clear."

If nothing was fishy at the McDonald's, and the descriptions were accurate, the two employees would likely still be working there.

Otherwise, they would have left.

Erica asked, "I'll check with the detective bureau about the disc's analysis."

Hawke said, "Go ahead."

...

Since Erica had handed it in, it was normal to inquire. She ended the call and contacted the detective bureau to ask.

The answer was no surprise.

The disc forwarded from Special Operations Bureau was logged and archived.

It contained only the video, no bodies of victims, no family members or security, no location information at all. The video appeared to be a homemade film by enthusiasts mimicking some religious ritual.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Moreover, the disc was mailed from New York.

Even if a murder happened, if it was in New York, it was none of LAPD's business.

Erica's handover did not qualify as a formal report.

Same with Special Operations forwarding it to detectives.

This case simply did not exist.

*****

https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.