Shadow Slave

By the time they arrived at the hospital, the rain seemed to have become even heavier. Sunny and Effie jogged from the parking lot to the entrance, where groups of workers in yellow raincoats were busy building sandbag barricades around the building. The same was happening in many parts of the city after a flooding warning was issued earlier in the morning, with a small army of volunteers mobilized by the Valor Group.

Before diving into the dry safety of the hospital’s lobby, Sunny looked up at the stormy expanse of the grey sky.

The heavy sky looked like it would split open at any moment now.

’Ah… I hate water…’

Shaking his head, he followed Effie inside.

It did not take them long to arrive at the VIP ward where Mordret was being treated. The ward — if it could even be called that — resembled a presidential suite in a luxury hotel more than it resembled a patient room. It was definitely much larger than Sunny’s entire apartment, furnished with a degree of lavishness few people could ever dream of, let alone experience.

The man himself was in the process of putting on another immaculately tailored, stylish suit while discussing something with one of his plentiful assistants. There was a small piece of adhesive bandage on Mordret’s cheek, as well as a few bruises marring his smooth skin here and there — but other than that, he did not look like someone who had just barely survived a lethal vehicle collision.

In fact, he looked strangely cheerful.

”Ah, detectives!”

Noticing them, Mordret smiled.

”You are just in time. I am about to be discharged… would you mind following me to the office? We can talk in the car.”

Sunny and Effie glanced at each other, then studied the battered CEO of the Valor Group intently.

They might have remained silent for a few moments longer than necessary.

”Ah… yes. No problem.”

Mordret beamed.

”Wonderful! Then, shall we depart?”

’What the hell is wrong with him?’

The CEO of the Valor Group did not feel like Mordret Sunny knew at all. He was too soft, trusting, and... nice. However, he did not seem exactly normal, either.

Why was he so happy? Even if he had not sustained heavy injuries in the assassination attempt, it was still a traumatic experience. If Sunny was right and this version of Mordret had spent most of his life in Mirage City, then he should not have experienced many brushes with death, let alone with murder and violence. People like that did not usually brim with positive energy after surviving an attempt on their life.

’Perhaps he’s just happy to be alive?’

They followed Mordret back the way they came. As they did, Sunny asked the question that had been tormenting him for the last couple of hours:

”Excuse me, Mr. Mordret, but may I ask why you requested my partner and me to be assigned to your case?”

Mordret glanced at him with a smile.

”Why? Well… I guess you’ve made an impression?”

Sunny shook his head.

”You should know that you are a suspect in another case we are investigating. Needless to say, there is somewhat of a conflict of interest… not to mention that a person of your status would usually feel offended by two detectives interrogating them. Considering the vast resources at your disposal, we are not exactly the best choice, are we?” 𝖗àꞐỖ𝐁ΕꞨ

Mordret looked at him with a hint of amusement in his strange mirror-like eyes.

”On the contrary, Detective. That makes you the best choice.”

Effie chuckled.

”How do you mean?”

As they entered the elevator, Mordret gave his entourage a nod to stay behind. With only the three of them in the cabin, he said calmly:

”It is not simple to assassinate someone like me. My security is quite thorough… and yet, someone ambushed my car on the bridge. At the very least, they had to have known the route I was taking, as well as my destination. Which means that my schedule had been leaked. More than that, I changed it on a whim just that morning. So, whoever leaked my schedule has to be quite close to me — a person in my inner circle, most likely.”

He paused for a moment, then sighed.

”And while I don’t want to brag, I have to point out that the Valor Group has no competitors. We are too vast and powerful to have enemies… so, there is a high chance that this assassination was ordered by someone within the company. You have already demonstrated your willingness to ignore the pressure exerted by the higher-ups of the Valor Group — very few people would. So, you see, that makes you two the best candidates to investigate this case.”

Sunny stared at Mordret with a strange expression.

The young CEO was making a lot of sense… but there also seemed to be something off about his logic.

Investigating the assassination attempt would give Sunny easy access to Mordret and the inner workings of the Valor Group, though, so he was not going to refuse… not that the Captain had given them an option to refuse.

”So, basically, what you are saying is that we are the only two cops in Mirage City that you know for a fact can’t be bought?”

Mordret coughed.

”I… wouldn’t personally put it quite that way. I am sure there are countless honest and trustworthy people in the Mirage City Police Department. It is just that I do not know them personally.”

Sunny nodded.

”If you say so.”

They arrived at the lobby of the hospital, where another part of Mordret’s entourage was already waiting. Three umbrellas were opened to protect him, Sunny, and Effie from the rain, and they were led to a luxurious PTV in a private parking lot — different from the one destroyed in the crash, but similarly lavish and stunning.

Mordret turned.

”You must have arrived in a car of your own. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you, so let me ask my driver to… oh.”

He froze for a moment, a hint of a mournful expression appearing on his face.

Sunny glanced at the file he had retrieved from the hospital administration before coming to see Mordret.

”I am sorry for your loss. I heard that he passed away in the operating room.”

Mordret remained silent for a few moments, then nodded.

”Yes. I’ve been told that he did.”

His personal assistant took the driver’s seat, while Mordret, Sunny, and Effie entered the passenger compartment.

Lowering himself on a soft leather cushion, Sunny looked around with a strange expression.

’What the hell?’

He had assumed that all archaic PTVs were like his pitiful rust bucket.

But Mordet had been moving around in this palace on wheels this whole time?!

No… it was merely his backup palace on wheels.

Sunny blinked a few times.

The ancient times held many secrets…