Late at night.
The city lights of Zone 15 dimmed from the outskirts inward. After nightfall, this ordinary but strictly controlled Central District city fell into a deep silence, where even the slightest noise was like a pebble dropped into a still lake.
Gunshots echoing from the central area drew a nearby patrol from the Security Department.
They were "nearby," but still several streets away.
By the time they arrived, the scene was long deserted.
The captain of the Security Department's Seventh Squad stared at the chaotic signs of a struggle and the bloodstains in the snow, his eyes scanning the area with confusion.
This area wasn't technically his jurisdiction, but the gunfire had lasted for too long. His department had recently received a tip that a major criminal had infiltrated Zone 15, and he worried the local patrol wouldn't be able to handle the situation, so he had brought his squad over himself.
