Chapter 81 - 79
After arriving in a nearby city, Leon, Wanda, and the others said their goodbyes to Jeff and his group. The girls seemed reluctant to part ways.
Once they left, Leon asked Keisha to keep an eye on Jeff and the teens during their RV trip. He didn't want anything happening to people he cared about, especially while traveling across the U.S., where anything could happen. Even though New York had a high crime rate, places like Texas weren't much better. Texas had its own dangers, with its rough culture encouraging ruthless criminals. Highway robberies and similar crimes were common occurrences.
As for the incident with Mephisto, that was just a coincidence. It didn't follow the planned path of Wanda, Pietro, and Sumarokov's mission. Through their computer network, the trio had discovered strange happenings in Texas, which led them to investigate further.
Meanwhile, Leon was more than happy to return to the New York manor. Wanda, Pietro, and Sumarokov were just part-time workers without Leon's leadership, so there wasn't much for them to do. As a boss of his stature, Leon only needed to step in when the situation was critical.
While Leon and his group moved on, the Texas government found itself in a state of crisis. By that evening, as the rain continued to pour, the authorities received word of the strange events. The location was significant—it was a major transfer point between several nearby cities.
By early the next morning, local and state police, along with the FBI from surrounding areas, were dispatched to investigate. Law enforcement agencies, including mounted police, gathered at the scene. Several sergeants coordinated efforts and reported back to the government, which held an emergency meeting.
They quickly formed a joint investigation team made up of detectives from nearby cities. The idea was simple: everyone would share the responsibility. If the investigation failed, they'd share the blame; if it succeeded, they'd share the credit. It was clear that the higher-ups had a plan to cover all their bases.
Several city police chiefs were hesitant about getting involved. For them, whether this incident turned into something significant or not didn't matter as much. What did matter was avoiding any mistakes. However, when the government issued an order, they had no choice but to follow through.
Led by the police chiefs from Houston, Woodland, and Beaumont, the investigation team consisted of about forty-five officers. Alongside them were a group of on-site investigators and law enforcement officers eager to assess the scene.