Chapter 6

A subtle pout rested on Genevieve's lips in a look of concentration. Her foot pressed a touch harder on the accelerator to speed up, and her mind raced just as much as her vehicle did. Several thoughts distracted her but there was a particular one that kept her occupied, and even bothered her to some extent.

'How?'

How could a man terrorize towns upon towns, cities upon cities, all on his own? Daron's words about him having connections flashed to her mind, and her focus shifted towards the thought for a while. There was no doubt about a traitor being in the police station, and this was something Genevieve had to get to the bottom of as well.

On the other hand, she was glad that she put her differences aside and agreed to work with Alec. Genevieve zoned out momentarily when she began to recollect some of the things that Alec had told her.

"I started chasing him about four months ago, in a completely different town. Perhaps he got tired of the banks there, and now he's probably planning on sweeping this place. So if you're under the impression that I was called here- I was not, I simply tracked the bastard down and followed him all the way here on my own accord."

Genevieve scoffed with a turn of her head at the memory. Even at serious occasions, Alec's cockiness never ceased.

"He is essentially a thief, and a master at that. The other things like drug dealing are just side businesses for him. I had posed as an interested buyer of his entire stock, and that's how I got his location and nearly caught him. There were other buyers too, and one of them is currently held at the police station. I'm not sure if you've seen him."

"Jewelers and banks are his go to, but he seems to lean towards the latter just a bit more."

Genevieve wasn't a sitting duck during the entire time they were discussing. She had contributed just as much, and an unnoticeable smirk touched her lips at the memory while she continued to drive like hell on wheels.

"There's a pattern here, Alec. The places he's robbed are all government owned. His heists are aimed to not only bring him wealth, but to hurt the government's pockets."

"We can't predict when his next heist is, but we can at least tighten the security of those banks and jewelers."

Needless to say, they both made a great team, and deep down the two of them agreed with that. Very, very deep down that is. There'd be plenty of time for their banters later on, but their mutual goal is what made their hostile partnership so effective.

_

*Flashback*

"Alec." Genevieve called out, pausing her steps when she reached the doorway.

The person in question looked up from the file in his hand.

"We'll catch him."

Alec watched her for a second or two before giving her a firm nod. His serious expression told her that he was just as determined as she was.

"We will."

Saying nothing in return, Genevieve walked out of the records room and made her way towards an exit of the abandoned station with only one objective in mind.

It was time to carry out some precautionary measures.

__________________

Genevieve didn't have much authority in the station since she was just a constable. She had to consult the commissioner about this huge step first, much to her dismay. And things weren't exactly going in her favor.

"You're working with him." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. The chief couldn't really believe his ears when Genevieve broke the news of her collaboration with Alec. He couldn't be blamed for his disbelief either, since the two had made their dislike for each other quite known ever since they met.

"Weren't you assigned to the Harlow family's case? What happened to that?"

"I-" Genevieve paused and cleared her throat, because her irritation had accidentally slipped into her tone.

"I was done with that about a week ago, sir."

He nodded, and silence took over the atmosphere of the room. Genevieve couldn't understand why he was thinking so hard, the plan was beyond simple. For her, at least.

"What if this all turns out to be a delusion?" He began, and Genevieve's eye visibly twitched at the accusation.

"Do you realize what you're proposing?"

'Yes I do, hag. Get to the point'.

"I am to position almost all of our officers in and out of random banks and jewelers, and alert other police stations to do the same."

"Not random, sir. As I mentioned, they are specifically government owned companies. Shadow targets them." Genevieve all but gritted out, and the chief noticed but didn't comment. Instead, he carried on his onslaught of questions.

"You're talking about the entire city, officer. There are several financial institutions-"

"And about fifty five percent of them are private owned, making the number for government owned forty five. Same goes for the jewelers. Even if the numbers aren't slim, it wouldn't hurt to take precautions." She finished with confidence.

The commissioner pulled his phone out to search up the numbers that Genevieve had presented, with the hope that she would be proved wrong. Turns out she was actually spot on. His gaze darted between his device's screen and her face, and in the end, it settled on the brilliant constable.

"And where is Alec? Why isn't he here too?"

Genevieve's lips parted to answer him, but she never spoke. The way he questioned her repeatedly, and his sudden change of topic gave rise to a series of questions in her restless mind. It's not long before her face fell at a notion.

'A traitor in the station'.