Critical Meeting

I was on a journey to Italy in a specially prepared jet. Leaving the Baltimore Fire Department wasn't easy. However, I had to choose this because I had more important duties to fulfill.

It had been two and a half hours since the first light occurrence. We were almost halfway through the flight in the plane. Inside the aircraft, I put on my special forces uniform and started monitoring the latest updates and news that were delivered through the computer.

"Almost half of Venice is suspended in the sky." Despite my disbelief, the photos were right in front of me. I had no choice but to believe what I was seeing.

After finishing reviewing the photos, my phone rang. The caller was Tariq.

"Hey, how's the journey going?"

"Smoothly. What about you?"

"The Ragged Ravens have gathered, we're all waiting for you."

"Understood."

*Phone hang-up sound*

...

After landing in Italy, I arrived at the location where the Ragged Ravens were with a special vehicle that picked me up at the airport. Chaos dominated the scene as I entered. Everyone was speaking at once, but as soon as they noticed my presence, a silence fell over the room.

"What's the current situation report?"

"Commander Bryne, I've obtained permission to request an investigation of the incident site. We can set out to examine the scene at your preferred time. Additionally, many civilians were injured in the vicinity. The remaining civilians have been evacuated to nearby towns. The cause of the incident is still unknown, and the source of the white light remains uncertain. Abnormal residues have been detected near the incident site."

"Anomalous remnants?"

"Yes, Sir! During the radioactive examination of the scene, the radioactive remnants were detected at an abnormally high level, but these remnants have not shown any adverse effects on anyone so far."

"Still, we can't predict that it will continue this way. Immediately inform the local teams, evacuate all civilians within a three-kilometer radius, and quarantine the area."

"Yes, Sir!"

"Also, Tariq and his team, get ready to examine the remnants with me."

"Understood."

We put on our specially designed radioactive suits. As we moved through the dark streets between armored military vehicles, with the power cut off, we could feel the silence. The only sound we could hear was the vehicle's own noise and the occasional intensified sound of the wind hitting the car.

Finally, we reached the scene. After we all got out of the vehicles, we looked up at the sky. It was as if a waterfall of water was pouring down from the city in the sky.

When we looked at the ground, we saw shiny silver pieces of rubble scattered around. I asked Tariq for an evidence bag and picked up a few glowing debris fragments, placing them inside the bag. I thought that by examining these pieces separately, we might learn something about what caused the incident.

For several hours, the result of our investigations mostly yielded the glowing abnormal silver debris pieces. Apart from that, we didn't come across much. Meanwhile, I sent Tariq and his team to check if there were any functioning security cameras in the buildings that remained intact.

If we can use the security cameras properly, we can find out how the incident actually occurred.

After an hour-long break, Tariq and the team's member Josh arrived at the camp with two sets of camera recordings.

"Captain, this was the only camera footage I could find. All the other cameras were completely destroyed due to the shockwave."

"It's surprising that this one survived, but it would be really helpful if it gives us the information we need."

First, I took the camera recording from Josh's hand and inserted it into the player, adjusting the playback to the time when the incident occurred.

At the moment of the incident, the surface of the Earth was momentarily glowing white, and then the whiteness vanished instantly. As I fast-forwarded the camera recording and analyzed it, something caught my attention.

I quickly rewound the footage and managed to capture that particular moment again. In the frame, there was a brief silhouette that appeared for just a moment.

"Commander Bryne, what exactly is this?" Josh asked.

"The main protagonist behind the incident," I replied.

However, due to her rapid movement, she appeared blurry and dark. When I watched the camera footage in Tariq's hand, I could gather enough information to realize that the person fleeing was a woman this time.

Could a single woman possess the power to cause all of this?

I'm on the verge of a splitting headache from exhaustion.

After telling everyone to rest, they all left the headquarters. Only Tariq and I remained in the room.

"Hey, Bryne. Let's go have a couple of drinks. You've been missing for almost 4 years, man."

"Hahaha... Your mind is still on alcohol, Tariq."

Tariq and I put on our everyday uniforms and entered a large bar at Tariq's suggestion. It was packed and filled with the strong smell of alcohol. The place was full of people dancing to music and others getting wasted and collapsing in corners.

Tariq and I sat down at a table and placed our orders.

After a long and enjoyable conversation, Tariq was starting to get drunk. Despite my warnings for him not to drink more, he seemed to ignore what I was saying.

The last thing I saw was Tariq kissing his own phone.

I want to forget this from my mind.

"Hey, alcoholic scum, it's time to go. We have work tomorrow!"

"Non voglio, vecchio."

I needed to pull Tariq away even if I had to drag him by the shoulder; I had to get him out of here. I can't allow him to drink more.

I accompanied Tariq back to the headquarters, and after leaving him in his room, as I was about to leave the room, I heard Tariq mumbling something.

"Shamira, Ramsha..."

Hearing those names created a void within me. They were the names of Tariq's daughter and wife. He had to leave them behind during the Iraq War. Later, terrorist organizations discovered his family and killed them as revenge.

You still remember them, my friend...