Chapter 369: Come On, This Is Completely Normal

The Church's subordinate returned to his office and called Susan.

"Hello, Barry, what's up?" Susan asked.

"There's a mission that needs your attention. One of our undercover agents was killed in Brussels, Belgium. I recommended you to Director Willis to handle the case," Barry replied.

Susan, who was already frustrated by the Church repeatedly delaying her requests due to a lack of evidence, had no interest in handling an undercover agent's murder case. But before she could refuse, Barry added, "I advise you not to turn this down. I just saw a retirement report on Director Willis's desk, and your name was on it. If you want to retire, feel free to decline. But if you're not ready to fully step down just yet, then take this mission. With your experience, solving a murder case shouldn't be too difficult. The higher-ups are taking this very seriously—you should understand that."

"Damn it," Susan cursed under her breath. The thought of Willis wanting her to retire, combined with her fear of having nothing to do after retirement, made her bite back her refusal. "Fine, I'll take it. But I need to bring my own familiar team for the operation."

"No problem. I know Dave. I'll loop him in now, so I don't have to repeat everything later."

"Alright, hold on, Barry."

A minute later, three people appeared on the screen. Dave logged in and greeted Barry and Susan, "Good morning, Director Barry, Director Susan."

"Good morning, Dave. Now that everyone's here, let's get to it. Last night at 11 PM Brussels time, a senior CIA operative named Colbert was killed at home. His wife was also found dead. The initial investigation by Belgian police concluded that Colbert killed his wife and then committed suicide. However, we don't believe Colbert would kill himself. He's a seasoned undercover agent who just passed a psychological evaluation last month, and there were no signs of suicidal tendencies. That's why the agency wants you to investigate this case."

"Dave, you've worked with Susan before. This time, you'll act as her deputy and lead your team to assist in the investigation while ensuring her safety," Barry explained.

"Understood, sir." Although Dave maintained a neutral expression, he was fuming inside. Colbert was one of the people he and his team had just eliminated.

Damn it! How could something so coincidental happen? Dave couldn't help but suspect the anonymous party who posted the mission on the dark web. But he couldn't mention this now and could only plan to figure it out after the mission was over. Putting on a slightly mournful expression, Dave asked, "Sir, are we certain that Colbert was really one of ours?"

"Of course. His identity has been confirmed," Barry replied, holding up a report. "This is the Belgian police report. Traces of gun lubricant were found in Colbert's mouth, and a 9mm handgun was discovered at his feet. The gun was registered to Colbert himself. Apart from Colbert and his wife's fingerprints, no other prints were found in the house. That's why the Belgian police concluded it was a suicide."

"These are the details we have so far. The Belgian authorities have been uncooperative since learning Colbert was one of ours, so I need you to thoroughly investigate his death. A plane is waiting at the airport, ready to depart at any time."

"Thanks, Barry. I'll call you if I have any questions," Susan said.

"Alright, bye."

As soon as Barry logged off, Susan turned to Dave. "Contact our people in Belgium and tell them to secure the crime scene. No one goes in until I arrive."

"Understood, ma'am," Dave hesitated for a moment and then said, "I looked into our records, and I couldn't find anything on this Colbert. No information on when he joined, what missions he was on, or when he was sent undercover. Are you sure he's one of ours?"

"I don't know," Susan said, rubbing her neck in frustration. "There are plenty of operatives like him in the agency. In every country, there are always a few agents with low-ranking positions who hold key posts. The UK has plenty of them, too."

"Alright. Looks like I don't have the clearance for that kind of info. God, I still have a pile of other messy cases on my desk," Dave grumbled.

"Stop complaining. Get ready to leave. Maybe we'll be back soon," Susan said, laughing.

"The only thing I'm looking forward to is Belgian chocolate," Dave smiled. "The one thing Belgium's famous for is its chocolate."

"True. Chocolate is always good. We'll have to try some while we're there."

An hour later, Susan met Dave at the airport. When she only saw him, she asked, "Where's Ali and the others?"

"They're on a mission in the Netherlands. I told them to meet us directly in Brussels," Dave said with a smile.

"Alright, let's get going then."

Missions like these were routine for Special Ops, so Susan didn't think too much about it.

Seven hours later, they landed in Brussels, where the Belgian Special Ops team picked them up and took them directly to Colbert's house.

Once inside, Susan thoroughly investigated every inch of the house, growing silent as she worked. The Belgian police, uncooperative as ever, shrugged when Susan pointed out some clues. The police chief said, "Sorry, the rest of the report hasn't been finalized yet. You showed up before we could send it to you. I'll have someone deliver the latest findings to your hotel later."

Dave checked his watch and said to Susan, "Susan, we're almost due for our meeting with the consular staff. They probably have the most up-to-date information."

His words snapped Susan out of her thoughts. "Okay, let's go," she said, walking over to Dave and taking her bag and coat from him.

Dave, noticing the tense look on Susan's face, felt uneasy. "You alright?"

"I'm fine. Let's go," she replied curtly, walking past him. Whether it was her instincts or a hunch, Susan's steps quickened as she passed by him, as though she had already figured out that Colbert's death was connected to Dave's team.

Having worked with Susan for over ten years, Dave's instincts kicked in. He knew something was wrong. Susan might have already guessed that his team was responsible for Colbert's death. His mind raced as he stood still, reviewing the preparations they had made before coming to Belgium.

"Susan, we need to leave," Susan's voice called from ahead.

"Coming," Dave replied.

They walked out of Colbert's house, chatting and laughing casually as they got into the car. There was no outward sign of anything amiss. When they reached the hotel and met the consular staff, Dave leaned over to Susan and whispered, "Let's check in first. I'll talk to you while we walk."

"Okay," Susan nodded.

"Colbert's bank records showed nothing unusual. His phone, emails, and marriage records all came up clean. No affairs, no boyfriends, and he never mentioned anything inappropriate to his colleagues," Dave explained.

"Wait, boyfriend? Colbert?" Susan stopped in her tracks, surprised.

Dave shrugged. "Come on, Susan, you know this isn't that uncommon around us. And we're in Western Europe, so this kind of thing is even more normal here."

"Alright, I guess I'm overreacting," Susan admitted.

They finished checking in and headed toward the elevators. Just as they reached the elevator, Susan's phone suddenly rang.

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