Chapter 169: Departure

Monday 11th August 2025…

On the previous day, Kate came early in the morning as she had promised. But, she did not come alone, as she came with Susan.

After tasting the dishes that had been prepared by Adrian the previous day, Susan could not stop yearning for more. So, when there was a chance, she availed herself.

She just felt that it was a pity that she did not know Michael well. Otherwise, she would not have to wait until Kate was present in order to come together with her.

After having breakfast, the group left together, heading out. They began visiting mall after mall, doing shopping.

Neither of the three of them lacked money. So, they were able to buy many things, with some that were even considered useless.

But during this time, the relationship between Michael and Kate grew closer. Additionally, Michael was able to see another side of Kate that he had never seen before, rather, he had only been seeing glimpses of.

It turned out that the cold personality that she usually had was not her real personality. It was just an acquired personality, which came from her hatred for gangsters.

As for Susan, she was mostly silent, and at some point, she decided to leave. She could no longer tolerate being a third wheel.

Since it was just the two of them that were left, it seemed that Kate became even more free. So, apart from shopping, they visited several fun places in different malls, enjoying their time together.

Maybe Kate wanted to make sure that this time was memorable, as she wanted to try almost everything that was considered to be fun.

Unfortunately, when she tried to compete against Michael, almost each and every time, no matter the type of game, she always lost. That was the only thing that left her frustrated, but impressed at the same time.

She was amazed by how versatile Michael was. He was of the same age as herself. But, why was he so brilliant?

This made her determination grow stronger. To be able to be with such a man, she definitely had to be good enough as well. So, when joining NEXUS, she would have to train hard, to hold a considerable position within the organization as soon as possible.

The two of them ended up spending the entire day out. As for their meals, Adrian actually delivered the food to them. It was because Kate could not handle the food outside.

Unfortunately, she would have to get used to eating the food that tasted bland later on. After all, after she left, Adrian would no longer be there to cook for her.

The two then parted ways later on, just about 8 PM. Michael went back to the villa, while Kate went back home, to spend the night with her mother.

Before going to look for Michael, she had already communicated with Richard, and they had agreed that they would be departing the following day, which was on Monday.

….

Kate was selected for an Inter-Agency Accelerated Training Program. This was something that Kate’s mother, grandparents and other siblings came to know about.

It was the same at work, as the fellow police officers also thought that she was lucky to be selected. It was not often that a police officer was selected for this program.

And those that usually came back, they usually possessed incredible skills. And after serving for a while, they were able to easily climb the ranks as they get promoted.

Quite a number of people were jealous and envious of Kate. But in the end, there was nothing that they could do, considering that this was a selection from above.

Neither of them believed that this might be related to Kate’s background. After all, the Morgan family did not have the influence to make Kate selected for this program. The selection was made from the central province, the capital city itself.

For Susan, who already knew about what was happening, was also surprised. But at the same time, she felt relieved. At least, this was true, and Michael was not tricking them.

At the same time, she was worried about Kate. Well this was an opportunity for her, it was filled with dangers. She could die at any moment.

If she really could, she would have advised Kate not to go. But, this was an opportunity for her, an opportunity for her to be able to advance. She could not bear to stop Kate from taking the chance.

As for Michael, when he got the information, as he had been paying attention to know how Kate would be recruited, he did not have much of a reaction.

This was something within his expectations. After all, NEXUS could not just make Kate vanish. Otherwise, it would raise many questions.

Additionally, they could not say that she was recruited into a secret organization. If they said that, then this organization would no longer be a secret, about its existence.

But this method that they had used, it was quite good. After all, it was not as though Kate was the first person to be recruited for special training.

When Charles heard about this special recruitment, he was hesitant. He did not want Kate to go, but he could not bear to stop her, as this was something that she claimed to need.

And when she said that she could communicate with them during the time of training, the old man was finally relieved.

As for the issue concerning engagement, the old man did not pay much attention to that. After all, he had been informed that Kate had spent an entire day with Michael, which was the direction that he was hoping the relationship between the two of them would move in.

…

Early morning on Monday, Kate received a message from the same number that she had contacted the previous morning.

In the message, a location was listed. It was a logistics airfield on the outskirts of the city.

It was not a military base, or a civilian airport either, just a stretch of fenced tarmac used for government transport, emergency drills, and equipment transfers.

This was a kind of place most people drove past without ever noticing anything peculiar about it.

Kate took a taxi, as she could not drive her car here. Additionally, she was told that she had to come alone. So, she could not have someone drive her here either.

On the way, Kate looked outside the window, as if she was trying to engrave everything about this city in her memory. While she was not going for good, and would be able to return, Kate was sure that it was not that simple.

Additionally, even if she was given the chances to frequently come back, she would not do that. Instead, she would only come once in a while. After all, she was determined to improve.

And if she needed to improve, she had to show her determination. She had to work hard, and could not slack off.

Occasionally, her mind steered towards Michael, and the time that they had spent together the previous day. A subconscious smile appeared on her face, as the determination in her heart grew stronger.

When the taxi pulled up to the outer checkpoint, a uniformed guard checked her identification, glanced at the sealed document she carried, one that had been delivered to her from the police station, and waved the car through without comment.

The driver didn’t linger. As soon as Kate stepped out, the taxi turned around and disappeared back toward the city.

Inside the perimeter, Kate noticed an airfield.

A wide slab of concrete stretched ahead, broken by yellow guide lines and low hangars painted in dull gray. The place was almost empty, apart from a few people.

A single helicopter sat idle near the far end of the pad, rotors still, its dark paint unmarked except for a small serial number near the tail.

Standing beside the helicopter was a man. Even from a distance, Kate could immediately recognize him as the person who had given her the invitation 2 days ago.

He stood near the helicopter, coat buttoned against the wind, hands clasped behind his back. He had a calm expression as he looked at the approaching Kate.

And from the information that Michael had obtained, Kate knew that this was the commander of the elite unit that he was going to join.

Previously, when she did not know his identity, she did not care that much about him. But now, knowing that he was the strongest within NEXUS, she felt some kind of awe towards his ability.

“You’re on time,” he said simply.

Kate nodded.

Just to make sure that they were on the same page, Richard went ahead and explained the last details in the same even tone as before. He mentioned what Kate’s cover assignment would state, who would be informed, and who wouldn’t. Her phone would be logged and returned later. Contact would be limited.

The wind picked up as the helicopter came to life, the low thrum of the engine rolling across the tarmac. Dust stirred around their feet, and the sound drowned out the city entirely.

“This is as far as I go,” the man said, raising his voice just enough to be heard. “From here on, you’ll be briefed by someone else on the details, and how to officially join the organization.”

Kate looked once over her shoulder.

From where she stood, Brenton city was only a distant outline beyond the fence. Close enough to see, yet far enough to feel removed already. She had yet to depart, but she had already begun missing the people that she knew.

After taking a deep breath, she handed over her phone without being asked.

And as the door to the helicopter slid open, she stepped in, and a few seconds later, as the door closed, the helicopter took to the skies.

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