The Last Scoop

<p> Jason Green leaned heavily against the splintered door, his heart pounding, the gun in his hands trembling slightly. He banged the door twice more, the sound echoing down the empty hallway. "NLPD!" he shouted. Silence answered him. With a deep breath, he kicked the door hard, the wood cracking under the force. One, two, three times until it finally gave way, swinging open with a groan.<br/><br/>Inside, the living room was a chaos of overturned furniture and shattered objects. It looked like a storm had torn through the place. Whoever had been here was searching for something, and they hadn't been gentle about it. Jason stepped cautiously through the mess, his eyes scanning for any signs of life.<br/><br/>The adjacent room was dimly lit, the smell of iron thick in the air. Jason's stomach churned; he knew that smell all too well. Blood. <br/><br/>A young man in his twenties lay crumpled on the floor, a dark pool spreading beneath him. The bullet wound in his head told Jason everything he needed to know. Whoever had done this had made sure he wouldn't survive. <br/><br/>Jason knelt beside the body, his face grim. He reached out, gently closing the young man's eyes. "Rest in peace," he murmured, offering a silent prayer. He knew this face. Romaro Shepherd, an investigative journalist known for digging up dirt on the wealthy and powerful, then selling it or using it for blackmail. Jason had been looking for him, and now, he was too late.<br/><br/>Pulling off his gloves, Jason placed a hand on Romaro's forehead, feeling a faint, tingling sensation. He frowned, then removed his hand and jotted something down in his phone. <br/><br/>In the bathroom, Jason stood on the toilet seat and reached into the ceiling light fixture. His fingers fumbled around until they found a hidden key. Pocketing it, he stepped down and called dispatch. "This is Jason Green, badge number JG189233. There's a guy shot at Willeys Road, house 193. Send a team immediately."<br/><br/>Leaving the scene, Jason got into his car and drove through the night. His thoughts raced as he made his way to the local metro station. He entered platform 3 and headed for the locker room. Locker number four opened with the key from Romaro's house, revealing a stash of documents, a phone, and a pendrive.<br/><br/>Jason unlocked the phone, inputting the complicated password he'd noted earlier. Images and videos of famous people filled the screen. As expected, Romaro had been compiling evidence. Jason uploaded everything to his personal cloud drive, ensuring it was safe.<br/><br/>Back in his car, he navigated through the city streets. The interior was a mess of trash and paperwork. He lit a cigarette and turned up the country music on the radio. His phone buzzed, the caller ID showing "Boss ❤️." Jason answered with a grin. "Hi, boss."<br/><br/>"What's the status?" came the stern voice from the other end.<br/><br/>"Mission successful," Jason replied, his smile widening. "I got all the evidence. With this, we can close many cases and even put that bastard behind bars for life."<br/><br/>"Good. Meet me at the usual place," his boss instructed.<br/><br/>"Got it," Jason said, noting he was only a few miles away. "By the way, boss, let's go on a vacation. It's been too hectic recently."<br/><br/>A noncommittal "Hmm" was the only reply before the call ended.<br/><br/>Jason, in high spirits, barely noticed the truck speeding towards him until it was too late. The headlights blinded him, and in the next moment, the truck smashed into his car. The world spun as the vehicle cartwheeled and rolled, metal crunching and glass shattering. <br/><br/>Dazed and bleeding, Jason struggled to move. He saw two men climb out of the truck and approach. They rifled through the wreckage, taking something before dousing the car in gasoline. Flames erupted, quickly engulfing the car.<br/><br/>Jason fought to free himself, but the pain was overwhelming. He watched helplessly as the fire spread, the heat intense, until a final explosion silenced everything.</p>