Patience is a virtue.

—Ethan is right.- Brock said seriously.—We know that Proctor is very cautious. Do you think he will just show up at that factory?—So, do we ask for a search warrant? —Emmett asked, clenching his fist tightly, his face reflecting the accumulated frustration — Time to hit him well.—That will not be enough even if we manage to close the place. Proctor will find another place to restart his operations. —Brock commented, settling down and lying down with disdain — Hood hit the table, frustrated. Sharp and Proctor had had no contact with each other, and the factory, like the land on which it was located, operated through shell companies, had nothing to connect Kai Proctor. He reflected for a moment, slowly tore apart the information in his hand and said:—We can't rush to ask for a search warrant —Brock said, his gaze fixed on Hood — A simple confession from an ex-convict is not enough for a Judge to grant us that order. —Let's do it —Hood said, his voice firm —. We need hard evidence, so we'll put up a surveillance on the factory. We are going to build a solid case that links Proctor. If we close that place now, we could lose any trace of its operation. We don't know if we will have another chance. As Brock said, this is a war, not a battle. If we continue in this direction, sooner or later we will knock it down.After saying this, Hood took out his wallet, took a ticket, and handed it to Brock:—It's all for now so why don't we order something for lunch. I invite this time.- I exclaim, meanwhile, Brock took the money and left the office. Emmett was preparing to follow him, but Hood stopped him.Emmett, confused, looked at him.—Sheriff, is there anything else?Hood stood up, seriously:—Regarding what happened yesterday, I should apologize to you with the Nazis. I shouldn't have used your family members as provocation. Sorry.Emmett waved and smiled:—It doesn't matter, I didn't take it seriously. I've seen a lot of that since I was a kid. But do you know what makes me happy the most?Seeing that Emmett did not give importance to the matter, Hood sighed with relief:— Tell me?Emmett winked at him:—Every time I put their heads on the ground, those damn racists. There is no better feeling in the world.Hood smiled in a hoarse voice, and Ethan, getting up too, clashed his fist with Emmett.—Yes, next time we will kick your head harder.—Of course.Emmett saw that Ethan still had work to do, so he smiled and closed the door to the sheriff's office.—Well now that we're alone, tell me the truth. — Ethan said as he walked across the desk, picking up the broken documents — The Hood I know, I wouldn't wait a minute to ask for that search warrant, to end Proctor's operation.—You're right —Hood replied, looking out the window.Brock had gone to Miles's restaurant to buy something, and Emmett was sitting in his place. Hood opened the drawer, took out a piece of paper, and handed it to Ethan.—This is the information I collected last night. Take a look at it.Ethan took the document, filled with information about Proctor's trials in previous years. Hood pointed to several key points and, with a playful expression, said:—All previous trials favored Proctor.—You mean the judge received bribes from Proctor —Ethan said, waving the paper.Hood nodded slightly:—If I don't threaten him like he did with tribal chiefs. If we request a search warrant, Proctor will find out immediately. And by the time we get to the place, he will have disposed of everything. Ethan folded the paper and returned it to Hood:—So what is the plan?Hood put the paper back in the drawer, removed the police badge from his chest, and threw it on the table. The silver plate rotated several times.— Do you remember the advice you gave me earlier? —he said, bowing his eyebrows with a spark in his eyes — That there is more than one way to deal with Proctor. We have already tried the legal path, that of the police. Now it's my turn, I'll do it my way. I'm going to destroy his operation, he won't even know who hit him.—Well, count on me —Ethan agreed, his expression hardened —. Proctor has acted with impunity for too many years, without facing any consequences. It's time for you to pay and finally see your luck.—I know —Hood replied, taking a look at the police station door just as Brock came in loaded with a couple of paper bags full of lunch — But let's talk about that later. If I act now, it would be like yelling at Brock and everyone else that I was the one who did it. We can't risk that, let's let things cool down for now.Ethan raised the corners of his mouth and drummed his fingers on the table:—Patience is a virtue.The next morning, Ethan's biological clock woke him up, as always. He staggered up, went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and showered. Upon leaving, he went straight to the wardrobe in search of his uniform. Touching the dark blue fabric of the police uniform, a thought hit him: he was on vacation.At the police station, everyone took turns taking a few days off. Although Banshee Town was a small town, the work was still dangerous and exhausting. Without adequate rest, it would be impossible to bear the pressure in the long term.Ethan, used to working relentlessly, would have continued without pause if allowed. But the department's regulations did not leave it. Remembering that he did not have to go to work, he patted himself on the head, gave a sigh and, without thinking twice, returned to bed, dropping heavily on the mattress.Less than a minute later, he went straight to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and took out a carton of eggs. He poured oil into the pan, and when it was hot, he broke six eggs in it. Soon, the liquid in the eggs solidified. Satisfied with the heat, Ethan grabbed the handle of the pan and threw the eggs into the air.The egg spun in the air with precision ... only to land directly on the ground. Ethan sighed, resigned, and went for the broom to clean up the mess. "You definitely shouldn't be playing chef", he thought with frustration. Perhaps the system would give you some culinary skills on your next mission. Although, of course, that system was lazy. He only dropped missions when he felt like it, and at times he least expected.After breakfast, he went to the tool room, dressed in fishing clothes. There, he cleared a corner where he kept his fishing gear. With a fishing rod and the box of hooks he had bought from the old sam, he walked to the small pier.After breakfast Ethan went to the tool room, dressed in comfortable fishing clothes. With a determined gesture, he cleared a corner where he kept his fishing gear. He took his fishing rod and the box of hooks he had bought from old Sam. With the equipment ready, he walked to the small pier, the sound of the waves gently caressing the wooden posts as he passed. The sun was beginning to rise, promising a perfect day to enjoy the tranquility of the lake.Looking up, he saw the branches and leaves rise far from him, with no close obstructions. He left his things on the floor and ran back to the house to bring a small bench. A light breeze blew as he prepared for his fishing day.—Let's see how —thought.After half an hour, when the reed moved unnaturally and the reel thread began to pull. Holding his breath, Ethan took the reed firmly. Suddenly, the float sank rapidly.— It is time! —exclaimed.Quickly, he pulled the rod hard. The thread tightened and the reed formed an arch. An enormous force was pulling from the water, the thread whistled as the fish tried to escape. After an intense ten-minute fight, a trout about a little over half a meter long flew out of the water, glowing in the sun.— Incredible! —Ethan said, his mouth open in amazement.But before he could do anything, the trout shook his head, the hook came loose, and the fish returned to the water, disappearing with a couple of blows from its tail.— Damn it! —Ethan hit the ground in frustration as the water soaked his clothes.Determined not to let that repeat itself, he threw the thread back into the water. This time, after a new fight, he managed to capture a lake tent. It was not as impressive as the previous one, but he was satisfied.—Not bad —he thought, while struggling to get the fish out.— Where's the net? —clapped his leg when he realized he had forgotten it.But he didn't want the fish to run away again, so without much thought, he hit the fish on the head with the retractable duty cane, since he didn't have a hook or a club to kill him, after that, he put it in an ice cooler to keep it as fresh as possible.The sun was already high and the heat was beginning to overwhelm. While sitting, his phone rang. Seeing who was calling, he replied.— Ethan? —Job's voice rang the other way — Did Hood say you're on vacation?—That's right —Ethan replied.—Perfect, I'm going there right now.Ethan hung up, missed. But, after spending the whole morning fishing, the rest was good for him.He put away his gear and, upon returning home, heard the sound of a car braking abruptly. Job came in, sunglasses in hand, and without greeting him he went straight to the fridge for a beer. Then he sat next to Ethan, placing his laptop on the table.—Look at this —Job said, while a surveillance image appeared on the screen.In the center of the image was a man wearing a cap, covering part of his face, and a spider tattoo on his neck.— Olek? —Ethan asked, recognizing the man.—That's right, he showed up at a store in Harlem. I tracked him down for two more blocks, before losing him — Job replied.Ethan got up without hesitation.—Just let me prepare my things. —said, preparing for what was to come. Ethan went to the wardrobe and kept two changes of clothes in his backpack.—Very well —Job said, already in the room, finishing the beer in his hand —The two clashed their fists and left the house. Ethan threw his backpack in the back seat of Job's convertible.— Where's Hood? —Ethan asked.—Carrie was released from prison today. He went to pick it up. You and I will go to New York first, we must do some recognition before. I will need someone to watch my back. —replied Job, who, with pink-dyed hair and a colored horizontal striped vest, put on sunglasses and headed for the driver's seat.—I drive. —Ethan asked.—Of course not, I don't want the state police to stop me and waste time —he added, while getting in the car.But Ethan did not move from his place, he only attended to extend his hand.—!Fuck you! —Job snorted, throwing the keys at him with a gesture of disgust — You will pay the fine, if they arrest us. Ethan raised his middle finger at him, sat in the driver's seat, and started the engine.— What about Johnny? —Ethan asked as he adjusted the mirrors.—In New York —Job replied, raising the roof of the car.Ethan nodded, stepped on the gas, and the car roared toward the Big Apple. After two or three hours of travel, they reached their destination. Ethan, while driving, couldn't help but think of Dr. Marie. A month ago he had left for Africa, so they had only chatted occasionally on social media. From the updates she shared, she was doing quite well.Following Job's directions, they parked the car in the underground parking lot of an apartment building. They took the elevator to the 36th floor. Job opened the door to the apartment, and Ethan went to the glass wall in the living room, from where the intense traffic was seen.—I thought you were playing when you said you had over a dozen residences in New York —Ethan commented, looking at the view.—I never joke about my safety, when Hood got out of prison the damned Rabbit blew up my beauty salon, since then I move from residence every few weeks. — Job replied, taking two cans of beer out of the fridge.Ethan took one and, after drinking, asked:— Where's the gun?—Follow me.Job guided him to a room. There, he opened a large closet full of exaggerated, brightly colored garments. After removing the clothes, he exposed the wooden board in the background. Under Ethan's curious gaze, Job pressed the side of the closet, revealing a numerical panel.Without preventing Ethan from seeing him, Job entered a series of numbers. With a click, the wooden board rose, revealing what was behind it.—This looks interesting —Ethan said, seeing the back of the closet.In the hidden compartment, there were five or six firearms, spare chargers, bullet boxes, and a bundle of bills stacked one after the other. Ethan took a couple of passports that were there and examined it. The photos were clearly of Job and her boyfriend Johnny, although the names were different.— Does it seem like you're ready to run away at any time? —Ethan asked, shaking the passport.—Of course. I hope it is never necessary —Job replied, taking the documents from his hands and returning them to the compartment.Ethan finished his beer in one gulp, crushed the can, and threw it in the trash. Then calmly, he put on disposable gloves and began selecting his equipment. He took an Uzi and a Glock 17. The Glock was his favorite for its simple handling and precision, perfect for when the situation required control. The Uzi, although not the best in terms of precision, but offered the necessary firepower in case things got complicated. Furthermore, it had an immediate deterrent effect and was compact enough to hide it under his coat without attracting attention.Back in the living room, Ethan put the bag under the sofa and sat on it.— Now what? —he asked, looking at the clock. It was only four in the afternoon.—It's still early, let's hope the night falls before going for it. Our target hasn't moved, I've been monitoring Olek since we left Banshee. — Job said, as he opened his laptop, with a surveillance program running.Ethan didn't understand much about those things, so he lit a cigarette, leaned back on the couch, and closed his eyes.He didn't know how long it had been when the sound of a conversation woke him up. Opening his eyes, he saw that the sky had darkened and that there were more people in the room.—Hi Ethan, a long time without seeing you —said a familiar voice.— Johnny? —Ethan replied, sitting down and greeting the Gothic man, who now wore a short haircut, similar to Job's, but with hair dyed gold and multiple ear earrings.—Hood is in trouble and can't come, it'll just be us for now. —Job reported, as he placed a couple of cardboard containers on the table — Johnny brought us dinner.— What happened? —Ethan asked, covering his mouth while yawning.—On the way back from prison to pick up Carrie, they were attacked by an assassin sent by Rabbit —Job explained, while taking a pizza out of the box.Ethan scratched his head and checked his phone. He had a message from Hood, but he hadn't seen it because he was asleep.—If he warned you, then it must be fine, right? —Ethan said, saving the phone.—Okay, but he couldn't come. So Johnny is here, he will be our backup tonight. —Job replied.Ethan nodded and grabbed a slice of pizza, asking:— Do you think we will find Rabbit?—I don't have high expectations, but finding Olek was a pleasant surprise —Job replied coldly — At least now I can avenge the bombing of my room.—We'll kill that motherfucker —said Johnny, with fierce eyes.When they got to the parking lot, Job pressed a button that activated a secret slot in the back of the car. Ethan, surprised by the hidden modifications to Job's vehicle, smiled and raised his thumb as a sign of approval before jumping into the car, ready for action.Harlem, in northern Manhattan, is a place full of contrasts. Although it is known for its vibrant and diverse nature, the streets reflect a harsher reality, with crime problems and racial tensions that persist in the area.—Among gangs and traffickers, this place has become a battlefield. We must move with caution. — Job said, in a somber tone as he watched the streets —In the neighborhoods most affected by poverty, gangs roam the streets at nightfall, dominating the landscape. Amidst this chaos, a classic yellow car was moving slowly, sliding through the empty streets.Ethan watched through the window, occasionally seeing homeless people huddled on the sidewalk, wrapped in cardboard to fight the cold. In this city, a single street could be the line between heaven and hell.Unlike the more crowded areas, garbage accumulated in the corners here. Under a lamppost, a voluptuous woman moved languidly, waving her hand and swinging her hips to attract attention. Ethan showed no interest in his figure, with disproportionately large thighs and wide hips, and quickly looked away. Some cars passed from time to time, while groups of men gathered in the corners, watching over what was happening around them.—These guys are drug dealers —Job explained as he discreetly nodded at a group on the corner —. In neighborhoods like this, each street has an owner. Each corner is marked by gangs claiming their territory, and it is not just for money or control, it is for power.Ethan nodded silently as he watched a car stop at the corner in front of them. A young man approached quickly, exchanged money, and threw a small bag into the vehicle. The car started immediately, without wasting time.Job, with a cigarette hanging from his lips, continued speaking calmly:—For ordinary people, as long as they don't get out of the car in these areas, they can be relatively safe. These gang members need to maintain some control on the streets, they cannot afford to have the Blues watching over their businesses.The vehicle advanced slowly, crossing an area marked by abandonment and desolation. They passed from time to time next to a basketball court, where a game was still in full swing, oblivious to the shots that rang out from a distance. Ethan straightened into his seat and adjusted his bulletproof vest.The car stopped in front of an old four-story apartment building. Johnny went out first, headed for the back of the vehicle, pulled out a bag containing the equipment for the assault.Ethan put on his gloves and opened the bag, feeling the familiarity of the equipment in his hands. He hung the Uzi submachine gun from his shoulder, hiding it under a wide jacket, and the Glock 17 was placed on the lower back. He kept the spare charger in his pants pocket. Adjusting a soft, translucent mask, he turned his gaze toward the apartment building next to him. The exterior walls were deteriorated, covered in gang graffiti, and the streets were deserted, an ominous silence enveloped the place.— What are we going to do? —Ethan asked, adrenaline starting to press on his veins —. Are we going to go in and finish everyone in this building?—There is no surveillance in the area, so we can only go in and look for —Job replied frankly —. It should not be difficult to locate a Ukrainian in Harlem.Ethan nodded and looked at Johnny.— Will you be fine here alone?Johnny pulled a Colt M1911 from his waist, the metal glowing dimly in low light. He held it firmly in his hand, ready for action. Ethan smiled, feeling the adrenaline begin to run through his body. Ethan put on the mask, which, from a distance, was not striking, but up close it looked like a haunting mosaic on his face. Job followed closely, his steps firm and determined.They advanced quickly, approached the door of the apartment and opened it with a calculated blow. Ethan pulled Glock 17 from his waist, prepared for what he could find inside. The hall on the first floor was silent, almost sepulchral. The reception desk, once occupied, had now been converted into a rubble and debris deposit. Beside him, a wide staircase spiraled up, covered by darkness.Without hesitation, Ethan took the lead, beginning to climb the steps to the second floor. The corridors extended on both sides, each adorned with two doors on each side. With a firm gesture, Ethan prepared to open the first door, quickly adjusted his emotions, and a deadly glow gleamed in his eyes.— Fyou btch! — was heard from a door on the left.A burly man came out of the room cursing.— I don't even know if this little one is my son! —screamed, frustration and anger springing from him —. You have half a day to pack and get out of here.The man turned furiously, but immediately raised his hands when he saw the mouth of the gun pointed at him.—Hey, I did nothing wrong, I don't want my son to lose his father, right — he said nervously.Ethan shook his head, and the man obediently pulled out the key, opened the door, and entered slowly. In the room, a woman in an afro and a red coat was sitting, on the phone.—Martin, he didn't believe me, he said he doesn't think it's his son. I'll go to Joey's house and try later — said the woman.The burly man, completely forgetting Ethan, began to curse with enthusiasm. The woman, surprised, quickly hung up the phone.—Hey sorry, I don't want to make you mad. — said the woman, but seeing Ethan his expression changed completely.—If you scream, I put a bullet in your mouth — Job said, appearing behind Ethan.The woman closed her mouth immediately, raising her hands as a sign of surrender, her eyes reflecting fear. Job, with the gun firmly pointed at her, looked at her suspiciously as Ethan approached to interrogate her.In advance, a group broke into the room, pushing the couple in. The door closed behind them with a blow. With an agile movement, Ethan made him fall to the ground and, using a yellow plastic flange, tied his hands behind his back.— Are there any Ukrainians living in this building? — Ethan asked.The burly man breathed with relief, they did not come for him and he replied:—If there are a couple of guys in the building.— You mean there is more than one?—Yes — said the woman quickly — There are four white guys, they live on the fourth floor, on 4-C, at the end of the hall. — added the man.—Tell me, is this guy among them? —Job asked, holding a photo on his phone in front of the girl. She looked closely at the image, her eyes running through the man's face, and finally nodded, confirming that one of them was Olek, her target.