Lunch

13:00

Reception, Hotel Green Pacific, Sendai

Annabelle got down from the elevator in the reception and saw Sohel already waiting for her. Sge reached Sohel and greeted him. Sohel greeted back and said, "Let's go."

But Annabelle stopped him and told him about her interaction with Mimi in the hallway. After she told everything, she asked, "So, what will you do? We can ignore them if you want."

Sohel replied, "No. That'll make them suspicious. Let's go. I'm hungry anyway."

Annabelle smiled and said, "Nice. They said that they'll wait for us in the restaurant."

13:14

Hotel Green Pacific Restaurant, Sendai

Sohel and Annabelle entered the restaurant and looked for the sisters. But the sisters found them instead. Mimi called out to them from a table. Sohel looked that way and saw the sisters sitting at a table. They reached the table, and Lola got up and extended her hand for a handshake. Sohel shook her hand and all of them sat down.

Lola said, "Thanks for accepting Mimi's lunch invite. I hope it's not troubling for you. She can be a bit... outgoing at times."

Sohel chuckled and said, "No, no. It's okay. We're on vacation after all. We always like ourselves some new friends."

Lola smiled. "That's good then. Let me introduce ourselves once again. I'm Lola Yu. I work as a financier for a Filipino company. These are my sisters, Mimi and Ida."

Mimi said, "You know me already, but I'll go again. I'm Mimi Yu. I work as a chef in a restaurant in the Philippines."

Ida said, "I'm Ida Yu. I'm a freelancer. Currently working as a tech support official."

Sohel smiled at them and said, "Wow. So, you're sisters. But you don't look American though, Ms. Lola."

Lola replied, "Ohh. You got a keen eye on things. Yeah, they are my step sisters."

"Ohh. Well, I guess now it's my time to introduce myself. I'm Sahil Chowdhury. I'm a private detective. My agency's based in Manchester."

Annabelle added, "And I'm his assistant, Anna White."

Ida replied, "Wow. So, you guys are actual detectives?"

Annabelle replied, "Uhm... yeah?"

"Wow, I always loved detective dramas. Do you guys actually have those cool futuristic gadgets like the ones in the movies?"

Sohel chuckled, "Haha. No, we don't. Those are called fiction for a reason."

Ida seemed disheartened as she said in a low tone, "Ohh."

Lola clapped her hands, realising the awkward situation, and said, "Come on, let's order food. We can talk more over lunch."

Everyone agreed. They then ordered food and finished lunch while gossiping. Even though it felt like gossiping, it was more like a one-sided QNA session with the sisters asking Sohel and Annabelle various questions about their 'detective' lives and them answering.

After they finished lunch, they were idly sitting at the table when Sohel suddenly got a call. Sohel got up and went outside after excusing himself from the table. A few minutes later, he came back and said, "Sorry, Miss Yu. It looks like we gotta leave now. I just got a call from a friend. He invited us to his home."

Lola said, "Oh, it's okay. We're going to go do some sightseeing too... Hmm… Let's exchange contacts. That way we can stay in touch."

Ann replied, "That's a really good idea."

They then exchanged contact info, and Sohel said, "Let's go, Ann. We shouldn't be late."

Ann replied, "Oh, coming."

As they left, Lola said, "Hmm. They seem to be telling the truth about vacation."

Ida added, "Yes, let's let them be for now. No need to go after them as long as they don't interfere."

As Annabelle and Sohel left the restaurant and went towards the parking lot, Ann asked, "Who's this 'friend'?"

Sohel replied, "He's an LT of JGSDF and SNA (Japan Ground Self-Defence Force). He's going to be our eye on the inside."

"Ohh."

15:48

JGSDF Base Sendai, Nigatake, Miyagi

Sohel's Alfa Romeo stopped outside the main gate of the base. After waiting for around 10 minutes, A Japanese man in his mid 20s entered and sat on the backseat of the car. The man was wearing a white t-shirt with black jeans. He had black medium hair with a sharp jawline and a fit body.

The man said, "Start the car; let's talk while driving. It would look suspicious if we're just sitting in one place for no reason."

Sohel nodded and started the car.

As Sohel started driving, the man handed a pendrive to Annabelle. Annabelle asked, "What is this?"

The man replied, "Look inside."

Annabelle took out her tablet and plugged the pendrive in with an adapter. 

In a few seconds, a map showed up with black pointers in nine places. 

The man said, "These are the places where Major Shadow has killed people. The latest one is there, just in front of the Sendai subway station gate. It was two days ago."

Sohel asked, "Why's he doing this?"

The man replied, "We have no idea. The only thing connecting these people is that they were involved in Project Spectre."

Sohel said, "Hmm. ARIA, get me a list of every single person who was involved with Project Spectre and are still alive."

ARIA replied, "On it, Captain."

Sohel then said, "Ann, once ARIA gets the list, look at their backgrounds and current status. Try to find out everything you can about them. Where are they now, what are they doing, everything? Tell me if you find anyone suspicious."

Ann showed a thumb to Sohel and said, "You got it."

The man said, "I can show you the murder locations if you want."

Sohel replied, "Yeah, thanks. That'd help a lot."

The man said, "Let's go then. By the way, sorry I didn't introduce myself. I'm 2nd Lt. Ryoichi Kurojawa."

Sohel and Annabelle introduced themselves too. 

Annabelle then said, "Let me off in the hotel if you're going to visit the crime scenes. I don't have anything to do there. I'll work on the task at hand in my hotel room."

Sohel agreed and turned the car towards the hotel. 

18:45

New Manila International Airport, Manila, Philippines 

Naomi and Jacob got out of the airport and met up with a man in his late 30s, wearing a military outfit. There were 10–12 men with him wearing the same outfit. Naomi and Jacob were wearing SNA official outfits. 

Naomi shaked the man's hand, and the man said, "Master Sgt. Juan Andrada is reporting. Me and my squad will be under your command for the upcoming security mission."

Naomi replied, "1st Lt. Medusa. I'll be counting on you."

All of them got out of the airport and got in cars. Sgt. Andrada, Jacob and Naomi were in one car with a driver. Once the car started, Naomi asked, "Who are we guarding?"

Sgt. Andrada handed Naomi a tablet as he said, "Dr. Satoshi Ito. Apparently he has made some breakthrough research in human neurology and is supposed to give a speech about it at the WHO summit on the 10th. But he's fearing for his life for some reason. Says that someone might come and kill him for his research. I think the old man's just paranoid. Typical old scientist."

Apparently it was a really funny joke and Sgt. Andrada started laughing. Jacob leaned and looked at the tablet. As he saw the picture of Satoshi Ito, he said, "Dude looks washed up, that's for sure."

Naomi just replied, "Hmm."

She was brainstorming as she found the picture familiar.