6.2 Struggles

"So your name, first name, date of birth, and ID number, please," said a jaded-looking policeman, sitting back in his chair and not even looking his interlocutor in the eye.

Opposite him, Nils, flanked by his two friends, looked as down as ever. Reliving the same experience as a year ago was still traumatic for him. His heel tapped nervously on the ground in rhythm with his stress.

"Young man?"

"Huh?" Nils replied, surprised by the policeman's interjection, which was starting to get impatient. "Ah yes, sorry... Nils Verisson, 24 July 2001, 12657483."

Without much energy, the policeman recorded the information on his computer.

"Sir, your boss knows us, we've already dealt with this person last year..." began Yomo, who could see the total lack of receptiveness of the civil servant.

"Young man, you file a complaint for pet abduction, I'll fill in the form and that's it," he muttered. "If you have anything else to report, you can make another complaint, and if you're not satisfied, it won't be any different. So let me do my job or I'll kick you out.

"But the person we are dealing with is a renowned member of the Gyriad! Our friend has a past with her, this is much more serious than a simple cat abduction!" insisted Yomo, who was also beginning to lose patience.

This time the policeman looked up from his screen and stared sharply into Yomo's exasperated eyes.

"Look, I hear stories about missing cats every day, so if you think your case is any different, you're going to have to give me a little more concrete evidence than just your friend's bruises!"

"But she threatens to kill him if he doesn't give her three thousand euros a month! This is blackmail! This is much more serious than a simple animal abduction!" Yomo felt anger rising inside him.

"Can you believe your story? A woman beats someone up..."

"Get beaten up! She's not alone..." corrected Yomo.

"...kidnaps a cat and demands a monthly payment of 3000 euros from its owner? Do you have any other stories like that? And all this for a cat? Don't you think I have anything else to do than to deal with your nonsense stories?" the policeman interrupted the young man without bluntness.

This time it was Jin who let his anger explode. He stood up abruptly and slammed his fist into the policeman's desk, startling everyone in the room. Restraining himself from lashing out at the officer who was obviously close to their request, he took a few steps around the chair, both hands fiddling with his blonde curls and taking a long breath, eyes closed to relieve the pressure.

"We've already worked with your boss last year," Yomo made a last, calm attempt. "Your colleagues in the Anti-Crime and Narcotics Squad know us well, could you contact your superior so that we can talk to him directly?"

This time it was the policeman who got angry. He stood up and answered the three friends, half leaning over the desk, raising his voice in exasperation at the insistence of these young idiots who thought they knew everything.

"And I'm telling you that I don't give a damn about your stories! It's all bullshit, and I'm not going to piss off my superior for a hoax from kids like you who have nothing else to do with their time!"

Unable to contain his anger anymore, Jin grabbed the policeman by the collar and brought his face dangerously close to his own. In a low, threatening voice, he breathed in his face more than he said:

"Listen to me, you little shit, my buddy is being threatened by one of the most dangerous mobsters in the city, and just because you refuse to take us seriously because you are too LAZY to get off your ass and go get your boss, his life is in danger! When that's basically the job of the police! So either you explain to me what you're doing here if you don't care when residents come to report the resumption of activity by the local mafia, which is responsible for more than three hundred deaths a year in the city, or you bring us your boss and hurry up because we don't have that much to do either!"

The man in his fifties had turned pale. Jin towered over him with all his size and strength. Ninety kilos of muscle trained by swimming at a high level was impressive even for a man of his age and build. Refusing to see his pride so easily trampled, he gathered up what anger and self-respect he had left to answer the young man in the same way he had accosted him.

"You don't get to dictate to me, I'm the representative of law and order, and I decide whether to take you seriously or not, whether you like it or not!"

The tension was at its peak. Jin was not letting go, and the policeman refused to change his position despite the direct physical threat the tall, blue-eyed blond posed to him. Between them, still sitting in his chair, Nils was groaning, his head in his hands and looking completely downcast. Yomo had stood up but didn't know what to do to calm things down, since he agreed entirely with what his friend had said. All eyes in the police station had turned to them, and a creeping, underhanded commotion had settled in the large room set especially for filing complaints.

It was then that everyone calmed down when a man burst into the room. A man the three friends knew well. Relief washed over them and everyone relaxed as he approached the group.

"Inspector Jok-Ma!" exclaimed Yomo, a relieved smile lighting up his face.

Greeting the group of students from afar, his arrival brought a wave of hope to the students. Jin released the policeman, Nils stood up and walked quickly to meet the inspector.

"Inspector! My cat...Inja took my cat and..."

Putting his hand on her arm, he gave him a reassuring look to let him know he was taking charge of the situation. Walking up to the desk where his two friends were still, he addressed the policeman who had received them.

-I know the case, Hong-Jo, I'll take it from here," he said in an authoritative voice. "It's under the jurisdiction of the drug squad until further notice.

The policeman bowed obediently and sat back down at his desk without saying anything. Yomo gave him a look of evil satisfaction. Assholes who were unable to swallow their ego even when shown to their face that they were wrong was one of the things he couldn't stand the most.

Motioning for the three friends to follow him, the inspector headed for the back of the room he had entered, taking the group with him. After a quick wander through the corridors of the police station offices, the chief led them into a room occupied by a dozen people, all bent over desks, on the phone, or in heated discussions.

He directed them to his own office, and they gathered in a circle around it.

"So guys, I can't say I'm glad to see you back because that means you're bringing me bad news," the inspector joked good-naturedly. "Tell me everything that has happened since the beginning, as you are used to doing. Remember that the smallest details are important!"

Nils repeated what had happened, in detail. He was used to reporting to Inspector Jok-ma, so he knew what was important and what was not. He gave the time of day, the number of people, the description, and the names mentioned during the altercation.

The inspector listened carefully and wrote everything down on his computer. When Nils had finished, he sighed.

"Your account corroborates our own information," he confirmed with a serious look. "We've noticed recently that the drug trade has resumed along the old routes of the Gyriads, but even more surprisingly, they're also using new routes that they shouldn't be able to use. I have the impression that the Gyriad is back even more powerful than before..."

He gave Nils a sorry look.

"I'm sorry the Matrone is at it again, Nils," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll monitor her movements and put a watch around your house if you agree. If you don't feel safe, I'll assign a policeman to protect you non-stop. You are clearly her first target, and your life is at stake, I'm not taking the risk of gambling with your life like last year. This time we're handling this case without you boys."

The three friends nodded in relief.

"You did the right thing coming to us," the inspector continued. "As for your cat... I'm sorry but there's not much we can do. I can't send a brigade to go rescue him with the little information we have, it's too risky."

He looked at the student, who had tears in his eyes, with empathy.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't think she's really going after him. You know how she works: she plays on people's fear to get what she wants rather than violence. She uses the fact that you're thinking the worst. But there's a good chance she'll leave your cat alone, you can rest assured of that. She's got a lot of faults, but she doesn't seem to be a great lover of animal torture."

Nils wiped his eyes. He knew it, but he couldn't convince himself of it before hearing it like this. He faced the fact that his cat could not be saved, at least not right away. He had no hope left to cling to. He would have to learn to live without Morilles. His two friends tried to comfort him by patting his back. After a few sniffles, he wiped his eyes for good and stared into the eyes of the officer who was standing right in front of him.

"Let his sacrifice not be in vain in this case. Make sure you catch her and put her in jail for good this time! Make sure she's no longer a threat to anyone!"

His gaze was firm despite his trembling voice. His determination was just as firm. He wanted nothing more to do with this woman.

"We will do everything we can to stop her actions," the inspector promised. "From now on, she becomes our number one concern. I promise you we'll do everything we can to stop her!"

Nils clenched his fists. The emotion was too much for him. Coming back to this place that had become a part of his daily life for a whole year, reliving all the suffering he had undergone during all that time, awakened a trauma in him that he thought he would never have to face again. Seeing their friend's panic, Yomo and Jin decided to take him back home.

"I'll let you know of the advancement of the investigation and the course of action we'll plan" the inspector reassured them.

"Thank you, inspector. We'll definitely feel better knowing how the case is going on," answered Yomo.

Supporting their friend by the shoulder, they went to Nils' house where they took turns looking after him for the rest of the day, alternating between their classes at the university and his flat. Exhausted by the tension and stress he had been under since the incident, Nisl's body had become feverish from too much emotion and he had spent the day in bed.