Ethan's Call

"Fuck! I will never ride with you ever again!" Chris winced, holding onto a trash can for support as his legs and feet felt weak.

"Yeah, sure thing Chris," Jack replied, trying to hide his smirk. He knew better than to believe Chris's empty threat. Chris had said this at least five times before, yet every time, he would still eagerly climb into the car whenever Jack is driving.

In fact, Chris would still hand over the keys to Jack. The silver-white key wasn't just any ordinary key. It was Jack's [Different Dimension Wrench], which had transformed into a key. A new ability it acquired when his profession reached the advanced tier. Jack couldn't explain why his wrench could change shape, but he didn't question it. He just went with the flow, using it to his advantage.

He knew that if he told Chris the truth, he wouldn't believe it. So, Jack just let Chris think the key came from the equipment department of the IRS. The idea of a wrench transforming into a key would have seemed like a joke to Chris, and he would have never taken Jack seriously.

Chris was still dizzy from the intense, high-speed city race, completely forgetting about the key. But the sound of sirens in the distance snapped him back to reality. Jack and Chris weren't the least bit worried, though. They knew they had everything under control.

A police car finally caught up with them, and two officers approached, guns in hand. But before they could even say a word, Jack pulled out his ID and asked,

"Gentlemen, can you read what's written on this?"

The officers' eyes widened as they read the ID, and they quickly gulped.

"So, do you recognize this place?" Jack asked, pointing to the towering building beside him with a mischievous grin.

"Yeah, of course," the other police officer replied, trying to hide his unease. "It's the Langley City Taxation Bureau."

"What a coincidence, my ID card seems to have the same name as this place," Jack said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Do you think it's a coincidence?"

The two police officers exchanged a worried look before nodding their heads. But suddenly, they understood their mistake and shook their heads frantically.

"Do you know I haven't stumbled upon a single tax case this year," Jack continued, keeping up the act.

"But the two of you have been having a good time. Maybe I should investigate and see if something fishy is going on."

"No, no, no!"

The two cops exclaimed in unison, taking a step back and shaking their heads frantically. Within seconds, they scurried into their patrol car and sped away, tires screeching and leaving a trail of black smoke behind.

"That start was so fast, I'm surprised the tires didn't catch fire. Well, well, well. Little Langley is hiding some pro race car drivers," Jack said, impressed.

"Jack, we're supposed to be a professional department serving justice and upholding the law," Chris said, walking up to Jack and leaning against the car, looking defeated.

"Why do you always act like a gangster?"

"The only difference between gangsters and us, my friend is the employment contract with the federal government," Jack replied, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"And honestly, it's not much of a difference."

"You're right," Chris admitted, finally understanding. "As the head of the IRS, I know all too well the power and privileges that come with the job."

The so-called 'serious and legitimate' tax bureau was just a facade. When it came to tax issues, the IRS revealed its true form - a merciless monster with fangs and claws sharper and crueler than those of the FBI or CIA.

▪▪▪▪

In the office of the IRS chief, Jack was going over some important information with Chris.

"This is what you need, but releasing a large portion of it could cause major problems," Chris said, emphasizing the importance of the documents.

"I understand that," Jack replied, nodding his head.

"Entering the CIA headquarters is my main goal. It doesn't matter if someone inside is trying to cover it up. I'm sure I can handle it, but I want to be safe."

"The entire list of CIA agents and details of much advance weaponry will be stolen from the CIA headquarters soon. And a transaction worth 5 billion will be taking place soon for that info," Chris added, rubbing his forehead in frustration.

"By the way, you said someone else could do it without you. Who is this person with such incredible skills?"

"If I want to do it, then I wouldn't need these documents for such a small job," Jack explained, rolling his eyes. He took out the storage disk from the computer and continued,

"I will be playing a cover. I can't get involved in their internal affairs of the CIA, or things could end badly."

"After all, breaking into headquarters and stealing confidential information by someone from one's own department is different from someone from another department doing it," Jack added, placing the disk in his bag.

▪▪▪▪

A few days later, Jack received a message from Ethan, who was saved on Jack's phone as "Tommy Boy," and Jack's name had been saved in Ethan's phone as the "FBI Guy."

The message read,

"I've met Max, the arms dealer, and I plan to pretend to sell the list of CIA agents and the tech to her to get information on the traitor. Can you help me?"

Jack replied, "I think you already have a plan in mind."

Ethan sent another message, "I do have a plan, but with your help, it will be more convenient and straightforward."

He wanted Jack to be directly involved in the plan to ensure its success...

"Before that, recruit some helpers first," Jack replied. "When the time comes, come to Langley and send me a message."

Ethan looked around, wondering if Jack was hiding nearby or if he had installed some kind of eavesdropping device because that's what Ethan had been trying to do for the past few days. He was in a high-speed train compartment, gearing up for his next mission. He had found two "helpers" from a notorious list within the CIA - a roster of individuals with unique abilities with a history of committing crimes.

Every secret service has such a list, as sometimes the professional class can't measure up to the talents on these lists. And Ethan knew that using them could bring in a lot of technical support for his mission.

This time, he was going to do the impossible - break into the heavily guarded CIA headquarters and steal the list of their core agents from the main computer room! But he knew this was no small feat, and he needed to be cautious. Disrespecting the CIA, one of the top American secret service agencies, would disgrace his life and his profession.

Jack quickly sent another message, "Don't worry, I'm not keeping any sort of monitoring on you. Recruit your helpers, and I'll be ready on my end."

Ethan was left speechless, but he knew he could count on Jack to be there when the time came.

▪▪▪▪

Hey there, readers. Your friendly author is popping in to let you know that the next chapter of our thrilling tale will come your way this friday!