Rust - Chapter 386



Only Krnovel

RUST -386

Maru said to PD, looking at the Homeland Security blimp that disappeared toward New York.

“I think I should go.”

The Department of Homeland Security says they missed the cannibal. If they had simply missed it, why would they have taken such a risk? And they’re offering a price that’s almost like a blank check?

Objectively speaking, it was good that there were additional airships, but it didn’t feel good. When he felt this way, something had happened, so Maru couldn’t just pass it by.

“If you go to New York secretly, it could be dangerous.”

The PD rarely tried to dissuade him. Even if he had built up trust with Director Dan Brown, the FBI and the New York Police Department were different matters.

The military was the same. The relationship with the Marines was good, but overall, it was a difficult relationship. It was common knowledge that the bunker buster and AMRAAM that the Homeland Security Agency had been distributing was from the Air Force Materiel Command warehouse, and that Maru was the main culprit who ransacked it.

So, the moment it became known that Maru had entered New York alone, it was difficult to predict how the various agencies would react.

This was especially true when considering Diana’s analysis that even the Department of Homeland Security had ties to the Deputy Director’s forces and was difficult to trust 100%.

“Now that I’ve taken off Julia Button’s necklace, I need to see the results for myself.”

It was true that he was serious about the airship, but he had sent the nurse to tell them not to mess with telepathy and psychometry.

At the same time, he attached a nurse to check if they were harming the person who took care of them, whether it was telepathy or psychometry. So it was right for him to take care of the nurse’s safety.

“This time, it would be better to go in person. I should also check the information that the information officer brought.”

“Are you talking about the U+ project?”

Hood, the data that Xenia Rodden had taken out. Even at the time, it was information with many strange corners. It was a high-security level, but if you were determined to break through it, you could do it, and if you looked at the conspicuous project name, it was likely a trap to lure those who were obsessed with rejuvenation.

In order to fool them, it had to be a secret research lab where the project was actually underway, so if an accident had occurred, the U+ project would also be at risk.

“I tried not to care what they did with Director Yoo’s body. The situation is not looking good.”

“Sure. Research in that field is dangerous.”

If the nurse knew that he was being followed, the information could leak out through psychometry. So Maru kept these thoughts to himself.

[It won’t take long.]

Maru said as he disappeared into the rippling space.

[Thank you for taking care of me.]

“Have a safe trip.”

Wooooow-

A giant airship soared toward New York.

======

======

New York, the city that never sleeps, was still the same.

It was hard to imagine that it was a mad city where, just a short while ago, they were blowing up cannibals’ hideouts with bunker busters. The three women were amazed by its liveliness.

“How much time is left?”

“About 1 hour and 40 minutes.”

“Ege- Isn’t it too short?”

The Department of Homeland Security wanted to start the operation immediately upon arrival, but the nurse asked for some time, saying that they needed to eat breakfast.

Director Den Brown was concerned about the different style of Yania Kim, but gave permission, as Maru was concerned about the mental health of both of them.

‘It’s two hours. Please be punctual.’

‘Yes. I’ll just eat and come back.’

In the short free time they had, the three women had come to a famous restaurant with the cry, “When you think of New York breakfast, you think of bagel sandwiches!”

“How much is a salmon bagel?”

“There’s a price over there. Thirty-eight dollars.”

“Thirty-eight dollars? And that includes tax.”

“About 9%.”

“Uh- Do we have to pay a service fee even though we weren’t served?”

“That’s freedom.”

It was a surprising price in many ways. How much is 38 dollars in yen? The last time I remember the yen/dollar exchange rate was 125-130 yen.

Eeeeeet-

Even if you buy it cheap, one bagel sandwich costs 4,750 yen? And tax is not included? The nurse was even more shocked because food and drinks were free in Vladivostok. It’s scary. The prices of New York.

“It went up a lot, but it wasn’t cheap the last time I came.”

“Even down in Philadelphia, you can’t buy things like this with money.”

The city, where disease control had collapsed, was immediately ravaged by an explosion of infectious diseases, cannibalistic rampage, and looting and rioting. It was only natural that a bagel sandwich shop would not be operating in such a place.

“But didn’t those two live here in New York?”

“No. I’m from out of town. It’s been a long time since I’ve had breakfast like this in New York.”

Julia habitually stroked her neck, but when the necklace stopped working, she put her hand down.

“I’ve never eaten this comfortably before. Because of security, I only went to my dorm and work. I only rode in a van without windows.”

Erica was definitely in a good mood, as lively as a puppy that got slapped in the eye.

“Are you going to work right now?”

“I guess so···.”

“···Ah- I don’t like it, it’s really horrible.”

“It’s not the worst. I guess that’s a good thing.”

Even if the Department of Homeland Security had just put a new leash on them and let them roll, there would have been nothing to say. Because both of them had been in an accident.

Julia had been working with cannibals and Erica had abandoned her colleagues and run away, and was about to be disciplined, but Maru had been the one who had taken advantage of her, so there was nothing he could say to her even if she was treated coldly.

But what’s wrong is wrong, and what’s bad is bad. Isn’t that the true spirit of America? A spirit where you can’t see any harm. It wasn’t a paradise of lawsuits for nothing.

“I really don’t like it. I’m going to chase after cannibals and see weird things again.”

“Those who run away would never eat anything while running away.”

San- tsu-

Woo- uh-

“Don’t say that. It makes me think of something weird.”

“Sorry. Sorry.”

The nurse was dumbfounded by the sight of Erica and Julia bickering.

‘What the heck are these guys?’

What kind of country is it where you decide to work, but then say you don’t want to work and think it’ll be traumatic? Is this the American style?

“I- Erica, didn’t you come here to work?”

“You know I can’t sleep because I keep thinking about cannibalism. My hands start shaking just thinking about it.”

“······.”

No. Excuse me. Then why did you say you were coming?

“Should I just use my power on the floor and fall over?”

“Huh? Then we’re in big trouble. We’re in real big trouble.”

There were people who were expecting the airship, and I didn’t know what would happen if it was overturned. Seriously, really.

“What’s the big deal? Ah- I shouldn’t have fallen for that half-assed look.”

“Hahaha – and then when a handsome guy comes along, you’ll act all dazed.”

“I told you not! I knew that you couldn’t trust a man who was a spy.”

“Hey- there he comes.”

Julia chuckled as she saw Erica fiddling with her clothes.

“I was joking.”

“Hey. Seriously. Don’t tease me.”

The two people were bickering again. The nurse who had been blankly looking at the two raised her head. Two crows sitting side by side at the traffic light, with a view of the bagel sandwich shop outside the window, were looking around from side to side. They were standing guard.

“Excuse me. I need to wrap something up.”

The two women locked eyes as the nurse stepped away to buy a bagel sandwich.

[How about you, can you run away?]

[It’s hard. I’m stuck.]

Of course, the Department of Homeland Security wouldn’t just leave him alone after giving him a two-hour meal break. The fact that he showed his tail was probably a warning to him to stay still and not do anything because we were watching him. There were probably layers of agents around him.

[I think things might work out if he helps.]

[Hey, can this work?]

Since she was a nurse who was going to return to Detroit anyway, it would have been nice if she had caused a scene and caught everyone’s attention, but it was hard to expect that.

[Hey- He came next to me.]

[Where? Who?]

The moment I turned my head to Julia’s telepathy, a handsome young man from the Department of Homeland Security was approaching me.

[Find out what he’s thinking.]

[okay.]

Erica, who had a negative resistance to handsome men, waited for her chance with trembling hands.

“It’s almost time, so I came to pick you up.”

“yes yes···.”

Just as Erica was about to extend her hand, the man took a step back and said.

“I would like to escort you, but I ask for your understanding that I cannot. I have to be careful due to the current situation.”

Erica lowered her hand when he asked her to understand that there was a risk that secret information such as operational plans could be leaked in one use of her ability. How could she approach someone who was wary of her ability?

‘I hate this kind of ability.’

But if I didn’t have this ability…

His hands, clenched into small fists, trembled.

At the checkout counter, a nurse came in carrying two large bags, each as large as a rice sack, filled with bagel sandwiches, and handed one of the large bags to the handsome agent.

?

“I’m telling you to eat this if you’ve been working hard. You didn’t eat breakfast, right?”

“Ah. Yes… I will enjoy the meal.”

A strange look crossed the handsome man’s face.

“I’ll go up to the rooftop terrace for a bit and then I’ll be back.”

“Yes, please do so.”

Erica’s eyes lit up at the sight.

Perhaps because it was before work hours, the rooftop terrace was empty. The nurse opened a large bag, spread out bagel sandwiches, and shouted.

“Everyone eat breakfast.”

About a hundred crows began to settle down on the terrace. One corner of the terrace swayed and then returned to its original state.

As soon as she came down from the rooftop terrace, the nurse responded with a ‘Huh?’ to the sight of Erica clinging to her and moved to the operation area with the agents.

Erica, whose eyes were sharp, clung to the nurse for a moment, then her expression became deflated. ‘Then so be it.’ I thought she was wagging her tail, but she was just genuinely telling me to eat breakfast.

How can people be like this? Isn’t it natural to have fierce competition over handsome men? Do Asians have different views on handsome men? No, but the Asian women I knew were really crazy.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the scene where the families had been massacred.

A slightly wide space inside the sewer. A musty smell, the sticky moisture unique to sewer, and the smell of blood that has not yet dried.

I really thought about just using my powers anywhere, but I didn’t have the confidence to handle what would happen next.

It was because she had come to understand what the nurse meant when she said something really serious. The nurse was worried that she and Julia might face a fair death, a certain death.

‘Once. Just use it once and pass out.’

Erica made that promise and recharged her energy by looking at the handsome man’s face.

“This way.”

“···yes.”

At the scene where three corpses were strewn about, Erica activated her ability.

The most vivid scene. A person moving a cockroach in a transparent box. And blowing his head off…

Woof-

Erica stopped her psychometry with a pale face at the scene where the head exploded and brains scattered. She was about to faint.

Woof-

Erica, who had just finished grilling a pizza with a salmon bagel sandwich, gulped down some water before speaking.

“Brett. Brett Baden killed them. The Baden family killed them.”

So this wasn’t done by the other four families working together, but by the Bayden family alone?

“Did you find the reason?”

Don’t do that with your pretty face. I’m having too much trouble. It was Erica pleading with her expression.

“···No. I just can’t stand it.”

“You need to know why so you can come up with a solution.”

He was a handsome man who never stopped holding onto her even though he briefly showed her his trembling hands. Erica squeezed her eyes shut.

I really hate it. The guy who clung to me and called me a colleague, and the guy who didn’t live up to his good looks.

[calm down.]

I checked with telepathy, and my own face was also rotten, so what?

Hoo- As Erica took a deep breath and placed her hand on the spot where Brett Baden had been sitting and used her power, a residual thought came to her mind.

The sound of cockroaches that seems to be heard directly in one’s head.

Brett Baden had his eyes closed.

Sasa sasa sak- sha sha sha sha shot-

The feeling of cockroaches that were once disgusting starting to feel sturdy as time goes by.

Erica’s powers faltered at the horrible feeling. She had to endure it. If she didn’t know why, she would have to keep going until she did.

Continued thoughts from Brett Baden.

The DHS kids were so sophisticated that gas fields were spread all over the underground waterways.

‘Find the survivors.’

‘Kill them all. Without leaving a single one behind.’

If there were any survivors from the Sade, Risen, and Dyer families who had lost contact, they had to be killed.

Since we had confirmed that one of the higher-ranking entities could control cockroaches, the priority was to eliminate anything that might have the potential to do so.

‘I alone must be the ruler.’

Cockroaches are everywhere, and people are being raised in a city that has turned into hell.

Wooweeeeek-

A moment later, Erica came to her senses and had a seizure.

“We have to get out of the sewer right now. We have to get out! This is a cockroach den!”

“That can’t be. Yania Kim and her unit have completed over 80% of the disinfection of the area.”

The handsome agent treated Erica’s struggling as a reaction to her abilities.

“Cockroaches! The city is ruined! Everything will become food for cannibals and cockroaches!”

The nurse hugged Erica tightly from behind as she struggled to escape.

“Calm down. There are a lot of people here. There’s a flamethrower over there.”

“He’s crazy. He’s crazy!”

Unable to escape the nurse’s warmth, Erica’s struggles gradually subsided.

“So tell me in detail. What you saw. Why we need to get out of here.”

Erica’s wavering eyes turned to Julia. She nodded slightly.