Chapter 33: A Second Chance

The afternoon sun in Tokyo streamed through the window, casting light into an empty warehouse that now served as the secret headquarters for Ghost Protocol. In the middle of piles of crates and equipment, Arata Masamune stood beside a table, staring at a monitor displaying the faces of his five students.

"A transportation ministry official, Mr. Kaito," Shion reported, his finger quickly swiping data on the screen. "He's using his position to facilitate illegal arms smuggling. The transaction will take place at the old port at 11 tonight."

"Also, the district police chief, Ms. Sato," Akari added, her voice sounding annoyed. "She's involved in a drug syndicate and uses bribe money to fund her illegal operations."

Every report that came in made Arata feel more disgusted. He could see the looks of disgust on his students' faces, and he felt the same. These traitors didn't care about the war Collins was planning; they only cared about money and reputation, even if it meant selling out their country.

"Damn it," Arata muttered, clenching his fists. "They all only care about money. They don't care about the safety of others."

Pierson, standing beside him, nodded. "That's human nature, Arata. We have to clean up this filth."

That night, Ghost Protocol went into action.

At the old port, Arata, Pierson, and Natasha stormed a warehouse. The sound of gunfire and grenade explosions echoed among the containers. Flashes of fire and debris flew, followed by the loud thuds of falling objects. Pierson nimbly dodged bullets, while Natasha provided lethal cover fire. Arata, moving swiftly, gave precise commands, shooting important targets with his pistol.

In another warehouse, they found a drug transaction in progress. The deafening blast of Pierson's shotgun took down the guards who tried to resist. Boxes of drugs were scattered. The sounds of gunfire, explosions, and shattering glass created a symphony of chaos. Soon after, police sirens blared in the distance, signaling that their mission had been a success.

In a luxurious villa, they found evidence of human trafficking. An official they met tried to offer a bribe. "Just take this money! I'll give you everything you want!"

Arata just looked at him coldly. Without hesitation, he shot the official in the knee. "Betrayal can't be bought," Arata said, his voice full of rage. "You've already sold out your country."

Pierson and Natasha tied up the official, leaving him to be dealt with by the police who would soon arrive.

In his office, Commander Narada received report after report about unidentified attacks throughout Tokyo. He knew who was behind it. He also knew that this was the only way to cleanse Japan of the "terrorsim mushrooms" hiding behind power.

"Just let it happen," he muttered to himself. "As long as Arata is doing it, I trust him."

After several days of cleaning up the "garbage" in Tokyo, they finally found something they didn't expect. On a seized computer, there was an encrypted file. Shion managed to open it, and what they saw made them gasp.

It was a detailed schematic for the second and last nuclear bomb, a Russian one, stolen in Serbia. The target was not Tokyo or any other major city in Asia. The target was the waters near Hawaii. The goal was to make the explosion appear like an attack from an Asian country, triggering a direct conflict with the United States, and officially starting World War III.

"Hawaii..." Arata muttered, his eyes wide. "He's trying to fool everyone."

Pierson and Natasha exchanged glances, realizing they had found a key piece of Collins's puzzle.

"We can't let this happen," Natasha said, her face tense.

Arata, with a new determination burning in his eyes, stood up. "No," he said, his voice full of conviction. "We won't."

The first mission in Tokyo was over. A new, far more dangerous mission now awaited them. It was time to face Collins directly, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.