Hernine Acetta.

The first woman to intrigue me from her smiles and grins despite my utter hatred for her.

My thoughts were clouded with her and her cherry musk perfume ever since she left but it all broke when my wrist watch buzzed from an incoming call. I clicked on my earpiece and soon Antonio's voice came blaring through;

"Amadio, get out of there right now, a sudden fire has broke out."

I immediately started walking to the designated exit, "who caused it?" My footfalls echoing the chaotic surroundings of screams and gunshots, a sudden heat enveloping my body.

"The cameras are down, we can't lock in and there is chaos everywhere. Reach the van, quick."

"Coming." The earpiece clicked off.

I set foot into the black SUV van and the guys drove off immediately, stopping at a safe street.

"Verdict?"

The entire team spun their chairs around and turned to me, clicking on their laptops.

"See here, the cameras are down for the past thirty minutes." The cameras were a static, the voices blurred out.

My eyes narrowed on the screens.

"Carlo, tried his best but the chance of the building surviving is far off."

"Did everyone manage to vacate out?" My eyes were furrowed with the sudden tension.

In my line of work fifteen seconds are mere life changing. One second, you'd be delving into the thoughts of someone your heart contradicts to, and the other, you'd be staring at a broken camera with no clue surrounding it.

"Yes they did, shortly after you did. Aldo managed to get everyone out, he is in his car, reaching here now."

I nodded, my eyes locked on the screen of blurs and static.

"I don't get it?" Antonio voiced out, his voice annoyed probably from not getting the cameras up.

"It's obvious what's happening, Toni." Everyone's eyes darted to me.

"The mayor hosted the gala with his partner cartels for celebration of his election, probably for a motive, and one of the mafias present today, took an advantage of that motive."

The team listened to me carefully and soon the door to the SUV opened and Aldo came in, his eyes darting around the cream white interior, I passed him a laptop.

"Zayyan, get up." Our youngest tech newbie got up, knowing this was something far off his hands. "Aldo, take over."

The seats were switched soon and Zayyan took a seat beside mine.

"Switch the cameras to the Mayor's room."

All switched it and the screens inside the SUV now showed a burning body in a burning room filled with remnants of the demise.

I looked at them, my eyes clearly giving a message while theirs was darkened with the sudden threat and disrespect.

"They meant to show that to us." Zayyan spoke and my fists clenched at the spoken fact.

It was as if someone purposefully did it to throw us off, knowing we took over the charge of surveillance at the gala.

"Decode it, Aldo."

"Certo." (Sure)
His fingers clicked onto the laptop and silence was gathered around.

"It's encrypted."

I threw my head back onto the seat, my eyes closing, my hands clenched.

"Encryption code is invalid." The monotone robotic voice from the system voiced out and I took a deep breath.

"They have it locked. We can't decode it. Not even the techs can, Amadio. It's out of our control."

My body burned with tension at Carlo's word and I took a sharp inhale before bolstering an order.

"Mi servono i nomi delle famiglie presenti al gala."
(I need the names of the families present at the gala)

"On it." Zayyan called out.

My eyes zoned into the screen with the burning flames charting to charcoal and ashes now, having been deprived of it's power.

"Only someone skilled and someone who's have it with us must have done this." I spoke out, my left hand fidgeting with the ring on my right hand.

"The mayor was one lying scumbag, unreliable and untrustworthy, someone probably killed him for his deceiving."

I nodded. "You're right, but they definitely had a motive of turning the cameras off and having it on for his room as if declaring a message."

The team nodded and a series of clicks charted round.

I looked at the screen and the radar beside it that was now red, indicating that the building was now only broken bricks and ashes. Signals all broken.

"He called over all the partners of his, today, right?" I asked and they affirmed it.

"Yes, capo."

"Then the only family who was wronged was an outsider." Aldo spoke and I shook my head.

"Or the mayor wanted to wrong a partner and kept this gala for a motive to kill them, but the other cartel did it first."

The four turned to me at that, their confusion now dissipating.

"Take us back to the warehouse."

Antonio obliged, switching his seat back, his laptop rendering back to a screen beside the steering wheel, as he stepped on the gas and we were off.

Whoever it is, I wish them good while it lasts, for it's not going to be for long.