Chapter 654
Destroy All Evidence
“Take him back,” Lynn told his team. “Also, seal up the evidence in his backpack, and send the cell phone and laptop to the technical department to extract the information and see if there are any other transaction records or information about accomplices.”
"Understood." The team members nodded, escorted Black Wolf, and got into the off-road vehicle.
Lynn and Jason stood by the roadside, watching the SUV drive away, and breathed a sigh of relief. A gentle evening breeze blew by, carrying a slight chill, and the streetlights were still on, their warm yellow light illuminating their figures.
“It’s finally over,” Jason said with a sigh of relief. “I thought today would be a relaxing day, but I didn’t expect to run into another contraband deal. Fortunately, we managed to raid their hideout and arrest all the suspects.”
“Yes,” Lynn smiled, looking at the distant horizon. The night was still dark, but a faint light had already appeared in the east. “Although I didn’t get to rest, at least I solved another case, so it can be considered a gain.”
“However, this Black Wolf doesn’t seem simple,” Jason frowned and said. “He’s very well hidden and has weapons. He’s obviously not an ordinary drug dealer. Perhaps there’s a bigger gang behind him.”
“Yes,” Lynn nodded. “I also think there must be a bigger gang behind him. Besides, he just said he was going to meet a big client, but we don’t know who that client is yet. When we get back, we’ll interrogate him thoroughly, and I believe we can get more clues out of him. In addition, after the technical department extracts the information from his phone and laptop, they should be able to find more transaction records and information about his accomplices. Then, we can completely take down this drug gang.”
“Okay,” Jason nodded. “Let’s go back now, we still have a lot to do.”
Lynn nodded, and the two got into Jason's Accord, heading towards the New York branch. The eastern horizon was gradually brightening, a pale blue sky tinged with the first hint of dawn—a new day was about to begin. On the streets, early-rising sanitation workers were already cleaning, the sound of water trucks carrying a distant echo, bringing a touch of life to the city.
“By the way, Lynn,” Jason said as he drove, “we really need to get some rest once this is over. I don’t want to end up like today, going to watch a game but turning it into a case investigation.”
Lynn smiled and nodded: "Okay, once this case is over, we'll go on vacation and relax properly. I mean what I say."
Jason smiled and said, "You said it yourself, no take-backs! We'll go to the beach, soak up the sun, feel the sea breeze, forget about all the cases, do nothing, and just enjoy life."
“No regrets,” Lynn smiled, looking out the window. The sun was slowly rising in the east, its golden rays illuminating the entire city and his face. “We’ll go after the case is over.”
The interrogation area of the FBI's New York branch was perpetually filled with the cold smell of disinfectant and an oppressive atmosphere. Black Wolf was held in solitary confinement in the innermost room of the interrogation chamber, his hands firmly handcuffed to a metal interrogation chair, his wrists already bearing red marks. The scars on his face appeared even more menacing under the cold white light, and his once fierce eyes now held a hint of panic, yet he maintained a facade of composure, his lips pressed tightly together, refusing to utter a single word.
Lynn saw Jason off, instructing him to contact the technical department to retrieve information from Black Wolf's phone and laptop. He then slowly entered the interrogation room with a glass of room-temperature water. He didn't speak immediately, but simply placed the glass on the corner of the interrogation table, pulled up a chair, and sat down, leaning back slightly. His gaze calmly fell on Black Wolf. This silent stare was more oppressive than any harsh interrogation. Black Wolf's shoulders tensed involuntarily, and his eyes began to dart away, unable to meet Lynn's eyes.
“Don’t be nervous,” Lynn’s voice was low and steady, without the slightest ripple. “I know you’re scared, scared of retaliation from your boss if you confess. But have you considered that you’ve already been arrested, your gang has been dismantled, and the evidence is irrefutable? Even if you don’t confess, we can use technical means to find out who’s behind you. At that time, not only will you have to bear all the blame, but your family may also be implicated because of your resistance.”
Black Wolf's body jolted, and he raised his head, a flicker of panic and anger in his eyes: "Don't try to threaten me! I won't say a word. Verus won't let me go, and you won't get anything out of him!"
“Verus?” Lynn deliberately drew out his words, tapping his fingertips lightly on the interrogation table, making a crisp “tap-tap” sound. “So, this is the name of your boss. A merchant who sells raw and frozen food, right? I’ve already had my men investigate all the merchants in New York who deal in cold chain and fresh produce. I believe it won’t be long before we find him. But I still hope you can tell me yourself. After all, you should know better than me the difference in sentencing between voluntary cooperation and a forced confession.”
Black Wolf's face turned deathly pale. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but swallowed it back. His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white, his nails almost digging into his flesh. He knew Lynn was telling the truth. He had long heard of the FBI's capabilities; if they wanted to investigate, there was no one they couldn't find. But he knew Verus's methods even better. That seemingly gentle and refined businessman was ruthless. If he betrayed him, not only would he die a gruesome death, but his mother and sister back home would also face annihilation. Lynn saw his struggle and didn't press further. He simply picked up the sealed evidence bag on the table, slowly opened it, and placed the notebook and cell phone inside on the table. “This was found in your backpack,” Lynn pointed to a string of numbers on the notebook. “The tech department has cracked part of the encrypted information. This string of numbers is the number of a cold chain warehouse in downtown New York City, and the legal representative of this warehouse is Verus. In addition, there are many chat logs on your phone with someone whose contact is called ‘Boss.’ Although most of them have been deleted, the tech department is working on recovery and we believe it won’t be long before they can restore all the content.”
Black Wolf's breathing quickened, and a fine layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead, trickling down his cheeks and dripping onto the collar of his prison uniform. He stared at the notebook and phone on the table, his fear deepening, his struggle growing more intense. He knew he had no way out. As for Verus, even if he didn't confess, once Lynn and his team traced him, Verus would believe he had betrayed him, and his family would still be in danger. But if he confessed, he might be able to negotiate a lighter sentence, or even have the FBI protect his family.
“I’ll tell you,” Black Wolf’s voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, trembling with a hint of despair, “I’ll tell you everything, I just beg you to protect my family and not let Verus find them.”
Lynn nodded, took out a voice recorder, and pressed the record button: "Don't worry, as long as you tell the truth, we will arrange for someone to protect your family and ensure their safety. Now, start from the beginning. How did you meet Verus? What did he put you in charge of? What was your transaction process like? Also, were his cold chain warehouses and fresh food supermarkets used to cover up the trafficking of contraband?"
Black Wolf took a deep breath and slowly spoke, his eyes filled with exhaustion and fear: "I've known Verus for three years. Three years ago, I was desperate because I owed a huge gambling debt, and someone introduced me to him. He told me that if I worked for him, I could quickly pay off my gambling debt and make a lot of money, but I couldn't ask too many questions or reveal any information about him. I was desperate at the time, so I agreed."
“He’s in the frozen food business. He has three cold chain warehouses and five fresh food supermarkets in New York,” Black Wolf continued. “These cold chain warehouses and supermarkets appear to be operating normally, but in reality, they are used to cover up heroin trafficking. He takes advantage of the convenience of cold chain transportation to hide heroin in frozen food packaging boxes and transport it to various trading points. I was responsible for managing the trading point on Eighth Avenue, as well as connecting with downstream customers, collecting cash from transactions, and then regularly handing the money over to Verus’s men.”
“Verus is a very mysterious person,” Black Wolf lowered his voice, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes. “I rarely see him. He always contacts me by phone or through his men to assign me tasks. He never makes a deal in person, nor does he let me know his exact address. Every time we meet, it’s at a place he designates, and the time is very short. He always wears gold-rimmed glasses and a suit and tie, and looks very refined. He doesn’t seem like a mastermind behind drug trafficking at all.”
“His methods are extremely ruthless,” Black Wolf’s body trembled slightly, as if recalling something terrible. “One of my men accidentally leaked transaction information and was discovered by him. He never showed up again. I heard he disposed of him; even his body couldn’t be found. I’ve always been afraid that one day I would end up like that. The big client I was supposed to meet this time was actually an important partner of Verus, holding a large amount of funds and planning to expand the scale of transactions with Verus. I didn’t expect that I would be captured by you before I even got to meet him.”
As Lynn listened, he quickly jotted down key information, occasionally interrupting him to ask for details: "How many people does Verus have under his command? Besides the Eighth Avenue trading location, are there any other trading locations? Where exactly is his cold chain warehouse located? Where does he usually go?"
Black Wolf answered each question without concealing anything: "Verus has about twenty men, divided into several groups, each responsible for different tasks. Some are in charge of transportation, some are in charge of liaising with clients, and some are in charge of guarding the warehouses. In addition to the hideout on Eighth Avenue, there are two other hideouts, one in Brooklyn and one in Queens, both hidden in old apartment buildings. He has three cold chain warehouses, one in the Bronx, one in Manhattan, and one in Queens. I don't remember the exact addresses, but I know that the warehouse in Manhattan is his main storage location, where he keeps not only heroin but also a large amount of cash."
“He rarely goes out and spends most of his time in his private villa, the exact location of which I don’t know,” Black Wolf continued. “Occasionally he will go to his fresh food supermarket or cold chain warehouse for inspection, but he is always surrounded by a large entourage of bodyguards, making it difficult to get close. His favorite place is a high-end Western restaurant in Manhattan, which he goes to once or twice a week, always alone, and stays for about an hour before leaving.”
The interrogation lasted for three hours. Black Wolf confessed everything he knew, including Verus's physical characteristics, habits, the division of labor among his subordinates, and general information about all the trading locations and cold chain warehouses. Lynn turned off the recorder, put away his notebook, looked at Black Wolf, and said calmly, "Thank you for your cooperation. We will keep our promise and protect your family. Next, you need to sign the statement to confirm your identity. If needed, we will require your cooperation in our investigation further."
Black Wolf nodded, a hint of relief mixed with despair on his face. He knew that his life had been completely changed from the moment he revealed Verus's identity. What awaited him was a long prison sentence, but at least his family would be safe.
Lynn walked out of the interrogation room, where Jason was already waiting, holding a report that the technical department had just delivered. "How is it? Did Black Wolf confess?" Jason asked anxiously as soon as he saw Lynn.
“They’ve confessed everything,” Lynn nodded, took the report, and quickly glanced through it. “His boss is called Verus, who runs a frozen food business. He has three cold chain warehouses and five fresh food supermarkets, which are all fronts for his drug trafficking. I’ve already had my men investigate Verus’s cold chain warehouses and trading locations based on the information provided by Black Wolf. In addition, the technical department has recovered some of the chat history on Black Wolf’s phone, found a private contact number for Verus, and the address of the Western restaurant he frequents.”
“Great!” Jason said excitedly, “Shall we go and catch Varus now?”
“No,” Lynn shook his head, his tone serious. “Not yet. We don’t have enough evidence. Black Wolf’s testimony is all verbal. Although we have chat logs and warehouse information, it’s not enough to directly prove that Verus is the mastermind behind the drug deal. Besides, Verus is very cunning. He has many bodyguards and is very vigilant. If we act rashly, we might alert him, let him escape, or even destroy all the evidence.” (End of Chapter)