You'd be mistaken for an illegal trade that involves heart-pounding tension or a secret meeting shrouded in mystery. The opposite is true.
It's cold and silent.
Just a broker and a seller. And an organ separated from its body.
10:00 PM: Four hours after Mr. Hotson's interview.
Tonight, a man has an appointment with a broker. He carries a black suitcase in his hands.
His posture is straight and structured. He's of average height, so he wouldn't be easily recognized in a crowd.
Sometimes he appears in a white coat like a doctor, and other times in a black suit. The consistent features of his appearance are a ninja mask that covers the contours of his face, leaving only his eyes visible. He also wears a hat that casts shadows over his narrow eyes. Finally, a pair of black latex gloves. Obviously, to hide fingerprints.
Tonight, he arrives at an old, abandoned apartment. His steps are calm as he walks down the dusty, unkempt corridor. He stopped in front of a room and, without knocking the door, he entered.
A tall, thin man that wearing a mask was waiting for him there, with an armed companion beside him.
"What did you bring today?"
"A kidney. Just two hours after the transplant."
"Good. Give it to me."
The next thing that happened was the luggage was checked and the money handed over. Once that was done, the man simply left.
*****
6:00 PM: Mr. Hotson's interview
A news host stood in front of the camera, ready to broadcast the news.
"Alright, viewers. Recently, the public has been uneasy due to the increasing number of strange disappearances. There have now been five reports based on information circulating on social media. Regarding this issue, we have invited the police to provide confirmation regarding this news."
On the studio screen, a middle-aged man in an investigator's uniform was displayed. The news screen displayed his name: "Hotson Burgend—Investigating Police Officer."
"Alright, Mr. Hotson, as you know, netizens are starting to speculate that there are indications of a kidnapping here. What is your response to the speculation circulating online?"
"Alright, thank you for your question. Let me to answer. As of now, we the police have not been able to officially determine the status of this case. Indeed, I admit it's quite odd that there have been more than two missing person reports in the past week. However, this doesn't necessarily indicate a kidnapping. I've received reports with varying circumstances. Therefore, our team is still searching for the missing person to determine the truth."
----
Mr. Hotson took a deep breath as soon as his laptop camera was turned off. He, who had been sitting upright, immediately leaned back in his somewhat rickety plastic chair.
"At least, the public can be calmed... For a moment," Hotson muttered. He opened his phone. He scrolled down and opened a live broadcast on YouTube. He scrolled up, monitoring all the netizen responses while Hotson had previously responded to the host's question.
This news had only been a topic of public discussion for a day. Less than two days, but it was already being a hot news.
It all started with a father posting a desperate message about his daughter's disappearance. He had reported his daughter missing six days ago. However, after not receiving the updates he wanted, he decided to share the news publicly. He hoped someone would find her by chance. Although... a miracle like that was clearly too much of a stretch.
Hotson continued scrolling, encountering various comments.
"Don't trust the police, they're con artists."
"It seems the police force is filled with slugs."
"Can't you all confirm it yet?"
"I hooe, the missing person will be found soon :')"
"I have a bad feeling about this, tbh."
Not long after, a call came through Hotson's notification, making him to hastily open the app.
"Yes? It's alright, sir. I told people as we agreed," Hotson replied.
"I know. I'm still looking for further clues," he continued.
"I understand. Public suspicion can't be prolonged for too long. I'm trying, sir"
And then the call ended. Hotson was left in a fog of thoughts. He rubbed his face with his large hand and a second later stood up. He packed up his laptop and left the room.
Hotson walked through the police station corridors like someone caught in a storm. Luckily, he didn't explode at work. In fact, it wasn't the netizens' response that made him this way. After all, that was a common occurrence in his job: facing significant skepticism from the public. This was all due to the stalled process in the cases he was handling.
The reports of missing persons occurring within such a short timeframe were clearly suspicious, and he couldn't completely refute public suspicion, as he too had. However, Hotson hadn't found any clues that led him to that conclusion.
All the reports, chronologies, and details he'd received didn't really point to anything. They were just vague descriptions of the victims before they were discovered missing.
Besides, the victims were too random
Five people.
A girl, an office worker, a migrant, a cleaning service worker, and a teacher.
There were no ransom calls. And likewise, there were no traces. Everything was too clean.
That was what frustrated Hotson to death. Because considering his career track record, he'd accomplished much more difficult things than this. The bare minimum was to always have the latest information within 24 hours at the latest.
However, it had now been six days since the first report came in. And this was clearly the worst performance of his career.
Tap.
Hotson's steps stopped right next to his motorcycle. Although it wasn't immediately apparent, his rearview mirror was covered with parchment paper. It was taped so precisely that it completely covered the entire surface of the mirror.
Of course, Hotson immediately grabbed it. He had a feeling this was going to be a good thing.
Opening the paper stunned him, and he quickly pocketed it. He stepped on the gas and sped away from the police station parking lot.
He left at: 6:45 PM.
*****
The final stitches were finally completed. The doctor removed the surgical sutures from the "patient's" abdomen. He immediately replaced his blood-stained latex gloves with new ones. Afterward, he quickly cleaned his knives and surgical instruments, carefully arranging them in the toolbox.
The doctor had a sturdy build. He was the average height of a man, making his appearance inconspicuous, even if he wasn't wearing his surgical gown and coat.
His face was quite handsome, though not particularly eye-catching. So, yes, the only thing interesting about him was the fact that he was a surgeon.
Oh, and one thing I'd forgotten. Those were his eyes. They were both sharply shaped with fairly small pupils. Despite this, his gaze was still visible. It was difficult to decipher, as it seemed gentle and razor-sharp at the same time.
Like when he looked at the clock.
9:00 PM: Three hours after Detective Hotson's interview.
His eyes stared straight at the clock, perhaps staring at something beyond numbers and time. The corners of his eyes curved slightly, reflecting the corners of his lips that hadn't lifted since he entered the operating room.
Once he was finished with the surgical instruments and the thing-beyond-time, he reached for his phone. After discarding his latex gloves, of course.
On the screen, CCTV footage from a room appeared, with the time marked 7:15 PM.
Chronologically, a girl was in the room. Lying unconscious. A moment later, a door slammed, and Detective Hotson was captured. He quickly checked the girl's condition and called an ambulance. His eyes then darted to every corner of the room.
That's when their eyes met.
Hotson stared intently at the CCTV footage. Sharp, calculating, and a hint of anticipation.
He took out his phone and quickly snapped a photo. Then, he carried the girl out of the room.
The doctor paused the video recording, put his phone away, and continued his work. He carefully stored a piece of kidney in a freezer and then stowed it in his carry-on suitcase.
Shortly after, his cell phone rang.
"Yes, as promised, let's meet in an hour."
The call ended.
The first kidnapping victim was found.
The doctor smiled slightly.