You're a US police officer, what are you thinking about going back to the East for?

4 PM. Seattle West Precinct Building.

Lyon pushed open the glass door on the first floor of the precinct, bringing in a gust of cold wind from outside.

He was going to find Sterling. Since the Blood Gang had been making big moves recently in their struggle for power and territory, he needed to prepare in advance.

As soon as he entered the door, he subconsciously slowed his pace.

Something's not right here.

At this time of day, the first-floor common office area usually looks like a large nursing home.

Those local, seasoned patrol officers in uniform would often gather in groups of three or five by their desks, sipping their unpalatable free coffee, loudly boasting about which rugby game they watched the night before, or complaining to each other about prostate and herniated disc problems.

But today, the entire hall is empty.

There wasn't a single person in uniform to be seen in front of the dozens of desks.

Only a few office workers sat behind computer screens, their fingers flying across the keyboards, answering the phone the moment it rang halfway.

"Why is the police station so quiet today?"

Leon tugged at the collar of his jacket, feeling something was off.

Was this place planted with a bomb, and was an evacuation organized in advance?

He walked through the corridor and had just reached the door of the patrol team's briefing room when a deafening roar suddenly erupted from inside.

"Morpheus! You get the hell out there and look out the window!"

That was Sergeant Danfoss's roar, so powerful it made the blinds tremble:

"That fat squadron in Williams next door, who usually struggles even to get out of their cars, has already issued over seventy parking tickets on 12th Avenue since noon today!"

"They even went up the tree and rescued two really stupid cats!"

"Other areas suddenly went wild, running around the streets like they were on steroids! And you! You actually had the nerve to hide in the break room eating donuts?!"

"Where do you expect me to put my face?!"

"Get back in your patrol car right now! If you don't catch three bastards spitting in the street today, I'll shove you in a trash can!"

Lyon listened to Morpheus's aggrieved explanation from inside and shook his head speechlessly.

He ignored the farce and walked straight to the corridor leading to the detention area, intending to take the elevator that went directly to Sterling's office on the top floor.

Just as I passed the first iron fence of the temporary detention area, a burst of impotent and furious shouts and curses from a Black man came from behind.

"Fuck! Let me out! I need to see my lawyer!"

"You bunch of people who take money and do nothing"