Ruiz's interrogation of Serra was nothing special, primarily focusing on his involvement in organized crime activities, such as gang-related operations and drug trafficking. Mahong's use of terrorism as a pretext didn't quite fit in this context.

Mahong could make use of it because Jimmy was indeed investigating an explosion. After linking it to the explosion in Newark, Azte's attack on Jimmy could neatly fit into this narrative, thus avoiding the FBI's deeper probing into the case. The mastermind had someone attack the investigating agent, ensuring there would be plenty of suspects.

Involvement in such bomb terror attacks was something ordinary gangs could not withstand, even just under suspicion. Thus, Mahong using this reason twice posed no problem, even if it was reported officially, no one could argue against it.

Ruiz simply used the files previously uncovered for a routine interrogation of Serra. How it turned out wasn't Jimmy's concern anymore. Given that Ruiz had entered the interrogation room, Serra surely couldn't escape. While it was challenging to handle major gangs, dealing with smaller factions by seizing any opportunity was definitely manageable.

Ruiz's action of capturing the traitor was now almost common knowledge within the agency. Jimmy and his colleagues were aware but unclear about the latest updates on the traitor, since Derek was from the OPR and had now been transferred to a special team from DC. The Manhattan OPR division was temporarily isolated to prevent a scenario everyone dreaded.

Seeing OPR falter, many were likely pleased, though officially, it wasn't shown. Hughes bypassed some processes, directly submitting the matter to management, and management appointed a deputy director to oversee the case to see what the final verdict would be.

Although the traitor had been captured, Jimmy always felt something was off. Considering this was Manhattan, how could a border gang's second-in-command have managed to secure a mole here? It seemed there was an elusive thread, but with insufficient facts at hand, Jimmy couldn't yet determine how the traitor had connected with Azte's men.

Moreover, if they indeed had a senior FBI agent as an inside person, logically, there should be unavoidable deals of power and money. Logically, they should have corrupted the organized crime division that Ruiz belonged to, which specifically targeted them, rather than an internal agency like the OPR.

The matter remained suspicious, and if pursued further, perhaps Tim Spike, Azte's second-in-command, wasn't the ultimate mastermind. Another unresolved issue was the identity of the several people he had killed, considering who was so significant that they could cross from the South to Northeast's New York to attack him?

The danger was not over yet; for now, the immediate problem was solved, but without addressing the root cause, Jimmy still had to remain on high alert for any potential new threats. It's impossible to be a thief for a thousand days without guarding against a thief for a thousand days. People would scare themselves stiff.

Jimmy sat in his office, drinking tea, thinking of an excuse to travel South to resolve the issue from its roots.

Being an FBI agent wasn't like other professions. Even on vacation, Jimmy couldn't just sneak off to the border and stir up significant trouble. Chinese weren't like Caucasians or African Americans; they had a large base, and by disguising and removing any identity-revealing items, they could go far without being noticed.

The characteristics of the Chinese were too distinct, especially near the border where there were few Chinese. A Chinese appearance in the streets was as conspicuous as a panda among brown bears, making it easy to be remembered if big actions were taken, raising too much suspicion.

Moreover, Jimmy couldn't go alone; Azte spanned several states, and finding a specific person was too difficult. Official agency intelligence was necessary, requiring valid reasons tied to his official status, which contradicted the intention of hiding his identity to act unofficially.

Thinking over and over, Jimmy couldn't find a suitable reason to go to the South without repercussions. To handle the matter, support from personnel and intelligence was necessary, and it had to go through official channels.

The shooter who targeted Jimmy had been killed by Jimmy on the spot. He was no longer interested in meddling with the interrogation of the remaining individuals. Mahong, in his efforts to solidify the case, was now pushing hard, and after witnessing his interrogation tactics once, Jimmy had lost interest, preferring more direct methods like those used in Trinidad.

-----------------

Hughes awaited the handling of the mole, while Derek and two other captured agents were now being interrogated elsewhere, the specific location unknown to Hughes.

To avoid conflict of interest, a team came from DC's OPR, which was somewhat embarrassing but also served as a form of protection, never knowing who else might impulsively act.

What mattered most was the contact they had captured from Albany. Intermediaries were generally tight-lipped, and after enduring for a couple of days, they still hadn't disclosed who was behind it.

However, Hughes had received a name from another intermediary, Thomas, and now, what was needed was some evidence to link them together.

Hughes was also considering whose body they had previously taken away, who it related to, that would prompt them to risk sending someone to New York to assassinate Jimmy.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.