EPISODE 73 – A Missing Piece
The urgent summons had cut through the morning's emotional fog, and one by one, the members of CHIPER arrived at the headquarters. The hangovers were real, but the adrenaline of a new, high-stakes case quickly took precedence. As they gathered around the main console, however, a sense of unease settled over the group.
"Where's Dohee?" Guen asked, her voice tight. She was still fighting a headache, but her focus was already shifting to the mission. "She's not here yet."
Alex's face, already pale from the morning's shame, went a shade whiter. A cold dread gripped him. Is it because of me? he wondered, the memory of her tear-streaked face flashing in his mind. He couldn't shake the fear that his mistake was the reason for her absence.
Micha, ever the worrywart, immediately pulled out her phone. "I'll call her," she said, her fingers flying across the screen. After a few rings, she lowered the phone, a frown on her face. "She's not picking up."
Kevin, trying to maintain a sense of calm, offered a plausible explanation. "Maybe she's just got a really bad hangover. I mean, she did drink a lot more than usual last night."
But the explanation felt hollow. The air was thick with unspoken tension. Minjae, always perceptive, noticed Alex's distress. He moved closer, a teasing smirk on his face. "Hey, Alex," he whispered, "did you do something with her last night?" Alex didn't respond, lost in his own world of guilt and confusion.
Just then, a buzz from Micha's phone broke the silence. "I got a message! Everybody, check the group chat. Dohee texted."
Minjae, curious, read the message aloud. "Hello, this is Dohee. I'm taking a break and going to my village house where my grandparents live. I'm tired, so I'm going for a vacation. Sorry for this sudden decision. For this case, I won't be working with all of you, but I know you'll win your mission. All the best. Take care. Thanks."
A stunned silence filled the room. Micha was the first to speak. "Why would she suddenly do that? Is she okay?"
Minjae shot another meaningful look at Alex. "Last night, you were with her. Did she say anything to you? Did something happen?"
Before Alex could respond, Kevin intervened, sensing the rising tension. "Guys, let's not jump to conclusions. It makes sense. She's been working multiple cases with us, plus her regular job. She's been pulling double duty for months. She probably just hit her limit. She deserves a vacation."
"I need one too," Micha said with a fake cry, her voice tinged with a mix of genuine worry and humor.
Minjae, unable to resist a jab, teased her. "Where would you even go? A chemical lab? Spend your vacation with beakers and Bunsen burners?"
Guen, though still concerned about Dohee, decided it was time to get back to business. "Alright, guys. We have a mission. We'll have to get through this without Dohee. She's one of our best, but we're still a team. We'll do our best and we'll win this. Let's get serious."
Alex remained quiet and withdrawn, his face a mask of sadness. Micha, noticing his distress, went over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay, Oppa?" she asked softly, her voice full of genuine concern. "I know this is hard, but we need you. Dohee would want you to focus. We have to be strong for her, and for the people we're protecting. She's counting on us. You're the best hacker I know, so let's get to work, okay?" Alex looked at her, and a small, grateful smile touched his lips. "Thank you, Micha," he said, taking a deep breath and turning back to his terminal.
The Midnight Thief: An Investigation Begins
With Dohee's absence a silent, palpable presence in the room, the remaining CHIPER members turned their full attention to the new case.
Alex immediately got to work, his fingers a blur over the keyboard. The "phantom digital footprint" was a ghost, a series of complex algorithms and shifting IPs that had left no trace. "This isn't just a hacker," he muttered, "this is a professional. A ghost who knows how to erase their own tracks." He traced the initial breach to an obscure satellite network, then to a series of untraceable proxy servers, all leading to a dead end. The black feather, the calling card, was the only tangible clue.
Guen and Micha took on the task of profiling this new threat. "The name alone, 'Midnight Thief,' suggests a certain flair for the dramatic," Guen noted, scrolling through the limited intel. "This person isn't just a criminal; they're an artist. They want to be known, but not caught. The black feather is a signature."
Micha, ever the analytical mind, added, "The choice of a black feather is significant. Feathers can symbolize many things: freedom, ascension, or in this case, perhaps a kind of dark elegance. The 'Nightfall' project's compromise suggests a high level of sophistication and knowledge of military-grade security. This isn't some amateur. This is someone with resources, intelligence, and a dramatic flair. A ghost in the machine."
Kevin and Minjae focused on the human element. "Military intel leaks are never good," Kevin said, pacing the floor. "This could be a foreign agent, a rogue patriot, or a private entity trying to get their hands on a new technology." Minjae, meanwhile, was on the phone, quietly talking to his street-level contacts, trying to find any whispers of a new player in the black market.
The team, though a member short and weighed down by emotional baggage, was back in their element. The new case was a challenge unlike any they had faced before, and they knew they would have to rely on their strengths, their wits, and their trust in each other to succeed. The Midnight Thief had made their first move, and now CHIPER had to make theirs.
Who is the Midnight Thief, and can the CHIPER team solve this new case without Dohee?