- PART ONE -

Chapter 1

Levi

A warm hand was caressing his hair.

Fingers combed the dark strands, gently brushing the scalp. His eyes were closed, but the light was still bright enough to shine through his eyelids. If he would have opened them, the dazzling rays would surely blind him. He didn't want to, not yet. Nevertheless, he enjoyed this warmth. It gave him energy and ensured his safety. If he could, he would have stayed a long time in this state, and then even longer. Perhaps forever…

A loud knock against the glass made the warm touch fade away. He must have been dreaming...

"Wake up, sleepy head!"

Levi sighed, reluctantly opening his eyes just so he could roll them at his friends enthusiasm. He pressed the mechanism in his chair to bring it back upright. Taking naps during the day, during the job, was his everyday life.

A slim woman with brown hair tied in a high ponytail stumbled into the car. Glasses rested on a long nose. The gleaming hazel eyes stared at Levi. She sat in the back, resting her elbows on the headrests of the front seats.

The driver's side door opened and a tall, well-built blond man stepped in. He had bright blue eyes and thick eyebrows. He put his hands on the steering wheel and looked at Levi, who was sitting next to him, stretching. They all wore dark pants, as well as bright shirts of various shades of blue. On top of that they had black vests.

Levi wasn't one for sentiment, but he'd always appreciated how their uniforms were a physical embodiment of their teamwork. His shirts were almost carefully ironed, smooth and neat, however Hanji's shirts were always a little creased, like the woman didn't have any time for something unnecessary like ironing her clothes. Erwin's shirts were almost as perfect as Levi's. Smith always forced his friends to wear vests, even when there wasn't much going on. The man wanted to be sure that they were always ready for an eventual attack.

"So, Erwin, who was right?", Levi asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Me or Hanji?"

"For some reason the CCTV camera only covered the last 48 hours. We came too late." Erwin explained nonchalantly, not paying any mind to their childish games.

Levi turned back to give Hanji a triumphant look.

"See? I said it's a waste of time."

Hanji sighed and laid back comfortably in the backseat.

"How should I know that the mechanics put so little effort into protecting their own business?", the woman asked, rolling her eyes. "Well, we have to wait for another opportunity. Okay, Ackerman, tell me what kind of stuffing you want this time, I'll buy it for you tomorrow morning."

"Hey, hey, woman! I don't want donuts. Blah, I had enough of them." Levi stated, reaching for the seat belt buckle. "I don't know how you can still eat them. This only confirms the stereotypes about police officers."

"So, what do you want then? Just don't pop out with a foot massage again!"

Erwin laughed, then started the engine. He listened with a smile as his coworkers teased each other about what Hanji should do or buy for Levi since she lost the bet. When they finally parked in front of the building where their department was located, the two detectives agreed that it would be a packet of the man's favorite tea.

"You have time until tomorrow morning, women. Otherwise, I will demand two packages", warned Levi, opening the wooden door and entering the building.

"What packages are we talking about?", asked the tall, mustachioed blonde man, who suddenly appeared just in front of the newcomers. He wiggled his nostrils in a very characteristic way, as if he sniffed a strange smell. "I don't smell anything unusual..."

"Unfortunately, not the packages you're thinking of", replied Ackerman, making Erwin laugh.

"Mike! How's your new informant?" Hanji asked, hanging on the shoulder of the giant man and grinning at him. "I heard that this could be a breakthrough in the case."

"He cut off for some reason", shrugged Mike, frowning slightly. "I have a report to write, and you know how eager I am to do it… Erwin, maybe you want to help me?".

"I believe you will do just fine." Smith patted Mike on the shoulder.

The four detectives slowly moved forward. They passed by other associates, greeting some of them more or less effusively. Some were busy with paperwork, some were talking over the phone. Levi looked towards one of the rooms and saw a group of people there, dressed in full uniforms characteristic to the drug department. They talked to their supervisor, probably discussing the details of the operation, in which they were going to participate.

Levi elbowed Erwin, who was walking next to him.

"Are they going out in the field?", he asked Smith, who looked in the direction indicated by Ackerman. The man nodded in agreement.

"More like a support for the regular police, I don't know the details. But I doubt that they'll discover something new. We'll find out in a few hours, if there's any news they'll call us."

Levi and his friends entered the room that was their daily workplace. Four desks in the center, two boards standing against the wall and boxes full of documents, piled up on shelves. Ackerman's eyes went straight to the place he always looked at when he entered this room. A cork board, hanging on the wall near the door, full of photos, notes and newspaper clippings.

Ackerman was an esthete. Every detail of his life had to be in order. It was no different with notes at work. It was him who took care of the proper arrangement of all the elements on the board. A dozen or so photographs and police sketches were attached to its central part, arranged in a pyramid. The higher the photo was placed, the more important the person was, they were looking for. In several places the photographs were missing. The investigation was still in its early phase. Some players still remained unknown.

As usual, Levi looked at the faces and the names or nicknames assigned to each photograph.

Even though he knew all this information by heart, he couldn't resist his usual urge to look at the photos again. Was it an addiction? No, it was more something like a thirst. He had to seek the justice he agreed to find the day he got this job.

Levi squinted as he took in the sight of the faces before him.

A brunet with a long, handsome face. Bertolt Hoover, known as the "Colossus" because of his height.

A bored blonde with blue eyes and a big nose. No data.

A young, brown-haired woman with a freckled face and a furious look. Fritz, also called "Jaw", because it just so happened that she bit her opponents.

A thin man with a blank look, a pointed chin and short brown hair. No data available on his name. Nickname "The Owl".

A woman with long black hair and a dreamy look. No data.

A sketch of a man with short, dark hair, a chubby face and glasses. No data.

Levi's gaze went higher.

A blond man with short-cropped hair, a fair, showy beard and a gray gaze that was cast from behind round glasses. In the photo, he looked like he was staring straight into the camera. His eyebrows were slightly pursed and his eyes showed increasing anger. Levi studied his face for a moment, slightly tightening his lips. Zeke Yaeger. The son of a man they had been trying to find for weeks. If they could capture him, it might have been much easier for them to find his father. However, Zeke was no ordinary gamer. He was characterized by unprecedented cunning and brutality. Of all the criminals they wanted, Zeke had the longest crime count… and also murder count. If the rumors were true, he was extremely brutal. Zeke's nickname was "The Beast" for a reason.

Levi looked on to the right, at the photo that hung next to the photograph of Zeke.

The photo showed a young man with brown hair almost reaching his shoulders. He was about sixteen then, but this photograph was taken some time ago. The boy had green eyes, a smooth face and a thoughtful gaze. He looked ahead thoughtfully, which made it seem as if he was intensely considering some philosophical question. Eren Yaeger. The youngest son of the man they were looking for. He was introduced to the family business quite recently. The detectives had heard that he was supposed to take over his father's empire, if something should go wrong. He wasn't brutal like Zeke, though he might have been better at hiding his actions. In fact, they had no information about any of the confirmed crime this lad may have committed. Although, they knew for sure that he was definitely involved in his father's dirty business. Despite his young age, he could be dangerous. Unlike "The Beast", Eren did not seem that threatening, but he could have been prepared for his role. Eventually, he could turn out to be much worse than his older brother.

Finally, Levi's eyes fell on the photo at the top. He stared intensively at the face, that seemed to have no emotions at all. The man had the green eyes and the round glasses, very similar to those worn by Zeke. Unlike his older son, he had very well-kept stubble: a short mustache and a goatee. The resemblance, however, was unmistakable. The man's face seemed ordinary, even inconspicuous. Only his gaze suggested that there was some darkness inside of him.

Grisha Yaeger. The most wanted man in their department. He was credited with numerous thefts, kidnappings and murders. He was also the head of the drug business. Theoretically.

Unfortunately, they still had no real proof of Grisha's criminal activities. The man must have been warned that they were chasing him. Some weeks ago he stopped appearing in public. However, he did not give up his business. Quite the contrary. His drug imperium flourished like never before. Yaeger's carefully devised criminal network allowed him to manage everything, even when he was laying low.

Grisha's legal business was a chain of hotels, but the detectives were almost certain that it served him as a laundry for dirty money. Ironically, in the public eye, he was considered a successful businessman, who supported many charities. It wasn't easy to convince other people that Yaeger was responsible for the drugs, which were distributed on the street. Unfortunately, Grisha was on good terms with many politicians, so finding a crack in his façade was extremely difficult.

Levi looked up from the cork board. He walked over to his desk and sat down on his chair. Then he turned on his computer to check the mailbox. It contained no relevant e-mails that could help their investigation.

Ackerman had to admit one thing: the Yaeger family was elusive. Unlike the other drug gang that Levi and his colleagues took down three years ago, Grisha made all of his actions almost undetectable. As a result, almost every murder led to no evidence, while the drugs distributed on the streets only led them to uninformed dealers. The interrogations did not bring any results. The more important players always seemed to disappear. Even when Levi and others succeeded and arrested someone, Grisha used whatever means necessary to make that person silent. Silent for good.

There was also another problem. Unlike Yaeger, they didn't have endless amounts of cash. The situation in their department had improved significantly over the last year. They got fresh uniforms, a few brand new cars and a lot of modern equipment, both in the form of computer devices and weapons. But that still wasn't enough.

Somehow, they needed to infiltrate the Yaeger's organization and dismantle it from within.

Mike and Hanji usually enjoyed such quiet days. Neither of them liked the action. They preferred to slowly "dig" and gain information. Levi and Erwin were the opposite. They preferred to act. And while field work was risky, if they could, they would head out into town every day. Maybe that's why they got on so well. Erwin was his partner at work. Their long-term cooperation was conflict-free. Their partnership had grown so much it often felt as if they could read each other's minds.

As the day was drawing to a close, they headed to the exit. Hanji said goodbye to her friends and tossed a large gym bag over her shoulder, explaining that she was running straight from work to the gym. As she disappeared around the corner, Levi looked at the two tall men. In fact, almost all of his associates were taller than him, which did not amuse Ackerman. He could only look down on Petra Ral from the administration department.

He said goodbye to the other two friends. Smith walked away towards the gray car. Mike headed for the bus stop, wearing headphones.

Ackerman started walking towards his motorcycle, which was standing at the far end of the parking lot. He put on his helmet and started the engine. After a while, he mingled with the line of vehicles, enjoying the ride and forgetting everything that had occupied his mind a moment ago.

Fifteen minutes later, he stopped in front of a low, one-story house, fenced off by a bright wall. He took his cellphone from his pocket and typed in a code that unlocked the door and turned off the alarm. He stepped inside, immediately closing the door in the same way.

He doubted that Grisha had any interest in them at this point of investigation. They were unimportant detectives for him. Levi felt as if they weren't even right on his heels. Yaeger was always a few steps ahead of them. Ackerman believed that this would eventually change and either they would get some new information or the Yaeger family would at some point make a mistake. They were just humans, right?

Nevertheless, he cared about his safety. He did not consider it an exaggeration.

Making sure his house was secured again, he went to the shower. He washed off all the dirt and tiredness, and then changed into more comfortable clothes.

He rubbed his hand over the misted mirror. In the reflection he saw a young man nearing his thirties with gray, weary eyes, a smooth, thin face and straight, ebony hair, wisps of which fell over his forehead.

He emerged from the bathroom wearing gray slacks and a black long-sleeved blouse. He felt much better. A glass of wine and some unambitious film were in his thoughts right now.

He walked through the dimly lit living room, drying his wet hair with a towel. His gaze fell on the flowerpots located around the room. Some of them stood on the floor, other pots hung from shelves or from the ceiling. Levi stopped and ran his fingers over the leaves of the stately philodendron. He was delighted by its delicate texture. He shifted his gaze to the tiny succulents, housed in small white pots lined up on a shelf just above the TV. That view always made him happy for no particular reason. He touched the green leaves of the zamiokulkas standing nearby.

"It is better right here, huh?", he asked quietly, staring at the plant. "A little less light did you good."

Maybe there was something wrong with him, but the company of potted flowers made him less lonely in this house. Anyway, why would he think about that? It worked for him, and that was it. The presence of the plants made him feel better. Levi was about to move forward, but suddenly he froze in place. Something wasn't right.

The kitchen door was open. Had he left it open this morning? He could have sworn the kitchen was locked before he went to shower.

He felt a movement behind him.

"I heard somewhere, that talking to flowers has therapeutic effects", said the unknown voice.

Levi eyes widened.

He knew he only had a fraction of a second to react. Before taking a shower, he left his Glock on the table, by the other side of the living room. He didn't have time to run for it now. So this meant, he had to choose hand-to-hand combat.

He spun on his heel, taking a swing and hit the tall man with his bare foot. He could not see the man's face, because he stood in the shadows, but he noticed that the stranger was thin, had long hair and wore a leather jacket over his shoulders. Was it a killer hired by Grisha? How had he bypassed his security measures?

The stranger flew backwards, hitting the wall with his back. Levi didn't wait for a counterattack. He lunged at the stranger, knocking him to the ground and twisted his arm.

"You can get up to four years for assaulting a police officer, so I would advise you not to move!", Levi exclaimed, holding the man in a strong embrace. The stranger was trying to break free.

"But I didn't attack you, man! Armin was right about you... Let me go, please, I just want to talk."

Levi frowned. What the hell was the man talking about? Listening to his voice, he was surprised that he was probably not dealing with an old man, but with a young lad. The dark strands falling on the stranger's face made it difficult for him to recognize the person he had restrained.

"Who are you?", Ackerman asked, but his grip didn't loose. He couldn't allow himself a moment of hesitation.

"Listen... Let's talk, okay? I don't have a gun with me. Search me if you want."

Levi sniffed loudly, still feeling the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"Don't move", he instructed the stranger. Then, he reached into the burglar's pocket. He felt only a cell phone. He ran his hands higher, along the stranger's muscles and protruding ribs. After a while, Ackerman was sure that this person was indeed unarmed. He finally let go of the stranger and stepped back, still ready to resume the attack. He glanced towards the table, where his gun was located. He could run for it right now...

The burglar lifted himself up on his elbows. He sat on the floor and leaned against the wall. Levi reached out and flicked the switch. The living room lit up with a pale light.

Ackerman glanced at the newcomer's face and his eyes widened.

"Can we talk now?", the burglar asked, lifting the corner of his mouth. His long brown hair completely misled Levi. On the photo it had barely reached the person's chin. However, he would never mistake this face with any other. He stared at it practically every day.

Well, fuck – Levi cursed in his mind.

He had Eren Yaeger in front of himself.

At least this one thing was clear.

But he had no idea what the son of one of the country's most wanted criminals was doing in his living room.