Chapter 25: The Killer's Mark

Library.

Luca and William quickly organized the relevant books and printed out the circulation records. They then tracked down a contact at the FBI, slipping him some cash to help identify the borrowers—the bribe money was kindly sponsored by Luca.

For a mere $500, you could get the FBI to break protocol and check private information.

When William was dealing with the FBI agent, he deliberately kept Luca at a distance, seemingly unwilling to let him in on too many secrets. Only after the business was concluded did he allow Luca to return.

"Was that an FBI agent?" Luca asked, knowing the answer perfectly well.

William, having just sat back in the car, looked surprised. "You know him?"

"No." Luca shook his head. "But I know who can trace book borrowers through checkout records. The FBI has been hacking into library systems for years, secretly logging information. They monitor the public's reading habits, flag books related to nuclear weapons or criminal activities, and record the borrowers' details. Violating public privacy... that’s illegal, isn't it?"

William: "..."

In the United States, a country that places a relatively high premium on privacy—where there are barely any surveillance cameras even now—the FBI doing this was undoubtedly illegal.

But that wasn't the point. The point was, how did Luca know all of this?

This was supposed to be classified FBI intelligence. Even he had only learned of it by chance through a friend in the bureau.

Seeing William’s silent expression, Luca grinned. "Don't worry, Officer. My lips are sealed. I won't go around talking about it; it's a secret between us."

Looking at the hand Luca extended, William gave a helpless smile and shook it. "I won't be putting this in the case report."

"I understand. I truly understand the difficulties you police face." Luca shrugged. "You want to investigate certain information, but you have no channels. Or when you do have channels, you have to go through such troublesome procedures... just like the time we hacked the phone signal in Times Square. You guys didn't even dare to tap their line without applying for a warrant. By the time the paperwork cleared, the killer would have already run."

Everything Luca said was the hard truth, which made it all the more stinging for William.

"Rules are what keep society orderly," William sighed.

"But you aren't a pedantic man, are you?" Luca laughed.

The two shared a knowing smile.

...

"The Divine Comedy, History of Catholicism, Murderers and Madmen, Modern Homicide Investigation..."

Luca patiently cross-referenced the list of borrowers with William, eventually isolating a single name: John Doe.

After comparing the information previously obtained, Luca was certain: this guy was the real killer.

Excellent. Once he had the address, the killer could consider himself finished.

However, Luca didn't tell William the truth. Instead, he gave him a different, incorrect name from the list, and they split up to investigate.

Luca’s methods were varied and unconventional, but none of them could be used openly in front of the police. He couldn't kill a man while a cop was watching.

He would find the killer himself. Once he had killed or incapacitated and restrained him, he could find a way to hand the credit over to William and David afterward. That way, he would secure his system rewards while also building a stronger bond with them.

The best of both worlds.

Before leaving, Luca and William exchanged phone numbers. Luca then went back to pack his gear and called Leon; the two of them headed straight for Queens.

"Who’s the target this time?"

"John Doe."

In the car, the two hitmen quickly exchanged intelligence on the target.

Luca handed the file to Leon. "This guy is the murderer behind the religious killings that have been stirring up such a frenzy in New York lately."

"The killer behind the Gluttony and Pride murders?"

"Exactly." Luca said flatly. "Once we find him, the primary objective is to subdue him. As long as he's not dead, beat him until he’s half-dead. If he poses a threat to us, just take him out."

"Understood."

Leon didn't ask for reasons; he silently pulled out his handgun and attached a suppressor.

Arriving at an apartment building in Queens, the two professional hitmen slipped in low-profile, making their way to John’s door.

They knocked, but there was no response.

Luca and Leon exchanged a glance, then turned and moved away, silently staking out the corners of the hallway.

Both were incredibly patient when it came to this sort of work. They waited until eight o'clock in the evening, when John Doe finally appeared.

In the original timeline, John wounded two police officers and escaped. However, facing two top-tier hitmen, he had absolutely no power to fight back.

Just as he opened his door, two suppressed shots struck his legs.

Terrified, John was about to pull a handgun from his coat to defend himself when a dagger was already silently pressed against his throat.

"Shut up," Leon said coldly.

John nodded stiffly.

Leon restrained John, while Luca pushed the door open, and together they dragged him into the room.

Even after being trussed up tightly, John had no idea who these two men in masks and sunglasses were.

How had he been found?

It made no sense!

He had no credit history, no social security, his bank records were five years old, and he had even sliced off his own fingerprints.

He had been so careful, becoming an utterly invisible presence in society—how could he have been tracked down?

Could it be that the recent murders had attracted some attention? But he hadn't left behind any clues to his identity; it shouldn't have been traceable.

Could he have accidentally stumbled upon a home invasion?

After much thought, John decided this was the most logical explanation.

After a moment of intense internal calculation, John quickly calmed down. These two hadn't killed him, which meant they wanted something else.

"If you two are here for money," John said, enduring the pain with surprising composure, "please untie me and let me stop the bleeding. I can tell you where my money is. You take it and go, and I won't call the police."

*Biu!*

Luca put another bullet into his leg. "Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

John: "..."

*Could I have run into two lunatics?*

[Character Card Discovered: John Doe]

[John: S]

[Source: Se7en]

[Skills: Divine Judgment; Footsteps Without Trace]

[Bond: Stranger]

Luca sneered.

*Oh? This psycho is actually an S-rank card with two skills? No wonder he’s a high-IQ criminal capable of running circles around the police.*

But forget about developing a bond. This guy was too far gone; his heart was twisted and extreme. He had no social life and would never be friends with anyone.

Luca had no interest in building a bond with a madman like this.

He casually found a dirty rag and stuffed it into John's mouth, then started touring the gloomy house as if he were a guest.

The interior was chaotic and filthy. The walls were plastered with Catholic motifs—crucifixes, bibles, and badges. In some areas, jars sat on shelves, many containing nauseating severed limbs and remains preserved in formalin.

One room was filled with an massive collection of books and journals—John, the psycho, had recorded his entire criminal process, his psychological states, his resentment and indictments against the world, and his disdain and contempt for the "mediocre" people in it.

Over a thousand notebooks, each two hundred and fifty pages long.

Between every line, every word, was nothing but cannibalistic obsession.

Luca had zero interest in any of it. He didn't want to understand John's inner world.

That was until he discovered a vast array of hung photographs in a darkroom. Among them were the murdered fat man and the starlet.

There was also one of David Mills, labeled "Wrath."

But beyond that, Luca found a few photos that left him incredibly shocked.

For instance, the "Wolf of Wall Street" and his associates were there, labeled "Greed" and "Lust."

There were even photos of Stansfield and Jimmy?!

What shocked Luca the most was that he saw a photo of himself.

It was labeled: "Ambassador of Peace? Helpful Citizen? Greed, Pride."

*What the hell?*

It was one thing for this bastard to mess with those rare cards, but motherfucker, he tagged me too?

You're just a measly S-rank card—who the hell gave you the nerve?