Carlee Estate Investigation: Blue Dawn Connection Sought

It was about a 30-minute drive to the Carlee estate, and thanks to Armstrong's conscientious driving, Roy and company arrived 48 minutes later.

The lights of the estate illuminated the night as the car pulled past the gate. From the backseat, Roy made out a familiar visage in the lamplight, a masked special agent waiting by the door. At their approach, the young agent took off his helmet, revealing the golden features underneath.

'Safe to go in, it seems,' Armstrong said, pulling the car up behind the fountain. The three of them got out of the car and greeted Ed.

'Took out a battalion in under an hour—brilliant work, Edward,' came Armstrong's praise.

'Easy enough when you've got a good team,' Ed deflected, eyes falling right to Roy. 'Glad you're not dead, Roy.'

Roy gave a quiet laugh. 'Glad to not be dead.'

Armstrong grabbed his camera equipment from the trunk of the car, bringing the thick case into the house. 'Well then, I suppose we should get started!'

'House is secure,' Ed told them. 'Demme and Rector searched it top to bottom. Rector found a second panic room in the basement, and she said there's some interesting stuff. Should we start from there?'

'Sounds good,' Riza said.

The three of them followed Ed inside, finding the manor in grave disrepair. The wallpaper was riddled with bullet holes, spatters of blood staining the far corner of the carpet.

Ed answered their questions before they'd even asked. 'Tough fight—some of them were seasoned military. We… kept casualties to a minimum, though.'

'Good,' Armstrong said. 'More death won't help anyone.'

At the vestibule stood two of Ed's men— Gheata and Demme, the former saluting as the group entered the estate.

'Good to see you,' Roy greeted.

'Major Khosravi and Captain Rector are transporting the suspects to 3rd Prison. We'll begin interrogations in the morning,' Gheata said.

'Let's start looking, then—' Ed interjected. 'Armstrong, what exactly is Investigations looking for, here?'

'Well,' Armstrong pulled out a notepad. 'While the testimony from the suspects and from the Baron himself will do a lot to connect the pieces, we need something that ties this militia directly to the Blue Dawn. If we're able to find evidence of this connection, it will help us prosecute them collectively with the rest of its members.'

'Good—so paperwork? Sounds like a party.' Ed turned to face his men. 'You two— stay posted at the front door just in case any of Carlee's pals decide to pay him a visit. Let me know if anything changes.'

'We got your back, Eddy,' Demme said. 'But the General's got your—'

Gheata slapped Demme on the back of his head, stopping his remarks outright.

'We'll keep a look out for you, sir,' she corrected. 'If you or the major require any assistance with the investigation, please let us know.'