"Where's that bastard, the Third Deputy Director?"

[We lost him... at the highway rest stop!]

"Hey! You sons of bitches! You call yourselves NIS agents? You dumbass bastards!"

A team leader under the NIS's Third Deputy Director was pouring out a stream of curses at the agents on the conference call.

Just three weeks ago, the man he was calling that bastard had been his own superior.

The government had changed.

As of March 9, the director, the deputy directors and a good number of the grade 1 bureau chiefs and office heads had all been replaced.

The devils who'd kept their heads down under the democratic governments had risen again.

The NIS—sworn to be loyal to nothing but the nation.

With the top brass installed like an occupying army, an atmosphere of fear had set in.

The key agents handling overseas work, spies and industrial espionage had been demoted.

Prosecutors blinded by power and the new government's stooges had been parachuted in.

And inside, a whole pack of dogs eager to show their loyalty to the government had shown up too.

Like Team 7's leader under the Third Deputy Director, who was cursing right now.

"His phone?"

[It's off.]

"Didn't you put a tracker on him?"

[His car's still parked where he left it.]

"Then where the hell did he vanish to!"

[He... disappeared in the restroom.]

"What kind of bullshit is that! You think you're shooting a movie? Goddammit!"

Team 7's leader bellowed.

After the government changed, surveillance had been put on former senior NIS officials.

Orders had come down from above to identify everyone they made contact with.

"Find him! If you bastards don't find him, I'll take it you've been working with the reds. Then it's straight to the reeducation camp! Got it?"

Everyone on the call flinched.

Once the top brass changed, staff had been sent to the NIS reeducation center by the dozen, their political leanings suspect.

A training camp known as a place of humiliation.

In the meantime, a good number of the staff who'd devoted themselves to the country and the people…