Chief Jim Hopper reveals long-awaited secrets to Eleven about his old life as a police detective in New York City, confronting his past before the events of the hit show Stranger Things. n n Christmas, Hawkins, 1984. All Chief Jim Hopper wants is to enjoy a quiet first Christmas with Eleven, but his adopted daughter has other plans. Over Hoppers protests, she pulls a cardboard box marked New York out of the basement-and the tough questions begin. Why did Hopper leave Hawkins all those years ago? What does Vietnam mean? And why has he never talked about New York? n n Although hed rather face a horde of demogorgons than talk about his own past, Hopper knows that he cant deny the truth any longer. And so begins the story of the incident in New York-the last big case before everything changed... n n Summer, New York City, 1977. Hopper is starting over after returning home from Vietnam. A young daughter, a caring wife, and a new beat as an NYPD detective make it easy to slip back into life as a civilian. But after shadowy federal agents suddenly show and seize the files about a series of brutal, unsolved murders, Hopper takes matters into his own hands, risking everything to discover the truth. n n Soon Hopper is undercover among New Yorks notorious street gangs. But just as hes about to crack the case, a blackout rolls across the boroughs, plunging Hopper into a darkness deeper than any hes faced before. n