"You're not supposed to be here, Reed."
Marcus raised his flashlight.
A man stepped forward.
He had a scar above his left eyebrow.
Thomas Walker.
Alive.
And holding a gun.
Walker lowered his weapon.
"Put yours away."
Marcus hesitated.
"You've been dead for six years."
"That's what they wanted everyone to believe."
"Why?"
Walker looked exhausted.
"Because I made a mistake."
"What mistake?"
"I tried to tell the truth."
They sat across from each other in the warehouse office.
Walker explained that on the night of Elijah's shooting, he had been assigned to patrol the northern district.
He arrived at the scene minutes after Hayes had fired.
Elijah was still alive.
Walker had immediately called for medical assistance.
But Sullivan arrived shortly afterward and ordered everyone to keep their radios off.
"He told us the suspect had died," Walker said.
"Why?"
"Because someone had already made arrangements."
Marcus leaned forward.
"What arrangements?"
Walker looked at him.
"There was a private security contractor involved. They were using police resources to move evidence and people without official records."
"Who hired them?"
"I never found out."
Walker continued.
He had discovered that Elijah had recorded a conversation on his phone before the shooting. The recording supposedly contained evidence of illegal payments between department officials and a private security company.
Hayes wanted the phone.
Sullivan wanted the investigation closed.
And someone above Sullivan wanted the entire incident erased.
Walker had secretly helped Elijah escape the hospital.
But the department soon discovered his involvement.
A staged vehicle accident followed.
Walker's death was announced.
His family was paid a settlement, and his identity was erased from active police records.
"Why didn't you contact me?" Marcus asked.
Walker gave him a tired smile.
"Because your signature was on the disposal report."
Marcus felt anger rise.
"It was forged."
"I know that now."
Walker reached into his coat and removed a small flash drive.
"There's something on here you need to see."
Marcus took it.
"What is it?"
"The original body-camera footage."
Marcus stared at him.
"You have it?"
"I kept a copy before they destroyed everything."
Before Marcus could ask another question, a vehicle engine roared outside.
Walker stood immediately.
"Someone followed you."
Marcus moved toward the window.
Three black SUVs were approaching.
Walker grabbed his shoulder.
"Listen to me. You have to get out."
"What about you?"
"I've been running for six years. I'm tired."
Marcus refused to leave him.
But Walker pushed him toward the rear exit.
"Find the money trail. That's where the truth is."
A gunshot shattered the window.
Marcus dropped behind a desk.
When he looked up again, Walker was gone.
Outside, footsteps approached.
A voice shouted:
"Reed! Come out!"
Marcus escaped through a broken loading door and drove away.
He checked the flash drive at a nearby motel.
The footage showed Elijah standing beside a police vehicle.
Hayes approached him.
Then Sullivan appeared.
And finally, a third man stepped into the frame.
Marcus recognized him immediately.
It was Deputy Chief Richard Coleman.
The highest-ranking officer in the department.
Marcus watched the footage three times.
The third man was unmistakably Richard Coleman.
In 2019, Coleman had been an assistant chief. Today, he was the deputy chief and one of the most respected figures in the department.
He regularly appeared on television discussing police reform, public safety, and community trust.
He had even received an award for ethical leadership.
But the footage showed something different.
Coleman stood beside Sullivan and Hayes while Elijah was still alive.
He pointed toward the young man.
Then he said something the camera barely captured.
"Make sure nobody talks."
The footage ended.
Marcus immediately contacted Sarah.
She watched the recording in silence.
When it finished, she covered her mouth.
"That's him."
"Who?"
"The man my brother was afraid of."
Marcus turned toward her.
"You knew Coleman?"
Sarah nodded.
"Elijah told me that he had been investigating financial records connected to the department. He believed Coleman was receiving payments from a private contractor."
Marcus opened his laptop.
He searched public financial disclosures and archived procurement records.
The company was called Blackridge Security Solutions.
It had received several large contracts from the city between 2018 and 2021.
The payments were listed as equipment procurement and emergency response services.
But several invoices contained identical amounts and suspicious approval dates.
Marcus found something else.
The company's registered director was listed as a man named David Miller.
However, the address connected to the company belonged to a building owned by Richard Coleman.
It was enough to raise serious questions.
But not enough to prove a crime.
They needed Elijah's original phone.
Sarah looked at him.
"My brother said he hid it somewhere before the shooting."
"Where?"
"At the old apartment."
They drove to the industrial district.
The building had been abandoned, but the entrance was still accessible.
Sarah led Marcus to apartment 14B.
Inside, the walls were covered in old photographs and newspaper clippings.
Elijah had clearly spent months preparing for something.
Sarah opened a loose floorboard beneath the bedroom closet.
Inside was a small metal box.
There was a phone, several documents, and a handwritten note.
Marcus unfolded the note.
It contained a list of dates and amounts.
At the bottom was a sentence:
THE MONEY NEVER WENT TO THE OFFICERS. IT WENT THROUGH THEM.
Sarah picked up the phone.
"It still works."
Marcus connected it to a portable charger.
After several minutes, the screen illuminated.
One recording was saved.
Its title was:
COLEMAN β FINAL MEETING.
Marcus pressed play.
A man's voice filled the room.
"If Carter talks, everyone goes down."
Another voice responded.
"Then make sure he doesn't."
Marcus recognized Coleman.
But the second voice was unfamiliar.