Daniel recognized several of them from his investigation.
But one name stood out.
Blackwood Security Solutions.
The company had received millions of dollars through contracts with the sheriff's department.
Daniel checked its registration.
The owner was listed as Victor Kane.
The same man he had identified from the warehouse surveillance footage.
Robert spoke quietly.
"That's where the money went."
Daniel looked at him.
"Who is Victor Kane?"
Robert's expression became serious.
"Someone who officially died five years ago."
Daniel slowly closed the folder.
"Then I guess we have another problem."
Robert shook his head.
"No, Agent. You have finally found the real one."
Outside, an engine started.
Daniel looked through the window.
A black vehicle was parked across the street.
Its headlights were off.
Someone was watching the apartment.
Robert noticed it too.
He quietly walked toward a cabinet and removed an old firearm.
"Daniel," he whispered, "I think they found us."
Daniel and Robert left the apartment through the rear entrance.
They moved quickly through a narrow alley before reaching a small garage behind the building.
Robert had an old pickup truck parked there.
"Get in," he said.
Daniel climbed into the passenger seat.
Robert started the engine and drove through several residential streets before entering the highway.
For nearly fifteen minutes, neither man spoke.
Finally, Daniel broke the silence.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere the sheriff doesn't control."
"Does such a place exist in this county?"
Robert gave a bitter laugh.
"Not many places."
He turned onto a gravel road leading toward an abandoned farm.
An old farmhouse stood near the edge of a wooded area.
Robert explained that the property had belonged to his brother before he passed away. Nobody had lived there for years, and the sheriff's department had no reason to monitor it.
Inside, Daniel placed the evidence on the kitchen table.
He began examining the company records.
The documents showed that Blackwood Security Solutions had received payments from several government-funded projects.
But the company had no legitimate employees.
Its office address led to an empty commercial building.
Its telephone number was disconnected.
It existed almost entirely on paper.
Daniel opened another folder.
This one contained the names of twelve individuals.
Beside each name was a date.
Some dates corresponded with missing-person reports.
Others matched the dates of suspicious accidents.
"Robert, look at this."
The retired investigator approached.
Daniel pointed to a name.
Sarah Mitchell.
"She was a county accountant," Daniel explained. "She disappeared two days before her scheduled testimony."
Robert examined the file.
"She knew about the transfers."
"Exactly."
Another name appeared.
James Holloway.
The hospital witness who had disappeared earlier that afternoon.
Daniel leaned back.
"These people weren't disappearing randomly. They were being removed because they knew something."
Robert nodded.
"Which means there's a possibility some of them are still alive."
Daniel looked at him.
"Where would they be held?"
Robert pointed toward the eastern side of the county.
"There's an old industrial complex near the river. It was originally used by a private security company. Hayes shut it down officially, but I heard the property was still being used."
Daniel immediately opened his map.
"Do you know how many entrances it has?"
"Three."
"Security?"
"Probably more than you expect."
Daniel began planning his next move.
But before he could finish, his phone rang.
The caller was Rebecca Stone, a journalist who had been investigating Blackwood County for several years.
"Agent Carter, I need to speak with you."
"How did you get this number?"
"That doesn't matter right now. I have information about Thomas Reed."
Daniel sat up.
"What kind of information?"
"Before he died, he contacted me. He said he had evidence proving the sheriff was involved in a federal money-laundering operation."
"Did he give you anything?"
"Yes. A photograph."
"Of whom?"
Rebecca hesitated.
"Hayes, Collins, and someone named Victor Kane."
Daniel looked toward Robert.
"Where are you now?"
"At the newspaper office."
"Don't stay there. Leave immediately."
"Why?"
"Because if you have evidence, you're in danger."
Rebecca lowered her voice.
"Agent, I think they already know."
A loud noise came through the phone.
Then Rebecca screamed.
Daniel stood up.
"Rebecca?"
There was no answer.
"Rebecca, can you hear me?"
The call disconnected.
Daniel immediately grabbed his jacket.
Robert stepped in front of him.
"Where are you going?"
"To find her."
"You don't even know what happened."
"Exactly."
Robert shook his head.
"You're going to walk straight into a trap."
Daniel looked at him.
"Maybe. But I'm not leaving another witness behind."
The two men drove toward the newspaper office.
When they arrived, the front door was open.
Papers were scattered across the floor.
A computer monitor had been smashed.
There were signs of a struggle near the reception desk.
Daniel moved through the office carefully.
"Rebecca!"
He checked the editing room.
Empty.
Then he noticed a small object beneath a desk.
A silver necklace.
He recognized it from Rebecca's photograph.
Beside it was a piece of paper.
Someone had written an address.
And beneath the address:
ASK ABOUT THE TWELFTH FILE.
Daniel examined the note.
Robert approached.
"What does that mean?"
Daniel looked toward him.
"I don't know yet."
He picked up his phone and called Rebecca again.
This time, someone answered.
It was a man's voice.
"Agent Carter."
Daniel immediately recognized it.
Victor Kane.
"You seem to be having a difficult day," Kane said.
"Where is Rebecca?"
"She's alive."
"Put her on the phone."
"Not yet."
Daniel clenched his jaw.
"What do you want?"
Kane laughed softly.
"I want you to stop looking into things that don't concern you."
Daniel looked at the evidence in his hand.
"You should have thought about that before kidnapping a journalist."
There was a pause.
Then Kane spoke.
"Do you know what happened to the last person who tried to expose Sheriff Hayes?"
Daniel remained silent.
"His name was Thomas Reed. And I can assure you, he suffered considerably before he died."
The call ended.