By 6:00 p.m., the entire precinct had been placed under heightened security procedures.
Special Investigator Foster had contacted the external oversight team. The department's legal office had been notified, and a request had been submitted to preserve all digital evidence associated with Sentinel Protective Services.
Lieutenant Bennett remained missing.
His phone had been switched off.
His personal vehicle had not been located.
And nobody knew whether he had left voluntarily or had been warned that investigators were closing in.
Victoria was reviewing the latest evidence inventory when Detective Reed rushed into her office.
"Captain!"
She looked up.
"What happened?"
"There's been a break-in."
"Where?"
"The evidence storage facility."
Victoria immediately stood.
"Is anyone injured?"
"No. The security officer discovered the damage during a routine inspection."
"What was taken?"
Reed handed her a preliminary report.
"Several archived financial records. Two original witness statements. And a sealed storage device from the Sentinel investigation."
Victoria read the report.
"Was the facility secured?"
"Yes."
"Then how did someone get inside?"
"An access card was used."
"Whose?"
Reed hesitated.
"Deputy Chief Sullivan's."
Victoria slowly raised her eyes.
"Are you certain?"
"That's what the access system shows."
The room seemed to grow colder.
Foster entered a moment later.
"Captain, we need to move."
They drove to the evidence storage facility with two additional officers.
The building was located several blocks from the main precinct. It was a plain concrete structure with reinforced doors, security cameras, and a small reception area.
The duty officer greeted them.
"Captain."
"Show me the entry records."
He opened the access system.
The report showed that Sullivan's card had been used at 5:12 p.m.
The door had remained open for approximately four minutes.
No additional authorized entry had been recorded.
Foster examined the camera footage.
The recording showed a man entering the building wearing a dark jacket and a baseball cap.
His face was partially obscured.
He walked directly toward the archive section.
He did not appear to search randomly.
Instead, he went straight to a specific storage cabinet.
He removed several folders and a small sealed container.
Then he left.
Victoria watched the footage twice.
"Pause."
The image froze.
"Zoom in on his left hand."
The technician adjusted the picture.
A distinctive ring became visible.
Victoria leaned closer.
She recognized it.
Not from Bennett.
From Sullivan.
The deputy chief wore a heavy silver ring with a dark stone.
"Can we enhance the image?"
The technician nodded.
"Not enough to establish identity yet."
Foster folded her arms.
"Then we need to question Sullivan immediately."
Victoria shook her head.
"Not until we verify the card access and preserve the footage."
They returned to the precinct.
The main building was unusually quiet.
Most officers had been instructed to remain at their stations while investigators secured relevant records.
At 7:35 p.m., the lights suddenly flickered.
A few officers looked up.
Then the entire bullpen went dark.
Someone shouted.
A computer monitor crashed to the floor.
The emergency lighting activated seconds later, bathing the room in dim red illumination.
"Everybody stay where you are!" Victoria shouted.
Reed reached for his radio.
"Control, this is Detective Reed. We have a power failure in the operations area."
No response.
He tried again.
Nothing.
Victoria moved toward the central security terminal.
The screens were black.
Foster approached.
"Is this connected to the evidence facility?"
"I don't know yet."
A loud crash came from the hallway.
An officer shouted.
"Someone's in the archive room!"
Victoria drew her service weapon and moved toward the corridor, with Reed and two other officers following.
They reached the archive entrance.
The door was open.
Inside, filing cabinets had been pulled out, papers were scattered across the floor, and a computer tower had been removed from its desk.
A figure in dark clothing stood near the rear exit.
"Police! Don't move!"
The figure turned.
For a moment, Victoria saw a familiar face.
It was Eric Dawson.
He looked terrified.
"Put your hands where I can see them!" Reed shouted.
Dawson dropped the object he was holding.
A small black storage device hit the floor.
Victoria approached carefully.
"Eric, what are you doing here?"
He looked at her.
"I was trying to fix it."
"Fix what?"
"The backup system."
"Why are you removing equipment?"
Dawson shook his head.
"I didn't steal anything. I was told to destroy the backup."
"By whom?"
He looked toward the hallway.
Then he whispered:
"Lieutenant Bennett."
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
"Where is he?"
Dawson swallowed.
"He said he'd be waiting outside."
Reed moved toward the rear exit.
But before he could reach it, a vehicle engine roared outside.
A car sped away.
Reed ran to the doorway.
"Vehicle leaving the rear lot!"
Victoria looked back at Dawson.
"Who else knows about this backup?"
Dawson's eyes filled with fear.
"The original files are in there. The payment records. The witness recordings. Everything."
Victoria glanced at the storage device.
Then she looked toward the dark corridor.
Bennett had not simply disappeared.
He had been trying to erase the evidence.
And if he had managed to destroy the backup, the department might never discover the full extent of the corruption.
Victoria turned to Foster.
"Secure the device. Get the forensic team here immediately."
Foster nodded.
Then Victoria's phone vibrated.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
You still have time to leave.
A second message followed.
The next person who disappears won't be Bennett.
Victoria stared at the screen.
For the first time that evening, she felt a genuine chill.
The threat was no longer aimed at her career.
It was aimed at the people helping her.